Fast-and-Easy Pesto Lasagna

Fast-and-Easy Pesto Lasagna

from foodandwine.com
Entree
70 min
4 servings

This fast-and-easy pesto lasagna recipe features a simple homemade pesto sauce nestled between sheets of lasagna noodles and creamy ricotta cheese. It comes together in about an hour and yields three to four generous servings per batch.

Ingredients

  • 8lasagna noodles
  • 3 cupsfresh basil
  • 8 ouncesparmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated (2 cups)
  • 1 cupextra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cupparsley
  • ½ ouncepine nuts (1/4 cup)
  • 2garlic cloves
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 13 ouncesricotta cheese (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 largeegg
  • 3 ouncesmozzarella, cut into small chunks

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse them under cold running water and set aside.

  2. 2

    In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, 1 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, olive oil, parsley, pine nuts, and garlic, and blend until smooth. Season with sea salt.

  3. 3

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and 1/3 cup of water.

  4. 4

    In an 8-inch-square baking dish, spread 1/4 cup of the ricotta, and top with 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping them a little. Spread half of the pesto over the noodles, then half of the ricotta. Arrange the rest of the lasagna noodles on top, and cover them with the remaining pesto and ricotta. Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and mozzarella.

  5. 5

    Cover the baking dish with nonstick aluminum foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the oven to broil and broil the lasagna for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is brown and bubbly.

  6. 6

    Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.