When it comes to meal preparation, I have two issues that must always be addressed.
First is the size of the recipe. Since dinner most
evenings is just for The Picky Eater and me, recipes are often too large for
our needs.
Second, The Picky Eater is, well, picky about what he wants.
Often that means I forgo recipes I would like because there would be enough leftovers
to last a month.
Inside I not only found all of many favorite recipes downsized
for two, but there were also a lot of new ones to try. I love the idea of making brownies and cakes that are just big enough for two. Perfect for my
middle-aged household. Plus, the front is full of shopping tips, kitchen supply
suggestions, and food storage ideas, which would make this cookbook a terrific wedding
gift idea.
Now I can make recipes that fit my tastes and dishes we both
like without the fear of massive leftovers.
I've found my go-to cookbook!
This lasagna recipe was a big hit. Absolutely delicious! Who
would have ever thought to make it in a loaf pan? Perfect!
Since The Picky
Eater has to watch his sodium intake, I used low-sodium diced tomatoes and
sauce. Also, he doesn't like chunks of tomato in dishes, so I pureed the diced
tomatoes to smooth out the sauce and just let it simmer a bit longer than the original
recipe to thicken. The only other change I made was to use ground sirloin
instead of the recommended meatloaf mix .
Stay tuned for more recipes from this terrific
cookbook!
Lasagna for Two
Adapted from The
Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook by the Editors at America ’s
Test Kitchen
1 (14.5-ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
Pinch of salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces ground sirloin
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 (8-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce
For filling:
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons, grated
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)
1 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Move an oven rack to the
middle.
For the sauce: In a blender or food processor, puree the can
of diced tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.
For the filling: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the
ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, egg and pepper.
To assemble: In the bottom of a loaf pan, spread 1/2 cup of
the sauce. Lay one noodle on top, and then spread a third of the ricotta
mixture on top of the noodle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the grated mozzarella,
and top with another 1/2 cup of sauce. Do this two more times. Lay the final
noodle on top and cover with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons
Parmesan cheese.
Spray a piece of foil with non-stick cooking spray and use
it to tightly cover the loaf pan. Set the loaf pan on a baking sheet to catch
any spillover, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles around
the edges of the pan. Take the foil off the top and keep baking until the
cheese has browned to your liking, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and
cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
20 comments:
Dear Linda, I like the idea of cooking in a loaf pan and not having too much left over. Also you can make things that only you like and have it for the next night or the other way around.
Looks good. Blessings, Catherine
what a wonderful idea! looks like you have found a delicious answer!!
Mary
I made this tonight and it was really quite good. The only change I made was I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta.
Joanna, I'm glad it worked for you. I'm curious what part of the country you are from. That seems to determine who uses cottage cheese and who uses ricotta in lasagna.
Hi, I'm in Australia and just trying to work out the equivalent ingredients and the difference between pureeing the diced tomato and the tomato sauce. Is the tomato sauce like ketchup or like a pre-made sauce you would put on pasta?
The tomato sauce is more like a pre-made sauce you put on pasta, but it wouldn't have any seasoning other than salt. It is a thicker consistency than what you get pureeing the diced tomatoes. Hope this helps.
Wow this was amazing! I did modify it just a bit. I added some sugar to the sauce for for a sweeter taste and used 1/2 ground sirloin and 1/2 mild Italian sausage.
Judy, I'm glad you liked it, and I'm happy you adjusted the recipe to fit your tastes. Thanks the sign of a good cook!
This is so perfect! My husband always asks for lasagna but as its not my favorite dish to have, or have left over this is the perfect amount! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Linda it's Michelle from NH. Love, love this lasagna recipe for two. I make it a lot. Lost the recipe and so happy it was easy to find on your site. Hope all is well. Xxoo Michelle
Thanks, Michelle. It is one of the most popular posts on my blog. I'm glad you enjoy it!
Can you make this in advance and freeze and it? Kathryn
Yes, Kathryn, you can make it and freeze it. Since it calls for no-boil noodles, I would bake it first, freeze, and then rewarm it when you're ready to eat.
When I make this I actually make a double batch and I freeze one uncooked. I let it thaw in fridge and cook as directed.
We use half hamburger half Italian sausage and half ricotta half cottage cheese. It's Yummy
Nancy, isn't it fun to tinker with recipes?! I make a double batch, too. It's nice to have dinner ready for the oven when I get home.
I have made this twice (with minor revisions) and it is going into regular rotation. Love not having toooo many leftovers. Although, the leftovers are almost as good as fresh baked! I use cottage cheese - have lived in Michigan my whole life and this is how we "do" lasagna. I also add a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning, 1/4 to 1/2 cup diced pepperoni, a teaspoon of sugar and 3 or 4 minced, large garlic cloves to the pan with diced onions before adding meat and tomatoes. I let everything simmer for 1/2 hour or so before assembling lasagna. Don't leave out the heavy cream! It gives a lot of richness to the flavor. Thanks so much for posting.
Your additions sound delicious. I grew up with cottage cheese being a part of lasagna, too, but almost 20 years in New England switched me to ricotta cheese! Thank you for sharing your experience.
I must post another rave for this recipe! I have made it 4 times since February....twice for company and two more times just because, LOL! I think that lightly blending the diced tomatoes and the heavy cream are key to this flavorful sauce. My handwritten version will be added to our "family favorites" cookbook. Thank you again.
I'm glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for your comment.
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