The problem with lasagna has long been the daunting prep time. If you are going for the taste of scratch Italian, there will be several steps, including a carefully crafted sauce, which is foundational to the dish. Even if you use store-bought noodles (no judgement of you do!), you’re still looking at creating a ricotta-based layer and what always seems to be a hectic assembly. I mean, I love to cook, I really do – but lasagna seems to always end up a little chaotic before the plating.
A recent trip to La Creuset sparked an idea. Of course I Google my ideas immediately and realize that Solomon was on to something – there isn’t a single thing ‘new’ under the sun. Same goes for an individually prepared Lasagna. So I claim no innovation here, but I made it my own and went into the kitchen with some adorable little mini-dutch-ovens and began cooking without a recipe. This is what happened.
You’ll Need:
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Italian Sausage
- Lasagna Noodles (6-8)
- 2 -3 Green Onions
- 3 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 C Ricotta Cheese, Drained
- Mozzarella Pearls
- 1/2 C Parmessan Regianno
- Olive Oil
- Italian Herbs to Taste
Gear
- Porcelain or Stone Ramekins (Mini)
- Regular Dutch Oven or Sauce Pot
Italian Meat Sauce
I plan to write a recipe soon on this, but for now, let’s just start with a combo of Italian sausage and ground beef. Brown and pour off most of the rendered fat. Began a soffritto in the same pot, and add your favorite plum tomatoes, garlic, and Italian herbs. You get the idea.
Directions
- Preheat Oven to 375 Degrees.
- Begin your favorite Italian Meat Sauce in a 4 Qt Sauce Pan.
- Combine Ricotta, parmesan, oregano, and salt and pepper to make a filling. Set aside.
- Cook 8-10 Lasagna Noodles in boiling salt water (as salty as the Mediterranean), set aside to cool enough to handle.
- Grease ramekins with olive oil.
- Spoon a layer of meat sauce, followed by a noodle, and then a layer of ricotta filling. **You can cut noodles to fit inside the ramekins or even fold a noodle on top of the filling.
- Repeat the last step, sprinkling in additional parmessan to taste.
- In the last step, top with mozarella pearls.
- Bake ramekins on cookie sheet at 375 for 40 minutes.
- You may want to Broil the tops for 2 minutes at the end of the bake, if you want a slightly browned cheese.
- Plate and Serve Immediately, with a dash of Italian Herbs on top. Pairs nicely with an Italian Loaf with a side of Olive Oil.