In The Kitchen: The Best Lasagna EVER

Cooking is so easy to do. Anyone can cook. Can you follow a recipe? If you said yes then congratulations you are already on your your way to cooking! Yes, cooking can be of a scientific matter-knowing what tastes and smells compliment one another. It can be possible for everyone. It may come naturally to people like me but some others may struggle, but everything takes practice in life. Some just have to practice more while others work on mastering what skills they already have. Today's recipe is a quick and easy lasagna that everyone will LOVE. Yeah I said it, everyone will love it- trust me.

My mom started making this a few years back and I am now working on mastering this recipe and making it my own. Cooking is all about a recipe, mastering the recipe and working with it, as a guide, and tweeking it and making it your own!

Quick and easy meal the whole family will love!!

So let's get started on this cheesy and veggie explosion of a meal!

Ingredients

1. 1 10 oz. package of chopped spinach (freezer aisle, thawed, drained) 
2. 1 egg
3. 1 15 oz. ricotta cheese
1. I use Sorrento part-skim
4. 3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1. The amount of cheese depends on how cheesy you want between layers and on top
2. I personally like to shred my own cheese from a block of cheese (a little over half the block)
5. 6 lasagna noodles
1. I use Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Lasagna Noodles
6. 1 medium zucchini (washed)
1. Be sure to cut off both ends
2. I sometimes use two small one since they will be more tender
7. 1 medium yellow squash (washed)
1. Cut off both ends



How I cut both the squash and zucchini 

2. I sometimes use two small one since they will be more tender
8. 1 small to medium red bell pepper (washed)
9. 2-3 cloves of garlic (chopped, minced, whatever you prefer)
10. 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
11. 1-3 oz. tomato paste
1. This is not necessary but I use it sometimes
12. 1 lb. (93/7) ground turkey (thawed, drained)
13. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for noodles, veggies, and browning turkey 
14. Seasoning for ground turkey, to taste (optional)
1. Again, this is optional but I use 1 Tbsp.
1. 1 tsp. oregano
2. 1 tsp. thyme
3. 1 tsp. rosemary 

So now that you have your ingredients all ready, it is now time to get to cookin!

The How To

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) to a skillet, warm it up and brown your turkey
1. You can add your seasoning here if you choose to do so or opt out of this option.
2. Be sure to drain it once complete
3. Set aside once cooked
3. Cut your veggies as you are waiting for the meat to cook thoroughly 
1. I chose to cut mine medium width so that they don't take forever to cook and so that they do not get mushy
4. Chop or mince your garlic cloves and add to your cut veggies. Set aside.
5. Boil enough water in a pot with EVOO for your lasagna noodles
1. I do not cook the noodles more than 7-8 min since they will cook a bit once in the oven
2. Drain noodles and set aside 3 noodles
3. Take 3 noodles and line the bottom of your dish
6. Add EVOO to pot that you made noodles
1. Put your veggies in and saute for a minute 
2. Add your pasta sauce and stir, put on low heat setting
1. Here you can add your tomato paste if you wish to
1. Be sure to taste it to avoid having an overpowering tomato taste
3. Add the ground turkey to the mixture
7. Put ricotta cheese into a mixing bowl
8. Mix one egg with your cheese
1. It will have a yellow-cream color



Egg/ricotta mix

2. Be sure to mix it well but not fluff the mixture
9. Drain your chopped spinach and slowly incorporate into the ricotta cheese and egg mixture
10. If you did not buy pre-shredded cheese, shred your mozzarella 
1. Waiting til now will help to prevent the cheese shreds from clumping together
2. I usually shred my cheese after I chop my veggies and while the turkey is browning since I get those steps completed quickly.
11. Top your base layer with your pasta sauce mixture
1. Add about half of the mix and smooth it lightly across the noodles
12. Take half of your ricotta mixture and top the pasta sauce base
1. I like to smooth this with the teeth of the fork



Pasta sauce mix topped with ricotta mixture

2. I use the fork as if I was fluffing the mixture across to spread evenly
13. Add half of the desired amount of shredded mozzarella cheese
14. Add your second layer of 3 lasagna noodles
15. Now repeat steps 11-13
16. Place the dish in the oven until the mozzarella cheese is melt-y, no more than 10 min

Finished results

Here are some tips when prepping this meal!

1. Take your knife and cut your bell pepper along where the sections meet. Stop once you hit the core.
1. Do this on all sections
2. Pull each section away from the core
1. Do this for all sections
3. Now you have no/few seeds and the core comes in one piece



The core comes right out- no fuss!!

4. Cut your bell pepper with the skin facing your cutting surface for easier cutting 
2. Cut off the dry ends of each garlic clove for easier peeling
1. Hit the clove with your knife to break the peel and help make peeling easier too!
3. Have your ground turkey and spinach thawed and ready to use
4. I shred my mozzarella because:
1. It is cheaper. The 8 oz. block cost the price of a regular sized bag of shredded cheese.
2. It melts better.



All shredded

1. Companies add potato starch or another ingredient to avoid the shreds from clumping, which in turn alters the way the cheese melts
3. I use the remainder of the block for cheese squares as a snack with crackers :)
1. Or for another recipe that requires shredded cheese

The great thing about this or any recipe is that you can make it your own. You can take out or add ingredients to your liking! You can use only veggies, you can substitute the turkey for chicken, pork, tofu or another meat of your liking, the possibilities are endless! Another great thing is that you can wrap individual pieces in Saran Wrap and then place in a big freezer bag for later consumption! Let me know how much you LOVE this recipe. ;)