Crock Pot Lasagna

I've had a lasagna recipe for years, but I seldom make it because it's a time consuming dish that takes multiple steps and frankly, there are better things to do with leftover spaghetti sauce, like putting it over spaghetti again.  But if you have leftover spaghetti sauce, perhaps some you made using my recipe for Baked Italian Meat Sauce, this is an incredibly simple yet effective way to make lasagna, for which I give my Number One Fan complete credit for discovering.

Ingredients
26 oz jar Italian marinara sauce or homemade meat sauce
1/2 of 10 oz box lasagna noodles (we used whole wheat for its low glycemic index)
1 lb container ricotta cheese (you can substitute cottage cheese in a pinch)
1 lb grated mozzarella or mozzarella slices
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)

The Recipe
If you want to get a head start on cooking and perhaps shave a little time off of it, fill your crock pot with hot water from the tap, put on the lid and set on high.  Let sit for fifteen minutes, then pour out the water and dry the inside.

Spray the inside of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

Start with the sauce, then the noodles.  Break them in two and layer some in the bottom of the crock pot on top of 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce.  Then add some ricotta, and some mozzarella.  Repeat until you have layered your lasagna and top it off with the Parmesan cheese.  You should get maybe four layers depending on the size of your crock pot. If your sauce is thick, loosen it up with some water or red wine before layering it.  Since you're cooking the pasta with uncooked lasagna noodles, some liquid will be absorbed, so bear that in mind.

Cover and cook on low for five to six hours or cook on high for three hours.