Lasagna looks complicated, but it really isn't. I even opted to make my own tomato sauce. Since it is December, canned tomatoes are a must. I'm not a fan of tomatoes, but I like to cook with them. I started my sauce with a special kind of tomatoes. A lot of the cooking "pros" and "experts" swear by them so I said "why not". That and I got them at a good price at a local Italian grocery store. They're called San Marzano tomatoes. I could only find whole ones, so I just poured the can into my food processor, gave it a few pulses and I had the base for my sauce.
Here's what you'll need:
1 medium onion
4-5 gloves of garlic chopped, plus 1 tsp garlic puree
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp salt ( I used a special sea salt that I have, which has garlic and basil in it)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 28oz can san Marzano tomatoes (with liquid - crushed or pureed. Unless you like them chunky, then used diced)
1 tub (500ml) of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1 cup (or more) of mozzarella or cheddar or whatever you have in your fridge, grated
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (maybe a little more)
1 package of fresh mushrooms (or one can, rinsed and drained)
1 lb lean ground beef (if you don't use lean, cook it first and drain the fat off or you'll end up with greasy lasagna)
12 Lasagna Noodles (I use whole wheat ones)
2-3 tbsp Olive Oil (I use extra virgin, but use what you have)
In a large, deep sauce pan or pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it starts to soften. Add the Italian seasoning and chili pepper flakes. Stir. Add in the garlic (not the puree!) and continue to cook until everything has softened and smells wicked.
Add in the mushrooms. Cook for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms have cooked through. Add in the ground beef. Continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink. Pour in the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper. Stir well to combine everything. Allow the sauce to simmer for 20-30 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken as you cook it. If it gets too thick, add some water to thin it out.
While it's cooking, take the 12 noodles and soak them in warm/hot water. Make sure they're completely covered by the water.
Next, make the cheese filling. Take the cottage cheese and place it in a bowl. Add the parm reggiano and half the parmesan cheese and stir. Add in the garlic puree and some pepper. Stir well and set aside. You can use light or regular cheese, it doesn't matter and in my experience, it doesn't change the taste all all.
Once the sauce has cooked for about a half hour, take it off the heat and allow to cool a little. Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.
To assemble the lasagna, you're going to need 4 layers of sauce, 3 layers of noodles and 2 layers of cheese sauce. Start by spreading some of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with 3 noodles. Top that with half the cottage cheese mixture. Top that with some more tomato sauce. Repeat (noodles, cheese mix, sauce). The top layer will just be noodles and sauce and then your grated mozzarella/cheddar and any additional parm reg that you might want to add.
Cover the dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through and are tender. Remove the foil and top with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and allow it to cook for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is all melted, bubbly and browned lightly.
Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to rest for 15 or so minutes before you cut it. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a couple of day or if wrapped well, you can freeze it for a couple of months. Frozen individual pieces make a great lunch or quick evening dinner.
Just so you know, my apartment smells amazing right now! LOL.
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
Sarah
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