Lasagna with Oven Ready Pasta

Serves 12

This is my favorite way to make lasagna. It is worth the effort. Goes well with Ceasar Salad.

Agnes

Lasagna with Oven Ready Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef, optional

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp Italian Style Seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

1 large can, 796 ml can pureed tomatoes

2-156 ml small cans tomato paste

1 1/2 cups or 500 g creamy cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

2 tablespoons parsley flakes or 1/3 cup fresh pasley, chopped

2 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp pepper

Salt to taste, about 1/8 tsp salt

1 375 g box oven-ready lasagna, you will use most of the box

200 g Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin or grated, set 1/4 cup aside for topping

3/4 to 1 cup water

Instructions

You will need to preheat oven to 350F and use an ungreased glass baking pan size 9" x 13" x 2".

In frying pan, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. I use a cast iron or stainless steel pan to do this and use a potato masher to mash the ground beef as it cooks. Drain any liquids. 

Transfer ground beef to large pot, add garlic, Italian Style Seasoning, basil, half a teaspoon of salt, tomato puree and tomato paste. Simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Meanwhile, add the following ingredients to a large bowl, creamy cottage cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, beaten eggs, pepper and salt to taste. Stir well.

When sauce is ready, preheat oven to 350F.

Spread 3/4 tomato sauce mix on bottom of 9" x 13" baking pan. 

Add 4 noodles, place 3 noodles beside each other and part of one noodle on the top. I like the noodles to fill the pan and not overlap. Spread the bottom noodles with 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese mixture, a small handfull of mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup tomato sauce mix. Repeat 3 times:  4 noodles, 1/2 cup cottage cheese mixture and a small handfull of mozzarella cheese, 3/4 cup tomato sauce mix. Four layers of pasta approximately, use all the cottage cheese and sauce. 

Add the 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese set aside on top of sauce. 

Gently add 3/4 water, mostly between noodles and on the sides of the pan. Add enough water to cover pasta and not soak the mozzarella cheese on top.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 50-55 minutes, until pasta is soft and water is absorbed. Periodically check on lasagna and add a bit more water if pasta isn't soft and lasagna is drying out or burning. Let stand 15 minutes and serve with salad.

Freezes well.

Ingredients for two large lasagnas. 

Tomato meat sauce for lasagna.

Last step before baking. Add water to sides of baking pan. 

Lasagna resting before serving.

Quick Ceasar Salad.