“Hot Mess” Lasagna
Ok so this thing looks like a hot mess, but I promise it tastes amazing. I was having one of those hot mess moments myself. I was rifling through the pantry and saw a box of lasagna. I make a heckava lasagna, but it is really quite a process. But that one box of lasagna wasn’t doing any me any favors sitting there waiting for me to turn it into my famous lasagna. “Lasagne” is actually the name of the type of pasta, just like penne or spaghetti. So I said to myself, I’m going to just treat this like any other type of pasta. What can I do with it? I decided to make something with this pasta other than the lasagna we all know and love. It actually is kind of like a lasagna in the traditional sense, in that it’s layered, but that’s about it. Plus it was fast!
Butter, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and some Classic Tomato Sauce made this a hit with the family. I used half a cup of tomato sauce, but if you like your pasta extra saucy, go ahead and add 1 cup of sauce. I used no boil lasagna noodles. It’s just quicker. But if all you have is the regular kind, by all means use it. The only difference, besides the actual boiling part, was I find you can mimic the crunchy edges with the no boil noodle.They will get a little crunchy as you cook them.That’s my favorite part. So it worked for us. If you like a softer noodle, maybe go ahead and use the pasta that requires boiling.To get that similar texture to the no boil pasta, I actually soak the pasta in some hot water. This really softens the pasta sheets before you throw them in the pan to finish off the dish. That cuts that actual cooking time way down. As you pull apart the noodles after soaking, they may tear, no worries. It will continue to rip and shed as you cook and toss the noodles together when cooking. That’s why this is a “hot mess!”
So unlike my famous lasagna, this really takes no time at all. It was put together in about 20 minutes. No special ingredients. It was decadent and delicious. I guess it doesn’t look pretty by cooking show standards, but I could see this at my Nonna’s table. I was actually proud of this one.
"Hot Mess" Lasagna
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive il
- 1 9 oz box no boil lasagna
- 1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce homemade or jarred
- salt & pepper
- fresh parsley optional for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the lasagna noodle in some hot water to cover for about 5 minutes.
- In a 10 inch saute pan heat the butter over medium low heat until slightly bubbly.
- Turn the heat to a medium. Shake the excess water off half the noodles and add to the pan until you have a thin layer. With tongs, gently toss to coat in the butter. Add a sprinkle of breadcrumbs.
- Add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Toss the noodles again and add the remaining lasagna sheets. Add another layer of breadcrumbs and cheese.
- Toss the noodles again and drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat. Add remaining bread crumbs and cheese. Toss again. Add 1/2 cup of prepared tomato sauce.
- Toss to incorporate the tomato sauce and heat through. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a serving dish.
- Serve a heaping spoonful with fresh parsley.
