Lasagna

A while back, a friend of mine shared her Mother's secret to using dry lasagna noodles without pre-cooking them. It takes some time, and some pre-planning, but I haven't made lasagna any other way since.

Ingredients List:

For white sauce:

16 oz container Cottage Cheese

15 oz container Ricotta Cheese

13.5 oz can Chopped Spinach

1 Egg

For red sauce:

32 oz jar of your favorite marinara (I used my home-canned stuff, which already has diced tomatoes, onions, and olives in it, you can add all these things if you want).

1 pound Ground Meat (hamburger or sausage)

For building:

Cheese (I usually use most of a 4 cup bag)

Lasagna Noodles

1. Make the white sauce...

2. Combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and egg in a large bowl.

3. Squeeze spinach in a clean kitchen towel till no more liquid drains out.

4. Add Spinach to the cheese and egg mixture.

5. Stir to combine.

6. Make red sauce...

7. Brown the hamburger (drain fat if needed)

8. Combine with marinara sauce

9. Add additional diced tomatoes, onions and olives as desired.

10. In a 9x13 baking dish, put a thin layer of red sauce down. (This is the only time your layers will be out of order, but it's so the noodles won't stick)

11. Build your lasagna as follows:

12. Red sauce (from step 3)

13. Dry noodles

14. Red sauce

15. Shredded Cheese

16. White Sauce

17. Dry noodles

18. Red Sauce

19. Shredded Cheese

20. White Sauce

21. Dry Noodles

22. Red Sauce

23. Extra Shredded Cheese

24. Cover the entire thing with foil, and let sit for 60 minutes.

25. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 minutes. Uncover for last 15 minutes of cooking, so the cheese browns slightly.

26. Remove from oven and list sit another 60 minutes

27. Serve with side salad, and garlic knots (or whatever).