The Last Lasagna You'll Ever Eat

OK, folks. It's time. Time for me to give you the only lasagna recipe that you'll ever need. It's the only lasagna I eat. When Mom makes it, there's nothing better. I don't know where she found the recipe, but I'm so happy that she did.

I hardly ever cook with meat, but I have a deep love for anything wrapped in butcher paper. I just love it! It's so personal. You ask for a specific item from the person behind the counter. They weigh it exactly to your request and wrap it up nicely in crisp, fresh butcher paper. Human interaction at it's best!

Lasagna is quite a beautiful food with it's variety of colors and layers.

Cottage cheese is a great alternative for those who don't like the traditional ricotta cheese in their lasagna. In this house, we prefer the cottage.

This is my mom's favorite part, sprinkling the mozzarella. I let her do this step because it's the most fun. ;)

I deal with the piping hot lasagna noodles. It's hard to find a happy medium with these noodles. They are the most cooperative when they are just out of the boiling water, but they are hotter than blazes. If you let them cool down, then they stick together and tear. What are you gonna do?

I should have gotten a bigger slice!

Mom's Lasagna

• 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil or 1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1-16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1-12 oz. can of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup dry red wine (Mom uses Ernest & Julio's Hearty Burgundy.)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 lb. mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Directions:

Brown sausage and beef together in a large skillet. Half way through browning, add garlic. Once fully browned, add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, salt, and basil; simmer for 20 minutes uncovered. Mix eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper together in a separate bowl and set aside. In a 9x13 inch casserole dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom to prevent noodles from sticking to the dish. Next add a layer of lasagna noodles, then cottage cheese mixture, then mozzarella cheese, then meat, then lasagna...and repeat until the last layer of noodles has been added. Top off with a layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake @ 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.