Okay, so I am late with my lasagna recipe, but like I said better late than never...This is from my Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook, that I got for Christmas. I LOVE this cookbook and think the Pioneer Woman is brillant and witty and I love her recipes....and this lasagna recipe is a crowd pleaser, of course my husband LOVES lasagna and it's quite an accomplishment seeing that is mom is Italian and was raised around his grandmother's from scratch Italian cooking, she even made her own noodles..Well, not to worry I wasn't about to do that, but he thinks this ranks right up there with his grandmother, so that deserves an award in my book...you must try this recipe, it's easy and soooo fresh, all the ingredients are so fresh, and if you are not a sausage lover, don't worry you will never know it's there, I promise..
Lasagna..recipe from Pioneer Woman..
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
10 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese(you can buy already grated to save a step)
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1 pound hot breakfast sausage(I am not a fan of hot, so I used mild breakfast sausage and worked wonderfully)
4 garlic cloves, finally chopped
Two 6-ounce cans tomato paste
Two- 14.5 ounce cans whole tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the noodles and lay them flat on a piece of aluminum foil.
Grate the mozzarella cheese, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the hamburger, sausage, and garlic until brown. Drain off excess fat. Add the tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir together well. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut the basil into chiffon-ade by stacking leaves on top of one another rolling them tightly, then cutting across. Finely, chop the parsley. Add HALF the herbs to the meat mixture and stir together.
In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesean cheese and the other half of the herbs. Stir together well. Now, it's time to assemble the lasagna.
Begin by laying 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a deep rectangular baking pan. The noodles should slightly overlap. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles. Spread to distribute evenly. Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the cottage cheese mixture. Spoon just under half the meat mixture on top of the mozzarella. Spread evenly, being careful not to disrupt the layers below. Now repeat the process, beginning with a layer of lasagna noodles. Followed by the cottage cheese mixture, then the mozzarella. Ending with a thick layer of meat mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the lasagna is hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve with crusty French bread.
btw, lasagna can be fully assembled and frozen, unbaked...we sure didn't do that but you can if you want..
I am telling you the best lasagna recipe ever......and if it can stand against an Italian grandmother it's gotta be good!!!
I wish I would have taken a pic of the thickness of this lasagna, you will have to trust me on this one, thick and hearty....delish..
Moist, delicious goodness!!!!!
The dressing mixture..
