I know there are a lot of lasagna recipes out there, but this is my family’s absolute favorite!  I think you will love it too.  Keep scrolling to see what makes this version different.

The Sauce

This recipe has a lot of sauce in it. To me, lasagna should have plenty of tomato sauce oozing out of each layer.  The tomato sace in this recipe is also smoother than most.  I use canned pureed or crushed tomatoes instead of diced or whole tomatoes.  Some people in my family are not big fans of chunks in their lasagna, so this recipe is perfect for those of us who feel the same way!

For the smoothest sauce, use pureed tomatoes.  If you like a little texture, opt for crushed tomatoes instead.  This batch was made with crushed tomatoes because my store was completely out of pureed tomatoes.

Start by browning some hamburger and onion in a sautee pan large enough to simmer the sauce in also.  (If you don’t have fresh onion on hand, I have included substitutions below on using onion powder.) To the cooked hamburger, add the spices, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes.

To this mixture, add a few cups of water.  It looks like a watery mess at first, but the sauce will come together and thicken as it simmers.

Simmer partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.  See how much better that looks – so rich and full of flavor!

The Cheese

This recipe uses a whole pound of mozarella cheese (that’s what makes it so amazing!).  I also use cottage cheese, instead of traditional ricotta cheese, in this recipe.  I like that it gives the lasagna a slightly brighter cheese flavor.  This is also how I grew up eating lasagna in my part of the world, so that’s how I like it best.  If you’ve never tried lasagna with cottage cheese, give it a try – I think you’ll like it!

While the sauce is simmering, prepare the cheese mixture by combining cottage cheese with some parmesan cheese, a couple of cups of mozarella cheese, dried parsley, salt, pepper, and a beaten egg.

Layer the ingredients according to the recipe…

And baked until bubbly and cooked through…

Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy!!

Classic Beef Lasagna

Meat Sauce:

16 ounces ground beef, 80/85% fat
1/2 onion, chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon onion powder)
2 large garlic cloves, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 28 ounce can puréed or crushed tomatoes (puréed tomatoes for a smoother consistency and crushed for a slightly chunkier sauce)
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Cheese Layer:

1 (24 ounce) package cottage cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 pound of shredded mozzarella, divided
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Noodles:

Lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained

Directions:

Meat Sauce:

Put ground beef and onion in the bottom of a large sauté pan (big enough to simmer all of the sauce). Brown over medium heat and drain all but 2 tablespoons of the grease. Add garlic, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, basil, and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add canned tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, and sugar. Partially cover and simmer over low heat until the sauce has slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Cheese Mixture:

Combine cottage cheese, parsley, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella, salt, pepper, egg. Set aside.

Boil noodles, a la dente.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Assemble the Lasagna:

Ladle a large scoop of sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Spread evenly. Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping a little. Spoon half of the cheese mixture and spread. Drizzle 1 cup of sauce over the cheese. And repeat: noodles, cheese, sauce. Arrange remaining noodles over top, spread with remaining sauce and sprinkle with the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty bread and salad.