I love casserole type pasta dishes and "one-pot meals". I have been in the mood for lasagna for awhile now, but have not felt like taking the time to put one together. Ron really likes feta cheese and I wanted to make a "greek style" lasagna, but thought it would be great worked in to a stove top meal in efforts to keep our house a little cooler as we enter mid-July. I used some of my favorite flavors to make a robust pasta dish like tangy feta and briny olives. I also made sure to use enough liquid to allow the noodles to cook and thicken the sauce. This dish came together in a snap and was soooooooo delicious. Ron was so sad when I snagged the last helping to bring with me for lunch the following day. Needless to say we are going to be making again...and maybe next time I will make a little extra so avoid the lunch battles!
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef or lamb (or a mixture of the two)
2 tsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 1/2 Tbl fresh chopped oregano
1 cup red wine
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 lb pasta (I used mufalada because they look like mini lasagna noodles)
2/3 cup sliced kalmata olives
1 14.5 oz can undrained fire roasted tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup ricotta
6 oz crumbled feta cheese
1 cup mozzarella
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
Brown beef in a dutch over with olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Allow mixture to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mint, oregano, wine, olives, tomatoes, stock, tomato sauce and pasta. Allow casserole to cook on medium-low covered until noodles are cooked to desired tenderness. Gently stir in ricotta and feta cheese. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Top with mozzarella and cover to melt cheese. Serve with crusty bread and green salad.