COTTAGE CHEESE MIXTURE FOR LASAGNA RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º F. Lightly oil a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until onions become translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, spinach leaves and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring as needed, until the spinach is bright green and wilted. (Don’t worry about the amount of spinach, it may look like a lot now, but as it cooks, it wilts down considerably. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may want to add the spinach in batches).
• In a medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs, a 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper until well blended.
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange three noodles lengthwise and side-by-side to cover the bottom.
• Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with a third of the parmesan cheese and a third of the mozzarella cheese. Add half of the spinach mixture and dollop about a 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over the spinach.
• Add a second layer of noodles then repeat with remaining cheese, spinach and another 1/2 cup of sauce. Finish with a third layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
• Loosely cover lasagna with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes, uncover then bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned around the edges. For a cheesy golden brown top, slide the lasagna uncovered, under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain., In a small bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan and parsley. Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with 3 noodles, half of the cheese mixture, 1-1/3 cups sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce., Cover and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until bubbly. Top with provolone and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with additional parsley.,