Simple Lasagna
I don't know where this recipe came from, but I'm glad I have it. I have made it dozens of times. Great, easy company main dish.
I don't know where this recipe came from, but I'm glad I have it. I have made it dozens of times. Great, easy company main dish.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 clove garlic optional
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped fine
- 1 16 ounce can tomatoes cut up, drained a little
- 2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
- 1 8 ounce pkg. lasagna noodles
- 2 12 ounce cartons cottage cheese cream-style, can be low fat
- 12 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese sliced
- Carbohydrate 41.7869958887048 g
- Cholesterol 177.462032758715 mg
- Fat 33.0183437583187 g
- Fiber 5.16300861441069 g
- Protein 56.4617789682055 g
- Saturated Fat 16.9220616011419 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (382g)
- Sodium 1317.88124046018 mg
- Sugar 36.6239872742941 g
- Trans Fat 4.35765604646345 g
- Calories 687 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees; greaase a 13x9x2 baking dish.
- Cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned, stirring to crumble; drain pan drippings. Add garlic, 1 of the 3 T. of parsley, basil, 1 of the 1-1/2 t. of salt, tomatoes and paste; simmer uncovered 30 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.
- Cook lasagna noodles; drain.
- Combine cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 t. remaining salt, pepper, 2 T. remaining parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Spread about 1/2 C. meat sauce in bottom of baking dish, then layer half each of the noodles, the cottage cheese mixture, the mozzarella cheese and the meat sauce. Repeat layers.
- Bake at 375 for 30 minutes; let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Can cottage cheese truly replace ricotta without ruining the texture of a pan of baked pasta? Culinary traditions are rarely rigid, and home cooks have swapped dairy components for generations based on availability and cost. Understanding how these substitutions alter moisture levels helps prevent a watery casserole while still achieving proper binding. When moisture management is handled correctly, alternative cheeses integrate surprisingly well into baked layers.
The Chemistry of Dairy Swaps and Structural Integrity
Ricotta possesses a dry, curdled consistency with minimal free liquid, whereas standard commercial cottage cheese suspends curds in a watery whey. Draining excess liquid through a fine-mesh strainer for twenty minutes before mixing prevents the casserole from sliding apart upon cutting. Grated parmesan adds necessary salinity and absorbs excess moisture as the dish bakes at 375 degrees. Mozzarella provides the necessary fat and stretch, though low-moisture blocks brown more predictably than fresh balls packed in water.
- Bake the assembled dish uncovered for precisely thirty minutes to allow starches to set and excess surface liquids to evaporate.
- Allow the pan to rest for ten minutes away from the heat source before slicing so internal proteins firm up.
- Cook lasagna noodles until just al dente, ensuring they absorb adequate moisture from the sauce without turning mushy.
