Easiest Lasagna in the Whole Entire World

As a kid, my mom never wanted to make lasagna - she said it took too long. I always felt like I was missing a crucial part of childhood because I never had homemade lasagna. When I moved into my apartment, I decided that I would make lasagna myself, thank you very much. Then I looked at recipes and realized that it was horribly time consuming. But lo' and behold, a recipe that is quick and delicious!!! (It still has to bake for over an hour, but you can busy yourself with many other things in that time: do laundry, study, clean the kitchen, or just talk with your roommate (my preferred option)).

So without further ado, here it is!

Easy-Peasy Veggie Lasagna
My version serves 6 - the perfect amount for my roommate and I to enjoy for dinner and have leftovers, too!
(Adapted from an allrecipes.com entry: Veggie No Boiling Lasagna)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (i used the powder stuff and it was fine)
1 egg
1 jar (26 ounces) cheap pasta sauce
6 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion and red pepper, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes (or until tender).
2. Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, and egg in a medium bowl. (I left out the egg and it was fine. It was a little harder to spread in the pan because it was thicker,but manageable)
3. Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce in a 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer 2 uncooked noodles, then 1/2 cup sauce, 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and 1/2 of the vegetables; repeat. Top with remaining uncooked noodles and 1 cup of sauce.
4. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake uncovered 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (I didn't use foil and it was fine. I think it is just meant to make sure that the noodles don't dry out too much. My top noodles were a bit chewy, but I like them that way!)


And there you have it! Super easy lasagna. So go ahead, quench your never-ceding lasagna desire. Make it, eat it, and then say yummmm.