Lasagna has long been a crowd-pleaser; scoring points with busy moms looking for an easy dish to prepare ahead of time and Monday-hating cats alike. And although its simplicity and familiarity might cause it to be overlooked in the recipe world, every July 29th American’s across the country celebrate National Lasagna Day.
Armed with their very own personalized lasagna pans, we asked some of our favorite recipe curators to whip up their own unique twists on this classic dish in honor of its celebratory day. Below are some of our favorite creations, both traditional and creative:
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
Desiree of The Funny Mom Blog proclaims that “every good dish starts with cheese. Lots of cheese.” We couldn’t agree more, and for National Lasagna Day she was able to combine plenty of sauce, pasta, and an abundance of cheese for her delicious Five Cheese Ziti al Forno recipe. Featuring mozzarella, romano, parmesan, ricotta, and fontina cheeses, her “Made With Love And Cheese” inscription doesn’t lie!
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna
Kristen of A Mind “Full” Mom found a creative solution to her abundance of eggplant and zucchini after a trip to the farmer’s market with her children. Knowing that her children would never eat the vegetables on their own, she chose to doctor them up with some ravioli stuffing and sauce to make them more kid-friendly. To add a subtle summer twist to the dish she grilled her vegetables, which she says adds a great smoky flavor!
White Chocolate Berry Lasagna
Danita of O Taste and See had elegance on her mind when it came to creating her special dish—she shared it the day before her daughter’s wedding! Her delectable dessert lasagna contains fresh berries and white chocolate, which give us the same traditional red and white colors that we’ve all come to expect from lasagna. And best of all, for those of us who can’t stand the thought of using the oven in the peak of summer weather, her recipe requires no baking!
FODMAP-friendly Lasagna
Katie of A Mother Thing chose to have her pan inscribed with “Oh the Pastabilities”, and that’s exactly the approach that she took to her lasagna recipe. Because of her gluten-free diet, she had to think creatively on how to create a lasagna recipe without one of its core ingredients – pasta. She found a great compromise in her recipe, which features zucchini, tomato, turkey, and a respectable amount of parmesan cheese.
Baked Ravioli
Shannon of Daily Momtivity knows that as a mom, being busy is just a part of the job description. As such, she might not always have the flexibility to prepare time-intensive recipes such as a traditional lasagna. Fortunately, she shows us all an easy way to get the same great pasta, cheese, and tomato sauce combination we all love, using just a few quick ingredients with minimal time and effort; her baked ravioli is perfect for a hearty, yet last minute dish.