Lasagna – something I don’t make very often. One of the only pastas my husband really loves. Keeps Garfield happy too. I really don’t know why I don’t make it more often, other than the fact that it’s really not healthy. At all. Not that that’s ever stopped me before. That’s why I own a treadmill.
This lasagna is the kind of lasagna you dream of – lots of flavour, surrounded by lots of hot stringy cheese. It’s really delicious. Not recommended for cardiac patients or the lactose intolerant among us.
This recipe is adapted from a Paula Deen recipe for lots o’ meat lasagna. It’s made in two parts – I made the meat sauce ahead of time, then put the lasagna together later for a weeknight dinner. If you’d like to put some veggies like peppers and mushrooms in the meat sauce, this sauce can definitely handle it. Also, I used ground turkey in place of ground beef.
[Recipe] Meat Sauce Turned Lasagna
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground Italian sausage
2 onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 lg can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
2 cups cottage cheese
2 Tbsp dried (or the equivalent in fresh) parsley leaves
2 large eggs
9 (I used 10) oven-ready lasagna noodles
about 3 cups shredded mozzarella
For the meat sauce:
For the lasagna:
First, we make the meat sauce.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the meats with the chopped onion.
About half way through this cooking process, add the garlic, and herbs to the meat. Continue to cook until the meat is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.
Once the meat is cooked, you can drain any of the fat off if you’d like to. Then add the tomato products, salt and pepper, and stir well. Done!
Simmer this sauce over low heat for 45 mins to an hour and your sauce is ready.
Now, let’s use this meat sauce to assemble a delicious lasagna!
Gather the lasagna ingredients, and preheat the oven to 350F.
Layer 1/4 of the meat sauce in a 9×13 inch baking pan. I like using a metal pan because the edges get nice and crispy that way.
Cover the sauce with lasagna noodles. Do not overlap noodles.
In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, parsley, and eggs. Parmesan goes great here too. I forgot to add any. I know, I’m as stunned about this as you are.
Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.
Bake 45 minutes at 350F. Turn up the oven to 400F, top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
