Meat Lasagna

delallo.com

I've never actually made Lasagna before, it always seemed like it was way too much work. I gave it a shot though and it really wasn't hard at all, it just took a lot of time to cook and then bake.  So make sure you start this dish a few hours in advance.  We loved the end result.  Even my toddler who refuses to eat pasta, doesn't like cheese, and will only eat meat if it's smothered in barbeque sauce, gobbled this Lasagna up.  In fact judging by her pleasure in eating it the next day for lunch, I think it might be her favorite meal now.

Ingredients:
    1 1/2 pounds ground beef
    1 pound ground Italian sausage
    1 onion
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 teaspoons oregano
    1 teaspoon italian seasoning
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
    2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano
    1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
    1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
    1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
    2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
    2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    9 uncooked lasagna noodles
    2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.
Add oregano, italian seasoning, salt and pepper to meat mixturet. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.
Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, parsley, and eggs in a bowl.
Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. 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(to top lasagna with during the last 15 minutes of baking).
Bake 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Food Network.