Lasagna is like Superman. It’s a superhero of deliciousness with one fatal flaw: it’s so dang much work to make. Granted, I still make it pretty often because, hey, who can resist noodles, cheese, and sauce baked into bubbly layers of Italian indulgence? Not I! But sometimes wouldn’t it be nice to get the end result with a little less prep time pre-cooking filling and pre-boiling noodles?
Fortunately, there is a way!
This easy prosciutto lasagna makes use of no-boil noodles, ready-to-use cured meat, and cheesy filling whipped together in a food processor so that the stovetop stays off and the oven gets used only for baking the assembled product. It’s as no-cook as lasagna gets…which leaves me with no excuse not to make it, especially since it reheats well for leftovers and also happens to be majorly tasty. (I mentioned the red pepper-infused cheese filling that perfectly complements the salty prosciutto, right?) For a comfort food classic that comes together faster than you can say “kryptonite”–or at least faster than most other lasagnas–this one’s a real superhero.
Easy Prosciutto Lasagna
(Adapted from Cooking Light)
Ingredients:
5 garlic cloves
16 oz. cottage cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, divided
2 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 egg
1 26-oz. bottle tomato-basil pasta sauce
No-boil lasagna noodles (the number will depend on the type of noodles you use; I use 12 of Barilla’s flat sheets)
4 oz. thinly-sliced prosciutto
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Process garlic in the bowl of a food processor until minced. Add cottage cheese and process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, 2Tbsp. Parmesan, basil, red pepper, and egg and process until well blended.
- In the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/2 c. pasta sauce. Arrange lasagna noodles to cover sauce (number of noodles will depend on brand and size). Top with 1 cup of cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the prosciutto, then 3/4 c. pasta sauce. Repeat layers two additional times (noodles, cheese, prosciutto, pasta sauce). Top with one last layer of noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. Parmesan and the mozzarella.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and continue baking another 15 minutes. Let lasagna stand at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Serves 8.
