As a freelancer, sometimes we have months where work is insane and pulling late nights and weekends is a regular thing, while some weeks life is much more laid back and I can watch Friends re runs. On Friends re run weeks I like to make meals that we can have fresh one night, but then freeze super well so I can have a stocked freezer full of dinner for those busy weeks that are just nuts. Lasagna cups are a really really good recipe for that. They keep really well in the freezer, and heat up in the oven perfectly. I also love that they are individual sized, because then you are literally just making enough to eat with no leftovers. These little dudes are also brilliant because they are cute AF, and would be a lovely main for a dinner party. :) Add to your dinner menu immediately!
&Hearts; Teri
Lasagna Cups
INGREDIENTS
quick Bolognese sauce
- 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces lean ground beef
- 4 ounces ham, diced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced oregano
- 1 tablespoon minced basil
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
assembly
- ½ pound fresh pasta sheets, cooked to al dente and cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh basil leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- For quick Bolognese sauce: Pour oil into a skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add ham and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Remove beef and ham with a slotted spoon and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet.
- Place skillet back over heat and add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery and continue to sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add oregano and basil and sauté for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add meat mixture back into the skillet, along with the tomato sauce. Lower heat to simmer and cook together for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To assemble: Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray. Place a pasta sheet square into the bottom of each muffin well and top with a spoonful of Bolognese sauce. Top each well with a sprinkle of mozzarella and a small sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat the process 2 more times, adding only half the amount of Bolognese on the top layer.
- Place muffin tin into the oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the cups fully bake through.
- Score the perimeter of each cup with a pairing knife and allow cups to cool for about 10 minutes before popping out of the wells and serving with more Parmesan and fresh basil.
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Can I use not fresh pasta sheets? I didn’t see they had to be fresh. Will dry be okay after cooking them?
My usual lasagna recipe includes ricotta. Do you think it would work in this recipe considering the limited space?
I think a thin layer should be fine :)
Thanks for this recipe! I tried a slight modification on the filling, and it turned out pretty great. One thing though: the outer pasta layer, and especially the crispy parts on the top, were pretty thick. I couldn’t get fresh pasta this time though, which I usually make myself. Do you think that might be the problem?
I’ve also considered using puff pastry for the outer layer, though I’m really stretching the lasagna-concept then. :)
Where do you get fresh pasta sheets?
I used to only be able to find them in specialty grocery stores or store such as Whole Foods, but these days I’ve seen them popping up by commercial pasta brands like buitoni, in regular grocery stores!
What a great idea! Love it!, share the workload over time by freezing for individual servings what you probably wouldn’t eat in one two servings, thank you for this!
hi there – are you baking these before freezing them? thanks!
You can actually do either with this recipe! But to save on reheat time I usually bake them off and then freeze them :)