I got it from my mamma

Whenever I go home and my mom asks me what she can cook for me, I almost always say Lasagna. It's another one of those dishes that I think is best at home, and I'm sure a lot of people have their own family recipes. Here's mine.

EASY VEGETARIAN LASAGNA

Box of lasagna noodles (if you want to save time, try the "no boil" variety. You'll need more sauce but not having to boil the noodles saves time and the trouble of handling the wet, slippery, stick-to-each-other noodles.) I'm going to assume you will use the no-boil ones for this recipe. They taste pretty good.

(*when I made this recipe, I used boil ones... it turned out okay except they stuck to each other when cooking and then I had to peel them apart before I could layer them into the lasagna, which resulted in some ripping)

Choose a baking dish -- I have made successful lasagna in an 8" x 8" aluminim baking pan, a 7" x 10" ceramic baking dish and a similar-size Pyrex glass dish. The depth should be at least 2" so the lasagna doesn't spill over when baking.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 large jars (24 oz) tomato sauce of your choice (I like a tomato basil but anything you like is good)

8 ounces Ricotta cheese - lo-fat variety

1 egg (optional – makes the cheese filling a bit fluffier)

1-2 cloves chopped garlic

1 cup chopped fresh spinach leaves (optional)

2-3 Tblsp shredded parmesan cheese

6-8 ounces Boca crumbles or similar (optional)

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (if you put it in the freezer for a little while, it hardens and is a bit easier to slice

Steps:

• Spray your pan lightly with Pam cooking Spray (sides too). Spoon a small amount of tomato sauce over bottom of pan.
• In a bowl, combine Ricotta cheese with the minced garlic, parmesan cheese, one egg and a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce to make it creamier and easier to spread (especially if you are not adding an egg). If using spinach, mix it in with the cheese.

• Slice an 8 ounce call of mozzarella cheese into thin strips.
• If you are adding Boca crumbles or other meat, either brown it in a pan to cook or defrost (for the crumbles).
• Begin with one layer of noodles. Do not overlap the noodles as they will expand while cooking.
• Next, using a flexible spatula, spread about ½ of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Spoon sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle on ½ of the crumbles (if using them) then dot with some of the mozzarella slices. 

• Add a new layer of noodles and repeat once more. Then add a final layer of noodles and pour all remaining sauce over them. 
• Finish with mozzarella all over the top of the lasagna. 
• Bake at about 375 degrees for about 40 minutes (the no-boil noodles should have some cooking times on it.

I usually bake this one day and serve it reheated the next. It is easier to cut and holds it shape better on day two.