Homemade Lasagna

This is my mom's special homemade lasagna recipe with a meaty, made-from-scratch tomato sauce and a deliciously cheesy filling. A more traditional homemade lasagna filling would be made with ricotta but my mom's recipe calls for a blend of small-curd cottage cheese and Parmesan. I have found none better anywhere. Serve with a leafy green salad and crusty garlic bread.

• Preparation Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 638 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup minced onion
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ pound lean ground beef
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ⅛ teaspoon white sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 pound small-curd cottage cheese

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine pork and ground beef in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, garlic, basil, salt, oregano, and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Step 3

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 4

While the noodles are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 5

Mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, remaining 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined.

Step 6

Assemble lasagna: Spread a spoon or two of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish just to to coat it. Place two layers of noodles over the sauce to cover. Layer with 1/2 of the cheese mixture, 1/2 of the remaining sauce, and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once more using the remaining noodles, cheese mixture, sauce, and mozzarella. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Step 7

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until cheese is golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Step 8

Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.