Microwave lasagna in a mug
Real lasagna layers of tender noodles, creamy spinach ricotta, marinara and melted mozzarella stacked in a mug, with none of the two-hour oven time.
- 25 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 1
- About $1.93 a serving
- 500 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 1 servings.
- 2 lasagna noodles
- ¼ cup frozen chopped spinach
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella
From your pantry
- 1½ cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
Each serving has about 500 calories, 27 g protein, 52 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $1.93 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No ricotta cheese? Cottage cheese works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Break the lasagna noodles into roughly 2-inch squares and put them in a large microwave-safe bowl with the water and salt.
Set the bowl on a plate and microwave 3 minutes, stir so the pieces don’t stick, then microwave 3 to 4 minutes more until soft.
Timer: 3 min
Dolly’s tip: Noodle squares love to glue together. Separate any stuck pieces with the fork when you stir.the noodles, holding them back with the fork, and let them cool a minute so you can handle them.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Microwave the frozen spinach in a mug for 1 minute, let it cool, then squeeze out all the water with your hand.
Timer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: Squeeze hard. Watery spinach makes a watery lasagna.the spinach into the ricotta with the parmesan and Italian seasoning.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Pour a little marinara into the bottom of a big microwave-safe mug, then add a layer of noodles, a dollop of the ricotta mix and a sprinkle of mozzarella.
Repeat the layers until everything is used, finishing with marinara and a good handful of mozzarella on top.
Microwave 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce bubbles up the sides and the cheese .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Timer: 2 min 30 sec
Let it sit 2 minutes so it holds together, then eat it straight from the mug.
Timer: 2 min
Dolly’s tip: The mug handle gets hot. Hold it with a folded paper towel.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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