LASAGNA with MEATY SAUCE serves 12
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 – 14.5 ounce cans whole tomatoes
2 – 6 ounce cans tomato paste
2 + 2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garden gourmet Italian herbs
1 teaspoon garden gourmet basil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups lowfat cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
2 LARGE eggs, beaten
1/2 cup FRESH grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Sliced or grated Mozzarella Cheese
1 – 10 ounce package lasagna noodles
salt
olive oil
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Over medium high heat, brown the ground beef and ground pork.
- Add onion and garlic, cooking until meat is browned and onion is softened.
- Drain off half the fat.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, Italian herbs and basil.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Simmer 30-45 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and a teaspoon salt.
- Stir together well. Set aside.
- Add a generous amount of salt and a drizzle of olive oil to the boiling water.
- Cook lasagna until JUST “al dente” – DO NOT OVERCOOK!
- Drain.
ASSEMBLY
- Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary.
- Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles and spread evenly.
- Cover cottage cheese and ricotta mixture with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon a little less than half the meat sauce mixture over the top.
- Repeat, ending with meat sauce mixture.
- Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan and a bit of the Mozzarella.
- Bake 20-30 minutes until top is hot and bubbly.