American Lasagna (Ricotta or Cottage Cheese)
Easy American lasagna, made with Italian sausage and cottage cheese, is a delicious take on a traditional lasagna recipe. Delicious, easy, layers of cheese -what's not to love?
Servings: 12 pieces
Calories: 509kcal
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
- 24 oz Cottage Cheese
- 3 Eggs
- 4 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese divided
- 48 oz Pasta Sauce divided
- 16 oz Regular Lasagna Noodles uncooked
- Chopped Fresh Parsley optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to preheat.
- Brown the Sausage: Place 1 lb of ground Italian sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the sausage is thoroughly browned then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Prepare the Cheese Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine 24 oz of cottage cheese, 3 eggs, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir well until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Set bowl aside.
- Layer the Lasagna: Take a deep 9x13 inch baking dish and spread 1 cup of pasta sauce evenly across the bottom (This helps pasta from drying out and sticking). Place a single layer of uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, breaking some noodles if necessary to ensure the entire pan bottom is fully covered.
- Add the Filling: Over the uncooked noodles, add another 1 cup of pasta sauce, followed by half of the browned sausage, half of the prepared cheese mixture, and another 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat Layers: Add another layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the same sequence of 1 cup of pasta sauce, the remaining half of the sausage, the remaining half of the cheese mixture, and 1 more cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Final Layer: Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles and spread the remaining pasta sauce over the top.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Add Final Cheese Layer: After 1 hour, remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Return the lasagna to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese on top is completely melted and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows it to set and makes slicing easier. Serve hot, optionally garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
Variation - If you want to use Ricotta cheese over cottage cheese, combine 30 oz. of Ricotta with 2 eggs, mix well and substitute in all places that mention cottage cheese in recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 509kcal