Pesto Lasagna

This Pesto Lasagna showcases traditional lasagna layers, including tender noodles, meat sauce, and Italian cheeses, with a bonus layer of classic basil pesto.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 485kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

8 oz lasagna noodles whole-grain or regular
48 oz marinara sauce your favorite store-bought (I love Rao's Homemade for a short-cut) or homemade
16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
1 whole egg
1/2 cup pesto sauce store-bought or homemade
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 lb lean ground beef *can also use ground bison
1 tbsp fresh basil rinsed and chopped fine
1 tsp Italian seasoning blend such as McCormick's

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil.
Add a little salt.
Cook lasagna according to the package directions for al dente (I like to pull it out a couple of minutes short of al dente for the best texture). Drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef over medium heat until meat crumbles and is cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any remaining grease.
Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil, remove from the heat.
In a separate bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir until mixed.
In the bottom of an 11x8 baking dish, spread about a cup of the pasta sauce mixture.
Top with 4 noodles.
Spread with 1/2 the ricotta mixture and then more pasta sauce mixture.
Add a second layer of noodles and repeat with remaining ingredients.
Top with the extra cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe Tips

When assembling the lasagna, do your best to evenly distribute the meat sauce, pesto, and cheese between each pasta layer.

To prevent the noodles from becoming too soft and soggy during baking, do not boil them past al dente. If they’re slightly underdone (my preference- about 2 minutes short of al dente), they’ll continue cooking during baking and turn out perfect.

You may need to cover the baking dish with foil for the first part of baking to prevent excessive browning, then remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes so the cheese gets golden and bubbly.

Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the layers to settle, making it easier to slice and serve.

Nutrition