Lasagna

Growing up, we only ever had frozen lasagna that took forever to bake and was never warm in the center. Needless to say, lasagna was never one of my favorite foods, yet I always felt it should be since it seems to beloved. I always imagined what lasagna could be: a heady mix of spices and herbs with the heartiness of the meat and cheese complemented by the tangy zest of tomatoes. When I came across Pioneer Woman's lasagna (the best ever, she claims), I thought I had hit the lasagna jackpot. Finally, the lasagna void of my childhood would be filled!!


It looked nice, smelled nice, but was just that. Nice. I wasn't wowed or amazed or felt any stirring of a future craving. Now, hubby loved it. And we both agree it was much better after sitting in the fridge overnight. Would I make this again? Perhaps, for hubby's sake. But, my search for THE lasagna continues..

Pioneer Woman's Lasagna

• 1 1/2 lbs lean beef (I used 2 lbs)
• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage (such as Jimmy Dean)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14.5oz cans whole tomatoes
• 2 6oz cans tomato paste
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 oz package of lasagna noodles
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lb sliced mozzarella
  

In a large skillet, brown the sausage, beef, and garlic. Drain most of the fat.

At this point, depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to transfer to a large pot. (I had to.) Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp each parsley and basil. Mix well and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

While the meat mixture is simmering, prepare the lasagna noodles by boiling a pot of water with the tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Add the noodles (you'll probably have to do some tricky arranging here to get them all to fit underneath the water) and boil however long the package tells you. 8 minutes, I believe. Drain and let cool.

While the meat and noodles are cooking away, prepare the cheese mixture by combining the cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, 2 tbsp parsley, and salt. Stir until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a 9x13 baking dish, layer the ingredients. Start by laying down 4 noodles, overlapping them. Spread over half of the cheese mixture, then top with half of the mozzarella. On top of that, spoon half of the meat. Repeat. Sprinkle parmesan across the top and bake for 20-30 minutes.