5 Ingredient Lasagna

Growing up, my mom cooked Italian food all the time.  My mom is half Italian and half Austrian [but they spoke Italian], so spaghetti, sauce, and cheese is in my blood.  I've shared my Nona's meatballs before and would like to share her sauce, but it's one of those "some of this," "a little of that" kind of recipe.   I looove her lasagna, and we usually have it on Christmas, but between the homemade sauce and different spices, it takes a while.  I decided to create my own, simple recipe, with as little effort as possible.  The following recipe makes enough for at leas tfour people, filling an 11x7 pan.  

The Five Ingredients: - 1 pound ground beef [I prefer 85/15] - lasanga noodles [about 9] - 24 oz jar of tomato sauce - 8 oz bag of mozzarella cheese -  oz ricotta cheese

The Extras: Okay, so it isn't necessarily just 5 ingredients, but only the first two are really important. - 1 Tablespoon butter - Pam cooking spray - salt and pepper - dried basil - garlic powder
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Melt the butter on high in a large skillet and add ground beef.  3. Add a pinch or two of salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder [if desired] to ground beef, brown, and drain. 4. While the meat is browning, boil the lasagna in salted water as directed on the package.

5. Pour the tomato sauce into a sauce pan and add the drained meat.  Cook on medium-low on the stove for 5 minutes. 6. Spray the 11x7 inch pan with Pam and put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. 7. Layer three layers as follows: pasta, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella.

8. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

If you like making up your own recipes like me, check out my and Amanda's new link up Kitchen Mix Up!