While some students have access to a full set of kitchen appliances throughout their time at college, many of us, especially underclassmen, don’t have more than a microwave and a fridge. Fortunately, a microwave is all you need for this easy and cheesy lasagna recipe.
Before you begin, gather all of your ingredients. You’ll need lasagna noodles (preferably oven-ready, no-boil variety), marinara sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes and fresh or dried basil. You can also add in some pre-cooked meats such as crumbled sausage or pepperoni. Your cooking bowl or mug should be microwave-safe and be able to hold at least 20 fluid ounces.
Once you have everything you need, begin layering your lasagna. Break two noodles into fourths and place three of the pieces to create the base. Spread them out to cover the entire bottom of the bowl.
Next, spread a layer of marinara sauce over the noodles. Chop the tomatoes and drop them on top. Sprinkle some cheese and basil to taste. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the process until you have three full layers.
Microwave the lasagna for about a minute and a half. The cooking time may vary depending on the wattage of your microwave, so you may have to stick a fork in to test whether the noodles are thoroughly cooked and the cheese has melted. I recommend covering the lasagna with a paper plate or paper towel while it cooks to prevent the sauce from splattering inside the microwave. Once you’re sure it’s done, dig in!
If the no-boil noodles aren’t available, you can still try this recipe. Before you add in all of your ingredients, place all of the broken pieces of the lasagna noodles into your mug or bowl. Pour about a cup and a half of water over it, then microwave it for two minutes. Stir, then microwave them again for another two to two and a half minutes. You may also want to put a plate over the container as it boils, in case it boils over. Once your noodles are done, you can take them out of the mug or bowl, drain the water and continue layering your lasagna as normal.
I recommend erring on the longer side of cooking times, since I found that my cheese wasn’t fully melted and the noodles hadn’t quite cooked to a perfect soft texture when I took mine out. Additionally, I think making it without including any meat caused it to be a bit lacking in flavor. The basil definitely helped, but it was just a little too plain for my tastes.
As a final tip, try to cut the tomatoes into very small pieces. I left mine only slightly smaller than bite-sized, and their flavor didn’t quite blend into the rest of the lasagna as I’d hoped.
