classic lasagna recipe

ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 15 oz can water
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
8 to 12 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
16 oz cottage cheese, small curd, (or ricotta cheese)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper
1 16 oz box lasagna pasta
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large pan, add olive oil, chopped onions and garlic. Saute until onions are soft and translucent.
Add ground beef and cook until completely browned, drain fat. Return to pan.
Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for approximately 15-20 minutes.
Cook pasta according to package directions, rinse and set aside (I usually add a tsp of oil to the water so the pasta doesn’t stick to each other).
In a 14 x 11½ x 2¼ baking dish, or two smaller size baking dishes, put a small amount of meat mixture in the bottom of dish. Spread around.
Add lasagna noodles (approximately 5-6, and they will overlap onto each other).
Next, spoon half of the cottage cheese on top of the pasta and spread covering the pasta.
Spoon meat mixture on top of cottage cheese.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Next add ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat with another layer of pasta, cottage cheese, meat mixture, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese.
Final layer is pasta, topped with remaining meat mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and cook for approximately 1 hour.
Serve with salad and garlic bread.