Barilla's No-Boil Lasagna Recipe

Last weekend I decided to make a pan of lasagna, and for the first time used Barilla's no-boil lasagna noodles.  I thought it went together very well, and though I didn't keep the end result at home to try, believe it was well-received.  By not having to boil noodles, a cumbersome and somewhat messy step is completely eliminated.  I'm all for that.  The recipe is on the back of the Barilla no-boil lasagna ("Lasagne" on the box) noodles, but I'm providing it here as well.  I've read that you can do this with any lasagna noodle, but I wanted this to be just right, so I used Barilla.  I trust their pastas implicitly, and love how on different types the very reliable cooking time is right there on the front of the box.  Simple is better!

Many families traditionally serve lasagna during the holidays, so if you would like to save yourself a little work (this is still work, but not as much as the standard recipe), try this version.

BARILLA NO-BOIL LASAGNA NOODLES LASAGNA

1 box (16 sheets) Barilla No-Boil Lasagna Noodles
1 lb. ground beef or ground sausage, cooked to crumbless and drained (or half-and-half is what I did).  You could also use veggie crumbles.
2 jars Barilla Marinara sauce
2 eggs
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or Parmesan Romano) cheese

I used a disposable foil pan because my lasagna was traveling, but if you have a deep rectangle casserole dish you can use that.  A 13x9 might need to eliminate one layer or it might spill over.

Brown meats and crumble as they cook.  Drain.

In medium bowl, beat two eggs, and combine with ricotta with 2 cups of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated parmesan.  Set aside.

Spray pan with cooking spray.
Layer 1:  Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in pan.  Cover with 4 noodles, overlapping a bit as necessary.  Spread with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture.  Layer half the meat over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 cup marinara over that.

Layer 2:  Cover first layer with 4 more noodles.  Spread with next 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.  Spread 1 cup marinara over that.

Layer 3:  Cover 2nd layer with 4 more noodles.  Spread last 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.  Layer last half of the meat over that.  Spread with 1 cup marinara.

Layer 4:  Cover 3rd layer with last 4 noodles.  Spread remaining marinara over top, completely covering noodles.  Sprinkle last 1 cup of mozzarella over top.

Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until bubbling.  Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

Let stand for half an hour before cutting.

Photo credit:  http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1220&bih=634&tbm=isch&tbnid=F_XzKvG1HooK4M:&imgrefurl=http://www.familyoven.com/recipes/search%3Fterms%3DBarilla%2520No-boil%2520lasagna&docid=48wIsVqqT1D_hM&imgurl=http://familyoven-recipe-images.s3.amazonaws.com/160610-medium.jpg&w=200&h=175&ei=fAXgTvbFHqTh0QHoqNmgBw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=347&vpy=177&dur=1017&hovh=140&hovw=160&tx=102&ty=48&sig=109143948364871047453&page=1&tbnh=136&tbnw=158&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0