Lazy Lasagna

On a road trip to California with Uncle Victor, I met cousins Mary Ellen and Jack for the first time.  They are both great cooks –  Jack is a vegetarian and trained as a chef in the Marines and Mary Ellen has such a joie de vivre that it comes out in everything she does – including cooking.  One of the quick and easy recipes they shared with me is this “instant lasagna” dish that really is quick and easy.


The recipe reminded me of the way I cook those frozen burritos from Costco - to surprisingly rave reviews for comparatively little effort.

Just line a casserole dish with parchment paper, then lay the burritos side by side.  Take a can of diced tomatoes to which you’ve added some oregano and garlic and spread it evenly over the burritos.  

Lastly, sprinkle some grated cheese on top and bake in the oven.  You can use any white cheese you have – parmesan, mozzarella, gouda, even dried up brie. Whatever.  It’s way better than microwaving with not much extra effort.

This lazy lasagna is a variation on the burrito theme.  You use a jar of pasta sauce to cook tortellini in the oven.  No boiling, no pots, and if you use parchment paper – very easy cleanup.

Lazy Lasagna

2 - 350 g packages of fresh tortellini
1- 739 ml jar pasta sauce plus 3/4 cup water, mixed together
2 cups fresh spinach, more or less (optional - but more nutritional)
1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan


Heat oven to 350° F.

Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment.
Spoon in a third of the sauce/water mixture.

Arrange half the tortellinis on top and scatter the spinach over them.
Top with half of each cheese.

Cover with another layer of pasta and the remaining sauce and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until bubbly.