Lazy Lasagne

This Jane spends a lot of time cooking out of a trailer for a large host of fairly traditional food connoisseurs. This recipe wins them and my family on a regular basis.

1.5 lbs. mild sausage (casings removed, browned and drained)

1 16 oz. carton of low-fat cottage cheese

1.5 lbs. grated mozzarella cheese

1 box NO-COOK lasagne noodles (I like Barilla--in the blue box)

(plan A - kind-of from scratch sauce)

2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

5-7 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1 tbl. olive oil

a palmful of sugar

1 tbl. oregano

1 tbl. basil

(plan B  - your choice of bottled spaghetti sauce)

Heat oven to 350. 

While the sausage is browning, I heat the olive oil and crush the garlic (PLAN A ONLY). I open the cans of crushed tomatoes and add the sugar, basil and oregano. Cook the garlic in the oil for just a few seconds (it will smell fragrant) and add the canned goods. When the sausage is done, I add it to the sauce (plan A or B). Add the cottage cheese for one big pot of flavor. Total sauce simmering time is about 15 minutes.

In a 9x13 pan, spread some of the sauce on the bottom and begin the layering process. Noodles, sauce, grated mozzarella cheese. Do this until your pan is full or you run out of something. Cheese should end up on the top. Spray PAM on a piece of foil and cover the pan (so the cheese doesn't stick). Cook for 45 minutes.