Lasagna

This lasagna is full of rich and complex flavors....and unlike some lasagnas doesn't skimp on the cheese!  The creamy ricotta mixture is balanced with the rich sauce and topped with stretchy mozzarella!

Lasagna

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 to 2 lb. ground beef (a mix of beef, pork, and veal is good too)
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes (1 can drained of juices)
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup basil, julienned
• 1 package no-cook lasagna noodles
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
• 16 oz. cottage cheese
• 4 oz. goat cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cups Parmesan, grated, divided
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 lb. part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
• salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 8 - 10
Cook time: 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 350. 
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the meat and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until all liquid has evaporated, then deglaze with wine and cook until alcohol cooks off.  Add tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat, for about an hour, until thickened and the sauce is a deep, rich red. Make sure to break up the tomato chunks as the sauce simmers.  Add half the parsley, mix in, and turn off the heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, goat cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, the egg, the basil, the remaining parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.  
Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 X 12 rectangular casserole dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the part-skim mozzarella, half the ricotta mixture, and one 1/3 of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta,  the remaining part-skin mozzarella, the remaining ricotta mixture, and finally, the rest of the sauce.   Top with the sliced fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about an hour, until the sauce is bubbling.
This needs to be set aside for at least 30 minutes to set up before slicing into.