Zesty Italian Lasagna

prep time:: 45 minutes
cook time:: 50 minutes
total time:: 2 hours
other time:: 25 minutes

Makes 12 servings

Growing up, I can’t count how many Sunday afternoons we came home to the aroma of lasagna in the air. We’ve taken this traditional homemade entreé and added a little more life to it. Best served with a side of Cheesy Garlic Mushroom Bread.

ingredients

1 1/4 lbs spicy Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion diced
2 large garlic cloves minced
XX oz fresh spinach
XX oz tomato sauce
XX oz tomato paste
1 1/2 lbs cottage cheese
1 1/2 lbs mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh grated parmessan cheese
1 package whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 tbsp fresh oregano minced
1 tbsp fresh basil minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

directions

1
Sauce mixture:
2
Brown the sausage in a large sauce pan and then drain all fat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, and butter to the sausage and cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, for approximately 10 minutes or until the onion has softened. Add oregano, basil, and thyme to the mixture and stir. Combine tomato sauce and paste to the sausage mixture and stir until the paste is well mixed in. Reduce to medium and cover, but stir frequently so that nothing burns to the bottom of the sauce pan. Cook until the sausage/sauce mixture is simmering. Salt and pepper to taste.
3
Spinach:
4
Bring several quarts of salted water to a boil on the stovetop. Add fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute. Immediately drain, allow to cool, and then hand squeeze any excess juice.
5
Noodles:
6
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the noodles in the water and boil until the noodles are al dente or malleable but still firm. Drain noodles and set aside laid out straight until needed. Should be prepared in conjunction with the sauce mixture.
7
Layering the lasagna:
8
In a 13x9 glass casserole dish, place a small amount of prepared sauce mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Place 3 lasagna noodles side-by-side in the dish. Evenly spread 1/3 of the following ingredients in this order: sauce mixture, cottage cheese, cooked spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Top with an additional 3 lasagna noodles and again layer the ingredients as before. Repeat the process one last time saving a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Having completed three layers of each ingredient, place an additional 3 lasagna noodles on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
9
Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and place on the middle rack in an oven that has been preheated to 400°. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.
10
Remove and allow to cool for several minutes. Cut and serve on a plate topped with parmessan cheese and two sprigs of thyme.
11
*For easier preparation, try using no-boil lasagna noodles instead of normal lasagna noodles.

notes

For a stronger herb flavor, replace the fresh herbs with dried herbs. Can be prepared the night before and placed in the refrigerator covered. Simply cook the lasagna longer in the oven at 350°.

Source: John & Jennifer Williams