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The Easiest No Boil Lasagna Recipe

May 31, 2019

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Easiest Homemade Lasagna Recipe
When it comes to crafting or DIY, I have a very strict rubric before I dig in. Number one, a project must be quick and easy to do. Number two, it must be inexpensive to construct and number three, and probably most important, it can not look like crap.

Let's face it, no one wants to fill their home with decor that looks like it was thrown together from cheap materials.

So over the years I've developed some effective cheats to help me produce elegant projects in a jiffy and on a budget.

As you can imagine, I operate the same way in the kitchen.
Of course, if the food tastes bad, no one wants to eat it, it's a giant waste. So again, over the years, I've come up with my own set of cheats to get me in and out of the kitchen as fast as possible. Well, not out - out of the kitchen. I love that room.

I just want out of the meal prep. Fast.

A while back I was reading my friend Debbie's blog. She's an amazing gardener and chef and I follow her in hopes that some of her fabulous talent will rub off on me - a girl can dream can't she?

Well, anyway, one day, I caught her recipe for an easy tomato sauce and I was hooked. I used it all the time. It was my go to. No more boiling tomatoes and peeling them blah, blah...just bake and blend. A fabulous cheat, wouldn't you say?

Baking Tomatoes For Homemade Sauce

And then.

I was rushing to make a lasagna and I realized I didn't even have enough time for the quick sauce recipe, so I cheated even further. My own version was no bake, just blend...once it was thrown in the oven and baked, it tasted the same.

Cheat Your Way To A Great Sauce

I use the Barilla brand of no-boil lasagna and in about 40 minutes (most of it baking time), I have a delicious meal my whole family loves and enough leftovers for few days. Bingo. Now that's my kind of recipe.

The Best No Boil Lasagna Recipe


Easiest No Boil Lasagna And Sauce





My instructions tend to be more guidelines than recipes, but you'll get the idea.

The Easiest Homemade Tomato Sauce

1. I start by washing the tomatoes. Next, I chop them up and toss them into the blender with some onions, garlic, a dash of olive oil and oregano. Then I hit blend.

2. I line the bottom of a baking dish with some of the sauce, lay down three strips of lasagna and layer on a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella. I add more sauce and then top it all off with another three strips of lasagna and even more sauce.

3. I repeat this layering process several more times, until I get to the top of the pan. I end with sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. I cover it and bake it according to the directions on the box.

A few tips from this cheating chef:

I have tried other brands of no boil lasagna and they weren't great. They were too thick and you could tell that they weren't boiled. Ick.

Also, be generous with your sauce. The lasagna strips get soft in the oven by soaking up the moisture from it. Skimpy sauce equals crunchy pasta and that is no good.

I have vegetarians to deal with, so I don't add meat. You could, just fry up some chop meat or sausage and layer it on before the cheese.

Now, if you think this recipe is only for quick family dinners or for someone who doesn't know real Italian food, I beg to differ.

I'm a Sicilian girl. My parents are first generation Americans, my grandparents came over from Italy in the 1920's, they spoke Italian and we ate nothing but the most unbelievable food. There was never a jar of sauce in my home.

Everything was from scratch and everything was fantastic.

Is my lasagna fantastic? Well, you have to remember that I made it, so I would have to say no.

However, I have served it on a few holidays and no one has objected. It's passed muster with a very picky, very opinionated and very loud crowd. And there were no leftovers.


Of course, I may have omitted the fact that I cheated.

Not that I was hiding anything.

It just didn't come up.

Although, I think they may all know now.

But that's just a guess.

What's your favorite cooking cheat?


Kim Signature


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  1. Easy and yummy that is the best way to cook and eat. This looks so good. Thanks for sharing. Happy Friday.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thanks Kris! It's certainly easy, that's for sure!

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  2. I have been using Barilla for years and it is the best. I'm like you I'm 100% Italian. Both sides of the family are from Italy. I still make my sauce from scratch but have done a similar cheat for my husband and I.

    I have to have meat in my lasagne, thank goodness no vegetarians.

    If you don't have to boil the noodles anymore I don't know why some do. This alone saves time and energy.

    Have a super weekend

    Cindy

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    1. I have tried the Ronzoni brand and even a store brand from a local Italian market and the Barilla is the best. I totally agree!!

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  3. I love Barilla too, but have never tried the no cook noodles. This looks sooo good! Thanks!

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    1. Oh you should try, Mari! SO easy and makes for a quick meal prep!

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  4. This does look a tasty dish, thanks for sharing your recipe (and cheat) tips :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan! It's not gourmet by any means, but it's good!

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  5. a friend made the most delicious lasagna I've ever eaten! and it was with the Veggie Crumbles.
    tasted just like beef. and apparently he made it the same as you would using meat!
    but then I've never really 'not liked' any lasagna. even bad lasagna! lol.
    my go to cook books in the first years of my marriage were BH&G (everybody remembers the red and white chintz style cover!) but the really neat one was the I Hate To Cook Book! I loved it! still have it! xo

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    1. It sounds really delicious, Tammy!! I have to look up what Veggie Crumbles are...I think my kids would love that. And I remember that cookbook. We had it in our house. And I Hate To Cook Book?!?! I need this for sure...xo

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  6. Hi Kim, I love lasagna and your version of making the sauce and the noodles sounds so good. I am like you and love making easy to make recipes and food.
    I hope you have a nice week.
    Julie xo

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  7. I'm all about cheat recipes and this one is great! I haven't tried the no boil lasagna and will definitely have to do so. One of the reasons I don't make lasagna is because of the noodles falling apart while I'm trying to line the baking dish. :-) Frustrating! Love and hugs!

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    1. You will love this then, Benita. I couldn’t take the burnt fingers. I was never patient enough to wait for the noodles to cool. Now I don’t have to! It’s definitely worth a try.

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  8. I have never used the no-cook noodles but I love to try new things so will look for it. Lasagna is always one of my favorite foods. This sounds very easy to make.

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    1. Angela, you should try them. It really cuts down on the prep time and it makes a very tasty meal!

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  9. Kim, that looks so good and the easy part is the best..Happy Week to you my friend..xxoJudy

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    1. Thanks Judy...and I agree about the easy!

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  10. YUM! I will give this a try.
    Thank you Kim!

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    1. It's usually a crowd pleaser, Carla! I hope you like it.

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  11. Thanks for the link back and shout out my friend!!! I just used the last of my roasted tomato sauce on Sunday for....guess what....a LASAGNA that I brought to my daughter's new house for her first big family luncheon! There was a memorial mass for my dad, and we all went to Shannon's new house afterwards - it was perfect, and the lasagna was awesome. I also used some of my zucchini bolognese...and a marinara....cleaning out the freezer for this year's crop!! Like you, I use the barilla no bake noodles - they are seriously a lifesaver!!

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    1. That sauce recipe is my new go-to, Debbie. You have made cooking Italian meals doable and (almost 😉) fun again! I can’t thank you enough. And your dinner for your dad at your daughter’s house sounds lovely. What a nice tribute. xo

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  12. Oh, yum. Sorry I haven't been around for a while, very busy few weeks, and I'm going on vacation end of June so you can expect more of the same :-) But, honestly, I missed your brilliant posts. It is wonderful to visit again.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Oh Amalia, no worries. I have barely been online since my daughters released their song. I have been enjoying music and the outdoors! I think a vacation sounds lovely. Enjoy it my friend!! And thank you for the kind words. xxoo

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