My first lasagnas were different than now. For starters, they didn’t have meat. I also didn’t make my own marinara, and honestly, some years, depending on what’s going on and how much time I have, I will use jarred marinara.

Over time, as I learned to cook, I changed it up. I added meat, did the homemade marinara, and increased the amount of layers. That’s one thing that is fun with lasagna, is you can easily change things up, as long as you have enough sauce and cheese! Add some spinach, some vegetables, a different kind of meat or none at all. You can add taco seasoning to your meat, substitute some cheddar, and add some jalapenos, maybe some corn and black beans, and make it a little Tex Mex, if you want to spice things up! It isn’t a cheap dish and certainly isn’t good for the waistline, so I really only make it once a year.

For Christmas, though, every year, we do a classic, extra cheesy lasagna. I normally make it for Christmas Eve dinner with fresh made bread, roasted garlic and olive oil, and a big salad. Christmas Day, we normally have brunch with family, and then for dinner — left over lasagna! This year, our Christmas plans with family were rescheduled for later in January due to Covid, so we have extra lasagna to freeze for later. I may start making an extra to freeze in meal portion sizes. It freezes up great. To serve later, I defrost in the fridge, heat up in the microwave, and serve with extra sauce and parmesan.

I know you’ll love it!

One thing that is great about this recipe is you can really use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Zucchini works great in this soup as does spinach. I’ve also made it with cauliflower and Daikon radish. Want to add some mushrooms? Sauté them with the onions! Just keep the quantity of the vegetables you add consistent and you’re good to go.

First, heat pan over medium heat and cook your chopped onions in olive oil until they are translucent. Once they are cooked, add your broth, tomatoes, beans, vegetables, and seasoning. Simmer about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of small pasta al dente in a separate pot of salted water per package directions.

You can use whatever protein you like. I happened to have some meatballs I’d made previously and froze so I used those. I’ve also made it with ground beef, Italian sausage, and pulled chicken breast.

Add the pasta and protein to the pot and simmer another 10 minutes or so until everything is all nice and heated through. Adjust with salt per taste and serve topped with fresh basil and grated cheese.

Note: I didn’t have basil this time but I did have frozen pesto so I stirred a tablespoon of pesto into the soup with the meat and pasta and it worked out great.