1 (15-ounce)containerricotta cheese or a combination of ricotta and cottage cheese (see note)
1largeegg
½teaspoondried basil
1tablespoonparsley flakes
½teaspoonsalt
¾cupshredded parmesan cheese
Noodles and Cheese:
4cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
9no-boil lasagna noodles (see note)
Instructions
For the sauce, in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground meat and onion until the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, dried basil, salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes.
For the filling, in a medium bowl mix the ricotta, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and Parmesan cheese.
To assemble the lasagna, lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Spread 1/2 cup or so of the sauce over the bottom into a thin layer. Layer as follows: 3 noodles, red sauce, creamy filling, mozzarella, 3 noodles, red sauce, creamy filling, mozzarella, 3 noodles, red sauce, remaining mozzarella. (Basically, all layers - the noodles, red sauce, mozzarella - are split into three layers and the creamy filling is divided among two layers.)
Cover with greased foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 20-30 minutes more until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Noodles: I use the Barilla or Target (whole wheat) brand of no-boil lasagna noodles with good success. You can certainly use regular lasagna noodles; boil them for 1-2 minutes less time than the package directions so they don't soften too much while baking.Updated June 2015:if you love the older version - the only changes are that I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes (keep them undrained if using diced) and I've cut down the tomato paste to make the lasagna a bit more saucy (the original recipe called for 12 ounces of tomato paste). Also, I know it's not traditional, but I usually use half ricotta cheese and half cottage cheese. It helps the filling stay creamier and not as dry - I use a cup of each when doing that.Freezable Meal: prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of lightly greased aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to about 40 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover and bake 30-40 minutes longer.