lasagna casserole recipe

Baked Lasagna Casserole

Written by Katie of Good Life Eats

As Aimée mentioned in her post Vegetables In Season: February, I’m pretty much over the whole winter vegetable offerings. I tend to trudge through this time of year through the use of casseroles and soups at our dinner table. This Baked Lasagna Casserole is a current favorite during a time when none of the seasonal offerings really sound good.

I love Italian food. Lasagna has always been a favorite, but sometimes it is fun to take the flavors you love from one recipe and put them together in a different way. Instead of a layered lasagna, here you have a hot, bubbly baked casserole with penne.

Mixed in with the meat sauce are extra vegetables which provide color, nutrients, and texture. Kids will love how the casseroles are served in individual dishes. And because they’re baked in smaller proportions, the recipe cooks faster too. No individual casserole dishes? Just bake it in a large dish. I’ve included instructions for that too.

Photos by Katie of Good Life Eats

These casseroles are great served with a big green salad with a Garlic Herb Vinaigrette or roasted broccoli or asparagus drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and a loaf of hot bread, such as this Rustic Rosemary Bread.

Baked Lasagna Casserole

5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 340kcal
Author: Katie

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 6 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bell pepper yellow, red or orange - diced
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 14 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 teaspoon sugar

For the Ricotta Mixture

  • 2 cups ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 1 box cooked penne pasta 1 lb box
  • 6 ounces Fresh Mozzarella grated

Instructions

  • Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onion until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they're soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Remove the onion mixture and set aside.
  • Add the ground turkey to the skillet, season with the salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Stir until well mixed and cook until crumbled and cooked through. Return the onion mixture to the pan and stir until evenly distributed.
  • Add the bell pepper and wine, scrapping up any browned bites in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and sugar. Heat to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add the ricotta, egg and parmesan to a bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • In a casserole dish layer the following: 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, and 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the mozzarella, 1/2 of the ricotta, 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the meat sauce.
  • Cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 30 minutes. Then, sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
  • Alternatively, you can assemble the casserole in individual serving sized ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then add the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and the dish is hot and bubbly.

Notes

Sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Cool sauce completely before freezing in an airtight container or else you will have lots of condensation from the sauce's warmth which will then cause the sauce to become watery.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 759mg | Potassium: 1010mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4630IU | Vitamin C: 45.5mg | Calcium: 373mg | Iron: 4.2mg

 

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14 Comments

  1. Thanks for the recipe! I made lasagna twice, and even though it was so good, I couldn’t make it again because of all the time it took. Tonight, we’re having smoked salmon fettuccine alfredo.

  2. Oh I just love this recipe! I love everything about it, the photos, the melted cheese, the cup, all of it! And such a great idea, bonus is cooking in season. The flavors and respect for the food is great, thank you!

  3. Hi I saw an earlier post of ur pantry and how u organize it..you have these great teal/blue containers that were huge…can u tell me where did u get it from?? I LOVE them…u said that it was tupperware but I wasnt sure if those were also or jus the ones on the top shelf….
    thanks
    felicia
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