I’ve been wanting to make lasagna again, but most recipes make a LOT of leftovers unless you can invite more people over (which doesn’t seem to happen when I also have time to make lasagna). For this dish, I was inspired by this recipe from The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen, though I added some chili pepper flakes to give the sauce some pep and more cheese, because who doesn’t love a cheesy lasagna?

This lasagna is baked in a bread loaf pan, so it’s a good option for two to four people. At least, I made it for two people and we had two portions of leftovers; your mileage may vary, of course.

You’ll need to cut up the noodles to fit into the pan, as store-bought noodles are typically longer and narrower than bread loaf pans. I was a little worried that would make it difficult to scoop out of the pan, especially since there were gaps where the noodle layer didn’t fully reach the sides, but I staggered these gaps and there were no problems getting a good slice out of the pan. In fact, my spouse scooped out the first slice so perfectly, that’s what I ended up taking a picture of for this post, even though the lighting turned out oddly. Judge the food, not my photography skills!

Sauce:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. each of lean ground beef and ground turkey
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained with 1/4 c. juice reserved
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1-2 tbsp. Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)

The Rest:
4 oz (1/2 c.) ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim, NOT fat-free)
1/2 c. + 1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 no-boil lasagna noodles (or boil what you got)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella

Adjust the oven rack to the middle and preheat to 400F.

To cook the sauce, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/8 tsp. salt and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in the meat and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula.

Stir in the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the tomatoes, reserved juice, and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors blend. Season with salt and pepper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 c. Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper.

Spread 1/2 c. sauce over the bottom of an ungreased bread loaf pan (medium or large pan size), avoiding large chunks of meat. Lay 1 noodle in pan, cutting it down to fit the length. Use the cut-off portion to fill in gaps in the pan, cutting that into halves or other sized pieces so it will fit and give the most coverage.

Spread 1/3 ricotta mixture on top, then sprinkle with 1/4 c. mozzarella. Layer another 1/2 c. sauce, then repeat the layering 2 more times. Alternate which side you place the cut-up pieces of noodle so you maximize the overall coverage.

Lay the remaining noodle in the pan and top with remaining sauce, mozzarella, and final 1/3 c. Parmesan.

Spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan tightly with it. Bake until the sauce bubbles lightly around the edges (~25-30 minutes).

Remove foil and continue to bake uncovered until hot throughout and cheese is browned in spots (~10 minutes).

Remove from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before serving. If you want to stick some fresh basil on top as a garnish, wait until it’s done resting or else the lasagna will begin to cook the basil and turn it brown, which is probably not the effect you want.