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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 120 Minutes |
Ready In: 150 Minutes Servings: 16 |
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”Homemade lasagna is one of life's best comfort foods. This recipe is one that has the authentic Italian taste your family and friends will love. All seasoning can be increased or lessened to your personal taste and preference. (The fennel seed in my opinion gives a wonderfully authentic taste and some add a pinch of nutmeg to the cottage cheese-if you prefer ricotta cheese this can also be used instead of cottage cheese). I have salt-sensitive members in my family so I buy no-salt tomato sauce as the crushed tomatoes and paste are usually not over-salted (all tomato products are available in no-salt versions if you need to decrease your intake of sodium-the cheeses usually have enough salt as well) I also set the parsley and Parmesan cheese on the table for my family to add that last bit of seasoning before enjoying-DELIZIOSO!! For best results, prepare one day ahead of baking. Ingredients:
1 lb italian sausage (sweet, mild or hot-your choice) |
1 lb lean ground beef |
1 medium onion (minced) |
3 garlic cloves (crushed) |
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes |
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste |
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce |
1/2 cup water |
3 tablespoons granulated sugar |
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves |
1 tablespoon fennel seed |
1 tablespoon italian seasoning |
1 tablespoon oregano |
1 teaspoon ground black pepper |
4 tablespoons parsley |
12 lasagna noodles |
16 ounces small curd cottage cheese |
1 egg |
16 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded) |
8 ounces parmesan cheese (grated) |
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Generously oil a 9x13 baking dish.
3. Use a Dutch oven to cook the sausage, ground beef, onions and garlic until the meat is browned.
4. Once the meat is browned add the crushed tomatoes, paste, sauce along with all the seasonings except the sugar and 1 Tablespoon of parsley.
5. Add the sugar one tablespoon at at time (the sugar helps to 'blend' the rest of the seasonings) and at this point taste the sauce to see if the sugar is to your liking and not too sweet.
6. Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes or long enough for all seasonings to combine well (the sauce can be simmered longer if desired-I would say one to one and a half hours max time).
7. While the sauce is simmering, in a small mixing bowl beat the egg with the cottage cheese and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of parsley.
8. Noodles can be rinsed with hot water just until softened or cook noodles according to package directions-rinse with cool water and drain well.
9. Layer the lasagna as follows: Bottom layer meat sauce (about 1-1/2 cups), 6 noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, meat sauce and 1/2 Parmesan cheese.
10. Second set of layers: remaining noodles, remaining cottage cheese mixture, more meat sauce, the rest of the Parmesan cheese and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake the lasagna for 25 minutes covered (make sure the foil is sprayed with non-stick spray so the cheese will not stick or tent the foil so it rests above the cheese).
12. After 25 minutes remove the foil and cook an additional 25 minutes or until the cheese on top is completely melted.
13. Remove from the oven and allow 15 minutes rest time before serving. Enjoy!
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