I'm a huge fan of this simple lasagna recipe that is bursting with flavor and oh so cheesy! Make and enjoy right away with a crusty chunk of bread...and maybe add a salad to balance out all the cheese in this recipe...or freeze for later. You can easily add extra ingredients, such as mushrooms or meat. This version is vegetarian and kid friendly!
Here's my frozen lasagna, ready to thaw and heat!
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
6 lasagna noodles
1 beaten egg
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 T dried parsley
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the sauce: In a large sauce pan with a small amount of olive oil, cook onion and garlic on medium till tender. Add tomatoes, sauce, paste, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper; stir. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain into colander and rinse with cool water to keep from sticking together.
Make the filling: Combine egg, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Set aside.
Assemble: Layer 3 noodles into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Overlap the noodles if you need to so they'll fit. Top with half the filling; spread to cover the noodles. Then top with half the sauce; spread. And then sprinkle half the mozzarella on top. Repeat - filling, sauce, mozzarella. Then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan on top. NOTE: If you're using multiple smaller dishes equivalent to a 9x13, use kitchen shears or a knife to cut the noodles to fit the bottom of the dish. You'll have to guess on the amount of filling, sauce and cheese to layer into the dish based on the size of your dishes.
To bake: If you want to eat this today, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Cover the assembled dish loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes covered. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. To freeze: You do not need to bake the lasagna before freezing it. However, it's likely still warm since you just cooked the noodles and sauce, so allow to cool completely. Then cover with a lid and freeze. When you're ready to eat, allow to thaw. Then place dish covered in foil in a cool oven and turn on to 350. Once preheated, cook approximately 35 minutes. Remove the foil and then cool an additional 10 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling and lightly browned on top. Let sit for 10 minutes.
