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Single Serving Lasagna

Single Serving Lasagna

Shock Munch
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Meat Sauce:

  • 11 uncooked lasagna noodles
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 2 Italian sausage links
  • Big pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • Big pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 pinches of sugar (optional)
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • More salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Filling:

  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • ¼-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)
  • ½ tablespoon oregano
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Fresh basil to garnish

Instructions
 

Meat Sauce:

  • Cook the noodles according to the package's direction, but under cook the noodles by one minute. drain the noodles and put them in a big bowl with water to keep them from sticking, until needed.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, red pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook until the onion is translucent and the red pepper has softened (approx 5-7 minutes).
  • Either using a knife or a pair of scissors, cut the sausage casing and remove it before adding the Italian sausage to the skillet. Break up the sausage with a spatula until the sausage is in small pieces. Cook the sausage until it's brown. When the sausage is fully cooked, move all the ingredients to one side of the skillet, and gently tilt the skillet in the other direction. You're trying to pool the grease from the sausage in one area without the other ingredients getting in the way. Using balled up paper towels and a pair of tongs, mop up the majority of the grease with the paper towel. Leave some of the grease for flavor.
  • Now make a well the middle of the skillet, and add the garlic and cook for approx 30 seconds, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
  • Add the tomato sauce and bring the skillet to a simmer, cover, lower the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes (if the tomato sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water as needed).
  • When the sauce finishes simmering, taste it. Depending on your tomato sauce, you may need to add a pinch of sugar (or two) to even out the acidity.
  • Add the lemon juice. IF at that time you think the sauce needs more salt, add a pinch at a time. Lemon juice is magical and wakes up every dish, so add the lemon juice before adding more salt.....the lemon juice may be just the thing to brighten the dish without overloading it with salt.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside until needed.

Cheese Filling:

  • In a food processor, add the cottage cheese, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, oregano, cayenne, and nutmeg. Pulse the mixture until everything is well combined.

Assembly:

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
  • Lightly spritz 4 oven safe ramekins, with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet lined with tin foil or parchment paper.
  • Lay one lasagna noodle across each ramekin so that the middle of the noodle is in the middle of the ramekin. Lay another noodle over the ramekin, perpendicular to the first noodle you laid down (see pics above).
  • Add about ½ cup of the meat sauce to each of the ramekins, on top of the noodles. Now add ½ cup of the cheese mixture on top of the sauce. Fold over the lasagna noodles (the noodle you put in 2nd).
  • Repeat and add ½ cup of the meat sauce and ½ cup of the cheese mixture, then fold over the remaining lasagna noodles. Now top each ramekin with the remaining meat mixture.
  • Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over each ramekin as well.
  • Pop those tasty babies into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melting and a golden brown.
  • Once the lasagna's are finished cooking, take them out of the oven, and let them rest 5-10 minutes before you dig in, otherwise you will burn your tongue on on the hot lava cheesy goodness.
  • Now you can either eat the lasagna's straight out of the ramekins, or carefully lift them out of the ramekins and put them on a plate (before you lift them out, run a knife along the inside of each ramekin so they easily dislodge).
  • Top each individual lasagna with fresh basil and enjoy those tasty, tasty cheesy towns of happiness.

Notes

I cooked 11 noodles instead of 10 in case I really messed one up while cooking them....then I had a back up.....just in case.