italian lasagna with an american twist

Friends! I have the best lasagna recipe for you!  I have gotten so many compliments from this simple dish. I love this dinner idea because it can be a pantry staple, and you don't have to go buy a ton of ingredients to make it.  Here's the recipe:

Americanized Italian Lasagna

2 bottles of marinara sauce
5 T butter
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
dash of salt
oven ready lasagna noodles
mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

White Sauce Directions

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add in the flour and stir to combined with the butter. Slowly add in the milk. Salt to taste. Continuously whisk to keep the white sauce from burning. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to a simmer and stir for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Assembly Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a thin layer of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan. Lay a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Keep the noodles all going the same way. I like to use the oven ready noodles so I don't have to boil them, but any type of lasagna noodles will work. Break or cut noodles to fit in the pan.

Spread another layer of marinara sauce on top of the noodles. Then, drizzle a layer of white sauce on top of the marinara sauce. Sprinkle some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of that, then prepare for your next layer.

Lay your noodles facing the other way, then continue with your sauce layering (marinara, white, mozzarella, Parmesan-- keep alternating directions with lasagna noodles).

Once you run out of space, or sauce make sure that your final layer is the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake it in the oven for 40-45 minutes or so until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve with a fresh green salad and bread sticks. Enjoy!