Looking For Lasagna

[Valerie]

I'd like a simple but delicious recipe for lasagna. It could be meatless or not, but I'm not a big fan of sausage. It doesn't have to be the simplest recipe ever, but I don't want to have to be making a béchamel sauce or anything.

Anyone?

[Michelle]

I have a recipe for some pretty good lasagna that I got from my boyfriend. I usually make the one on the back of the lasagna noodle box though. In the recipe below, it calls for cottage cheese, but I prefer to make mine with ricotta (I use the whole 15oz container).

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
1 (14.5oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 TBS dried oregano
2 TSP garlic powder
2 TSP salt
1/4 TSP ground black pepper
1 TBS white sugar
12 oz cottage cheese (or 15oz ricotta)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 package lasagna noodles
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese

PREPARATION:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown. Drain. In another skillet over medium heat, cook onion until translucent.

Combine beef and onion in a large saucepan with tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour.

While sauce is simmering, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan and egg until smooth. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Spread 1 Cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover sauce with 3 noodles. Cover noodles with 1/3 of remaining sauce. Top with half the mozzarella.

Place another layer of noodles and one of sauce over the mozzarella, top that with the cottage cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top and bake 15 minutes more until golden and bubbly.