I love lasagna! I think it’s such a yummy, soul-warming dish and everyone is familiar with it. But, sometimes I just don’t feel like heating up my whole house and making a ton of something when it’s just the hubby and I. I get that some of you might be in the same plight, so I wanted to offer you an alternative that I love oh so much. Please say hello to Lazy Man’s Lasagna.
This is a thing of beauty! It has all of the components of a beloved lasagna minus the hot kitchen and the guesswork of “how much do I need to make???” This is so easy and it’s so much like the original!
Pappardelle is such a cool noodle to me! It’s like a suped-up fettucini noodle. They’re typically ½ inch wide, so you have these thick, beautiful ribbons flowing through your sauce. They resemble lasagna noodles which makes it such a cool play on this iconic dish! I made my noodles from scratch using my pasta dough recipe, rolling it out into a thin pasta sheet, and then cutting the sheet with a pizza roller. The result is super long and wide noodles! However, if this is truly a Lazy Man’s Lasagna, you can definitely find pappardelle noodles at your local grocery store (I would look where they would house their “specialty” or “fresh pasta.”)
I opted to use just plain ol’ ground pork for this dish but if you have Italian sausage you want to use or ground turkey or beef, by all means! Swap it out!
Let me let you in on a little secret of mine, I’m not the hugest fan of ricotta from the store…. A dear local cheese maker here in Phoenix stole my heart with her super creamy ricotta and I just can’t go back from that. I dollop the ricotta on top instead of mixing it in because I wanted to use it more for garnish than anything else. The fresh basil added in the ricotta really makes for a fresh and cleansing element to the whole dish.
I really hope you enjoy this super easy twist on an Italian classic that we all love! Give this a try for dinner and thank me later when you have a cooler kitchen and a full tummy.
Do you have a spin on a classic dish that you want me to feature?
Happy eating!
- 1 poundq fresh pappardelle pasta
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 each shallots minced
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 2 ounces tomato paste
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan shredded
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/4 ounce fresh basil chiffonade
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Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally. Add pappardelle pasta to the water and cook 3-5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add ground pork and cook until browned.
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Add garlic and shallots and cook until translucent.
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Add tomato paste and stir until combined. Deglaze with canned tomatoes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release the goodies.
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Once heated, add mozzarella and parmesan cheeses to the sauce.
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Add pasta and toss in the sauce.
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Mix together basil and ricotta, forming little dollops and top on to the pasta.
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Serve with your favorite garlic bread or side salad.
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