Easy lasagna: Simple, fast, with time to watch TV
Let someone else do the prep work for your lasagna.
By Vic Roberts | senior features editorfrom the January 30, 2008 edition
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Why on Earth would anyone spend three days cooking something that takes just 10 minutes to eat?
It's a question that I have pondered many times before throwing another frozen entree into the microwave.
While I am glad to know a few home cooks are willing to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals that I devour in a matter of minutes, I don't have much desire to return the favor.
In fact, I'd rather spend time doing something more constructive – like watching football on TV.
But for times when the game isn't on, I'll squeeze in an hour to make a lasagna that can last a week.
It's quick. It's easy. And hey, it tastes pretty good, too.
"Low-prep lasagna" leans heavily on ingredients prepared by others. The noodles are "no boil," so they don't need to be cooked before they are stacked with the lasagna's other ingredients. The mozzarella is already shredded; the spinach prewashed; the store-brand ricotta is straight from a plastic container, and the Parmesan is ready to sprinkle.
Oh, and then there's the sauce.
I don't wish to offend my Italian friends who labor long hours making "the gravy," but I am simply not that picky when it comes to the sauce. Anything from a jar with ingredients that don't require you to be a chemist to understand is just fine with me. Bring on the Ragú!
So if you're someone who has never warmed up to life in the kitchen, give this low-prep spinach lasagna a try. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and spends 45 minutes in the oven.
While the lasagna cools, throw some frozen garlic bread into the oven, and in a few minutes, you'll be treating your taste buds while most lasagna cooks are still stirring the gravy.
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