The One and Only Lasagne

Chef Decadent1's Note:

This is truly a culinary delight. This will leave your friends and family wanting more!!! Restaurant quality in the ambience of your own home. To be shared with someone special. Enjoy.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 ½ cups peeled and chopped carrots
• ¾ tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 4 links Italian sausages , casings removed
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (4 ounce) cans tomato paste
• ½ cup fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1⁄8; cup merlot
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed pepper
• 15 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 (500 g) containers cottage cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach , drained
• 2 eggs
• 4 ¾ cups mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Sauce:.
2. Heat oil in electric frypan over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and garlic saute approximately 12 minutes until soft. Add beef and Italian sausages to pan breaking up meat with the back of a spoon. Cook until brown and add the remainder of the sauce ingredients. Cook and simmer over low heat approximately 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Combine cottage cheese and 3/4 cup parmesan in medium bowl, mix in spinach, salt and pepper to taste and two eggs.
4. Assembling lasagne:.
5. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on bottom of 9X13 lasagne pan. Cover with 5 oven ready lasagne noodles. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozarella cheese over. Spoon sauce over cheese layer 5 more noodles; remainder of cottage cheese mixture and sprinkle with 2 cups of mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles and remainder of sauce. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of mozarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 40 minutes and uncovered for 40 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes or longer prior to serving. Serve with a nice glass of Merlot, garlic bread and Caesar salad!

Reviews

[FreeLady]

Excellent, Chef Decadent1, didn't change a thing. Great taste and texture!

[49erboy]

I made this according to the directions, and it was fantastic! I will leave out the carrots the next time I make it, but that is just for personal preference. Have made this many times now, it's definitely one of our favorites. Friends request it for parties!