pizza lasagna recipe
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this Pizza Lasagna! Layered with your favorite pizza toppings, ricotta, mozzarella, and savory marinara sauce between sheets of lasagna noodles, it's the best of both worlds. And that golden, cheesy top and flavor-filled satisfying filling make it an amazing family-friendly dinner you know they'll love. Plus, it's a great meal prep recipe; make it ahead and freeze to enjoy whenever you want!. Savor pizza flavors in a new twist on the Italian classic lasagna dish.
Ingredients
- 30 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 24 ounces marinara sauce 3 cups
- 12 lasagna noodles not oven ready
- 3 cups freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 3 ounces pepperoni slices
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Fresh parsley or basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8 minutes until just tender. Drain and lay the noodles out on a greased cookie sheet to cool and dry.
- Mix Ricotta: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Cook sausage: Heat large skillet to medium-high. Add Italian sausage to skillet. Cook over medium-high until browned, crumbled, and set aside. Reserve about ½ cup for topping later.
- Cook Veggies: Using the same skillet with the onions and mushrooms, until tender. Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce (about ½ cup) in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer with 4 lasagna noodles. Half of the ricotta mixture should be spread over these noodles, followed by sausage, veggies, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Spoon ⅓ of the remaining marinara sauce over the cheese.
- Add another layer of noodles: 4, remaining ricotta mixture, pepperoni set aside for topping, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and half of the remaining marinara sauce.
- Cover the remaining noodles, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, sausage, and pepperoni, top with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Loosely cover the baking dish with foil; bake on a sheet pan for dripping.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered, for 30 minutes. Then uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until it is well bubbly and the edges are browned. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Prepare the noodles : Prepare lasagna noodles by par-cooking them for a few minutes until they are al dente. They will cook up more in the oven; thus, should not be overcooked. Lay the noodles on a greased sheet with a sheet to avoid sticking in laying them.
Ricotta mixture : Add the ricotta mixture along with egg and seasonings of your choice. Apart from providing flavor, it sets the lasagna layers. Don't forget to spread it out evenly for an even texture.
Sausage and Veggies: Fry the sausage so completely that you don't end up with a greasy lasagna. In case you cook your veggies in the same pan, they absorb all the sausage flavour.
Layering: To be the best, layer the ingredients evenly to have all tastes and textures combining with each bite. Don't miss the last layer of cheese and toppings-it's just perfect and adds a wonderful final goldenish touch.
Baking: The aluminium foil top is used to prevent extreme browning that would happen as the lasagna is baked. Remove it during the last few minutes of baking so that the upper layer turns all bubbly and golden brown. Allowing the baked lasagna to sit helps settle layers for easier slicing.
Make Ahead: This recipe may be prepared ahead and refrigerated up to 1-2 days before baking. It may be frozen after cooling, then wrapped tightly; it will thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.