When I do my menu planning on Sundays, I’m usually caffeinated and optimistic basically to the point of delusion on the dinner front. I think I am totally going to make Thai curry on Tuesday and flank steak on Thursday and lasagna for Sunday dinner. It’s as if I’m not trying to work while also being a full-time sports practice taxi in a household where on any given day, the dog is puking, my phone is ringing because my mom needs help with her TV and the Subaru won’t start. All at like 4:45 p.m.
When reality hits, and I finally roll into the weekend with a vague sore throat, buried in a pile of laundry that I will never finish folding, lasagna has become a hazy dream. That is, until I figured out this sheet-pan recipe, which for an exhausted, overly ambitious cook is 100% A WIN. It comes together so quickly you could make it on a weeknight. A novel thin lasagna that requires no noodle-boiling, it can be made with store-bought ingredients or homemade. And, most important, it delivers a little bit fewer carbs, a little more protein and a double dose of crispy-edged, toasted cheesy lasagna goodness versus a traditional lasagna.
There are a ton of versions of this recipe out there. Mine uses no-boil noodles, but you can also boil noodles until they are al dente, if you need to. Once you get the hang of it, you can really riff — sub in a cream sauce with roasted butternut squash or sundried tomatoes or spinach and mushrooms. If you are making a homemade marinara or some homemade pesto, make extra, measure it, and tuck it in the freezer for an extra homemade touch next time you’re short on time and energy but long on lasagna needs. Because now you have the perfect recipe for that.
Quick Sheet Pan Lasagna
Serves 6, generously
1 9-ounce package “oven ready” no-boil lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
One yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound of Italian sausage
1/2 pound of ground beef or wild game
3 cups or 24 ounces jarred or homemade marinara sauce
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of homemade or store-bought pesto
8 ounces or 2 cups of shredded “Italian blend” cheese or a mixture of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese
Finely chopped fresh basil for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 13-by-18 inch sheet pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, break noodles with your hands, going for mostly long, triangular shards, roughly 2 inches wide at their base. There will be smaller and larger pieces. Cover the noodles with boiling water and set aside. In a skillet, saute the onion until it begins to soften. Add meat. Brown it until it’s no longer pink. While it browns, stir pesto into the ricotta and set aside. Once the meat is close to done, drain the noodles and return them to the big bowl. They will still be somewhat hard. Add the browned meat and sauce to the bowl and gently stir until the noodles are well coated. Pour the noodle mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and distribute it evenly with the back of a spoon. Scoop 8 evenly spaced dollops of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. You can increase the bake time a few more minutes if you’d like the cheese a little more brown. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.