American Beauty's Lasagna Recipe: Hearty Thanksgiving Delight

Although we all should opt for buying natural and organic ingredients, everyone has their go-to brands. Those are usually the ones that have been around for a long time, with proven quality and accessibility. When it comes to pasta, what else could it be besides American Beauty, a brand that’s been around for more than a hundred years and has always improved its quality? Perhaps that’s why the high quality of American Beauty’s lasagna recipe doesn’t come as a surprise.

Admittedly, the somewhat long list of ingredients might scare you, but don’t get confused; it’s as minimal as lasagna recipes get, all the while leaving room for you to bring your personal touch. All ready in an hour. Let’s check it out.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• American Beauty's Lasagna Recipe: Hearty Thanksgiving Delight
• Comments

Ingredients

Base ingredients

• American Beauty Lasagna — 8 oz. (½ box)
• Italian sausage — 1 pound, sliced
• Onion — 1 medium-sized, chopped
• Garlic — 3 cloves, minced
• Crushed tomatoes — 1 can (28 oz.)
• Tomato paste — 2 cans (6 oz. each)
• Tomato sauce — 2 cans (6 ½ oz. each)
• Sugar — 2 tbsp.
• Salt — ½ tsp.
• Black pepper — ½ tsp.
• Fresh parsley — 4 tbsp. chopped

The cheese filling

• Ricotta cheese — 3 cups
• Egg — 1, beaten
• Mozzarella cheese — 2 cups, shredded
• Parmesan cheese — 2 cups, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Combine the ricotta cheese and the egg in a mixing bowl. Mix to combine.

3. Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet.

4. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until tender.

5. Pour the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce into the skillet. If the mixture ends up too thick, add a splash of water to dilute it.

6. Add sugar, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

7. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.

8. Create the first layer by spreading ⅓ of the meat sauce, ⅓ of the noodles, and ⅓ of the ricotta mixture.

9. Repeat until you’re out of ingredients.

10. Top the baking dish with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

11. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes.

12. Remove the cover and bake again uncovered for another 25 minutes.

Substitutions

• Italian sausage — American Beauty’s lasagna recipe is traditionally made with Italian sausage. But nothing’s stopping you from substituting Italian sausage with ground beef. After all, there is a reason most lasagna recipes call for ground beef. If ground beef is not your thing, then you should consider using pork sausage, meatloaf, or maybe even ground poultry!

• Ricotta cheese — Have you ever wondered what makes American Beauty’s lasagna so creamy and velvety? Well, the answer is ricotta cheese. It’s simply perfect for any lasagna recipe. Regardless, if you’re short on that one, feel free to go with cottage cheese instead. It worked wonders for me, as it’s the ideal substitution. Feta cheese and goat cheese should also be considered, though you’d be happier with cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.

• Crushed tomatoes — Most recipes use crushed tomatoes and tomato puree interchangeably, and while that’s a wrong take, it works on American Beauty’s lasagna recipe. The explanation is fairly simple. The big difference between the two is the texture, which differs considerably. However, when it comes to lasagna, the flavor is more important than texture, and the two share a fairly similar one.

Variations

• Make it vegetarian — There is also a vegetarian version of American Beauty’s lasagna recipe, and it couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is simply swap the Italian sausage, or ground beef for that matter, with any vegetable you like, and you should be good to go! Not all vegetables are suited equally to this recipe, but mushrooms, bell peppers, and spinach work great as well!

• Experiment with the sauce — Nowadays, one can’t think of lasagna without the delicious, crimson tomato sauce, but that is not the only one. You can always omit the tomato sauce and go with bechamel sauce, giving your lasagna a white, shiny look. Pesto basil sauce would be another alternative, bringing some earthy flavors to the table.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Skillet

• Baking dish

• Food spray

• 9x13 baking dish

Storage

• Allow the lasagna to cool completely. You can transfer the leftovers to an airtight container or cover them with aluminum foil. Once refrigerated, the leftovers will last for four days.

• For freezing, transfer the leftovers to a freezer bag and label them with the date. Once frozen, the leftovers will last for two months.

Pro Tips

• Use herbs — Although American Beauty’s lasagna recipe calls for fresh parsley, that’s not your only option when it comes to herbs. You should consider other herbs like oregano and basil as well. Don’t be afraid to add more according to your taste.

• Pairings — While American Beauty’s lasagna recipe makes a great dish on its own, it is better when paired with other foods such as green salad, beans, and broccoli.