During the holidays (or really any time of year in St. Louis), pasta is a part of big celebrations. And what’s better than lasagna that can be made ahead and heated when the party begins. The best part is that is recipe is quick, easy and also flexible to your group’s appetite. We hope you like this recipe and leave any comments or suggestions as we would love to hear from you. Enjoy!

RED AND WHITE LASAGNA - EASY

Serves 8-10

1 lb lean ground beef or Italian sausage - cooked and crumbled

1 jar pasta sauce (or make your favorite from scratch)

8 oz Italian cheese shredded - any mixture

2 tbs olive oil

1 medium zucchini - halved and thinly sliced

½ cup chopped onion

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 jar (12-15 oz) Alfredo sauce (or make your own from scratch)

½ cup of either milk, ½ & ½ or heavy cream

1 box no boil lasagna noodles

Additional Options - fresh spinach, diced pepperoni or diced ham

Mix meat and pasta sauce in a bowl to combine.

In a medium skillet heat oil and add onion, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook until moisture from mushrooms has evaporated and onions are soft.

Add Alfredo sauce and milk and heat until slightly thickened.

In 9 x 13 pan add ½ cup of meat sauce to bottom; follow by layers of 3 noodles, white sauce mixture, noodles, red sauce mixture and ½ of cheese, noodles, white sauce, noodles, meat sauce and top with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can easily make ahead of time. Just bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.