Mom's Lasagna

Mom liked a good lasagna, as did we all.  She normally used her own spaghetti sauce.   Once in a while she would cheat with a jarred sauce mixed with cooked hamburger.  But she really preferred the taste of her own.  She never skimped on the cheese, because to her (and the rest of us) the stretchy cheese was the best part!    This was her recipe, I used to love watching her make it.  I added the spinach to the recipe though (she didn't use it).  I would say about once a month she would make lasagna.  She didn't think much of those frozen ones, and she only bought those when she was far too tired to hand make a lasagna.  Making and eating this always brings back good memories!

Mom’s Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box (16 oz.) lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained.

1 tub (16 oz.) cottage cheese

1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed

2 eggs, beaten

1 quantity of Mom’s Spaghetti sauce, found here:  Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

1 16-oz bag shredded mozzarella cheese (or 1 lb shredded)

½ stick butter cut in small cubes

Directions:

1.       In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, frozen spinach and eggs.  Blend well and set aside.

2.       In a 9x13x3-inch baking dish (preferably glass or ceramic), layer 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce spread evenly, covering the entire bottom of the dish.  This will keep the noodles from sticking.  

3.       Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles, side-by-side, the length of the dish.  Rearrange, cut or fold them to make them fit, covering the entire bottom of the dish.  

4.       Layer ¼ of the sauce over the noodles, spreading out evenly to cover all the pasta.   Sprinkle with a heaping handful of shredded mozzarella cheese.  

5.       Spoon ½ of the cottage cheese mixture over the sauce and mozzarella, spreading it out in an even layer to cover all corners of the dish.  Top with another layer of pasta.

6.       Repeat steps 3 through 5 one more time.  Now spread the last of the spaghetti sauce over the last pasta layer.  Sprinkle with 2 heaping handfuls of mozzarella cheese. 

7.       Evenly scatter the small cubes of butter over the top of the cheese.  This will help the cheese brown.  

8.       Preheat oven to 375.  Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting; serve.