Fast-and-Easy Pesto Lasagna

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The simple homemade pesto sauce in this recipe can be swapped for a store-bought version to cut the prep time. Slideshow: More Lasagna Recipes 

Fast-and-Easy Pesto Lasagna
Photo: ©Kristen Stevens
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Yield:
3 to 4

Ingredients

  • 8 lasagna noodles

  • 3 cups fresh basil

  • 8 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (2 cups) 

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup parsley

  • 1/2 ounce pine nuts (1/4 cup)

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • Sea salt

  • 13 ounces ricotta cheese (1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 large egg

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 3 ounces mozzarella, cut into small chunks

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain the noodles, rinse them under cold running water and set aside.

  2. In the bowl of a food processor combine the basil, 1 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the olive oil, parsley, pine nuts and garlic and blend until smooth. Season with sea salt.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and 1/3 cup of water.

  4. In an 8-inch-square baking dish, spread 1/4 cup of the ricotta, and top with 4 lasagna noodles, overlapping them a little. Spread half of the pesto over the noodles, then half of the ricotta. Arrange the rest of the lasagna noodles on top, and cover them with the remaining pesto and ricotta. Sprinkle the top with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and mozzarella.

  5. Cover the baking dish with nonstick aluminum foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, turn the oven to broil and broil the lasagna for 5 to 10 minutes, until the top is brown and bubbly.

  6. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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