Busy-Day Lasagna

I have a little confession to make here. I LOVE Italian food! The real stuff. My grandma, was Italian, so I know real, and good food, when I see it. And more importantly, when I taste it!

But sometimes, you just don't have the time for it. The good stuff, always takes hours and hours to make. And let's face it, most of us are really busy. All the time! I myself, have come up with some ways to try and accommodate our busy schedule. Like doubling or even tripling the amount of sauce I make at once. Then I freeze the leftovers. Makes for a super easy spaghetti dinner, on a busy night.

I've also grown to LOVE lasagna rolls. Pretty much you boil the lasagna, make the filling, then roll everything up. Place the rolls in a baking dish, and cover with your favorite sauce, and cheese. Yum!

But there is also a new idea in town. Well, maybe not so new. I first heard about it on one of Rachael Ray's shows. About 5 years ago. You use ravioli to make a quick lasagna. Now I've seen it done, many times. On TV. But I've never tried it.

Then I read this week's Gooseberry Patch, Recipe of the Week. Um, hello! I knew I had to try it out! And it's super easy. Definitely what I needed last night. :)



Busy-Day Lasagna


2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 to 1-1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 26-oz. jars favorite pasta sauce, divided
2 25-oz. pkgs. frozen sausage and cheese ravioli, divided
12-oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained, divided

Combine cheeses in a bowl; set aside. Spread a layer of sauce in a lightly greased "13x9" baking pan. Arrange a layer of ravioli on top of sauce. Spread a layer of spinach on top. Add a layer of cheese mixture, completely covering the spinach. Spoon some sauce over cheese. Repeat all of the layers, ending with a layer of cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce has reduced a little. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Makes 8 to 12 servings.



So we're pretty lucky. Around here, we have a cute Italian shop. That has tons of fresh ravioli every day. I picked up our favorite. And thawed some of my yummy sauce. In no time, we had a yummy meal. Salad and dessert included! I also picked up some crusty Italian bread. :) You have to have some. It's the ONLY way to soak up the sauce. :)

What a super easy meal! That tasted like it took hours to make. Honestly, besides a quick run to the store, it took 5 minutes to put together, and in the oven. Yum! This is definitely going to be a regular on our "rotation." ♥