Jewellene's Lasagna

 

I made this ages ago, and it was perfection. 

 But I didn't save it to my blog, so now I'm kicking myself, because it is a lot easier to just follow a well-written recipe, than to reinvent the wheel every time.

Nonetheless, I know I can make it again. It'll just take extra effort this week. Here we go!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (or boxes) Lasagna shaped pasta
• 2 lbs ground beef 
• 2 clams fresh basil 
• 16 ounces cottage cheese 
• 2 packs or 10 ounces Parmesan
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 cans spinach, drained 
• 1 large can (20 ounces?) tomato purée (or "sauce")
• 1 can Tomato paste (small)
• 1 tablespoons Italian seasoning 
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano 
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (optional)
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 tablespoons garlic powder + 1 tablespoons for the white sauce 
• 1 tablespoons onion powder + 1 tablespoons for the white sauce
• 1 + 1 teaspoons salt (each sauce)
• 1+ 1 teaspoons ground black pepper  
• 1 pound mozzarella (block)
• 1 cups water 
• 1/2 cup dry white cooking wine 

Directions:

1. Grate the parmesan in the food processor (and set aside)
2. Grate the mozzarella and store separately 
3. To the food processor - Add the cottage cheese, fresh basil, 1/2 the parmesan, 1/2 cup milk, salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder, and blend to combine.
4. Transfer to 2 large deli containers with lids, and refrigerate.
5. Heat up a large pot with enough water to cook the lasagna noodles in (according to package directions).
6. While the water is heating, dice the onions. 
7. Add the onions and 2 pounds of beef to the instant pot, and saute for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
8. When the water boils, add 1 package of lasagna and cook for 8 minutes.
9. Drain slowly into a colander in the sink with the cold tap going.
10. Quickly rinse each piece of lasagna, and lay it flat into an extra 9x13 casserole dish.
11. When the beef starts sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the wine and stir well. Cook the wine for 5ish minutes.
12. Add tomato purée, and paste. Add remaining spices, and stir well. (Garlic, onion, dried basil, oregano, salt and pepper)
13. Add 1 cup water to the tomato sauce and stir well.
14. Now assemble one of your lasagnas.
15. In a 13x9 inch casserole dish, add 1/2 cup meat sauce and spread around.
16. Then add 3 lasagna noodles.
17. Add 1 cup more meat sauce and spread around.
18. Add 3 more lasagna noodles, and top with 6 tablespoons of basil/cottage cheese mixture. Spread around.
19. Sprinkle with a light dusting (1/2 cup) of grated parmesan cheese.
20. Add 1 can of drained spinach. Spread around.
21. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles and 1 cup of meat sauce. Spread around.
22. Repeat layers until you run out of pasta. 
23. Make sure you cover the top layer of pasta with sauce as well.
24. And then top that sauce layer with grated mozzarella. However much you want. Like 1 cup.
25. You will have extras of everything except noodles. 
26. We're going to make the second lasagna while the first one is baking.
27. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil, but fold it into a tent of sorts, so the cheese doesn't stick to it. 
28. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (you don't have to preheat) for 45 minutes.
29. Remove foil cover and broil until cheese is pretty and lightly browned (3-5 minutes).
30. Cut into 9 pieces by cutting with the lasagna grain (2cuts), and then making 2 cuts crosswise. 
31. Serve or store immediately.
32. Now just cook the second box of pasta, and assemble it exactly how we did this one while using the remaining sauces and cheeses.

Makes 2 lasagna's or 18 pieces.