Scrambled Lasagne

Photo: iStockphoto

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef
• 2 cups (500 mL) spaghetti sauce (homemade or not)
• 1 1/2 cup (375 mL) water
•  salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oven-ready lasagne noodles (the no-boil kind)
• 1 cup (250 mL) ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup (375 mL) mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions

• Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet, and cook over medium heat until browned. Drain off the fat, if there is any. Pour in the spaghetti sauce and the water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if needed.
• Meanwhile - this is fun - have your helper break the lasagne noodles into large pieces. Each noodle should be broken into, maybe, 5 or 6 pieces - no little tiny slivers, please. Add to the simmering sauce, lower the heat to the barest minimum, cover the skillet and cook, stirring once in a while, for about 10 minutes. The pasta should be almost tender. If the mixture seems too dry you can add a little more water.
• Now, stir together the ricotta cheese and the egg, and add it, by large spoonfuls to the skillet, on top of the sauce and pasta. Very gently, marble the ricotta mixture into the sauce - leave white streaks showing. Replace the lid on the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
• Finally, sprinkle the mozzarella over the top, replace the lid again, and cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
• That's it. Lasagne.
• For vegetarian scrambled lasagne, saute 2 cups (500 mL) of whatever vegetables you like - chopped mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, carrots, anything - instead of the ground beef at the beginning of the recipe, then continue as above.