Please advise - iso simple lasagne recipe

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

Hi, I have never made lasagne before, becasue my family didn't like it. now they say they like it (they have it in school for lunch sometimes and dh is also willing to try).
so, I am looking for the most basic lasagne recipe that anyone has to offer, no vegs please, just noodles, sauce adn cheese please.

two more questions: 1) do I need to boil the noodles first, or can I just use any lasagne noodles and use them without boiling.?
also, 2) can I use sour cream instead of cottage cheese ( I think my local pizza store uses sour cream) because I have a ton of sour cream left over from Pesach?

TIA

Very easy. Just assemble and bake. No cooking of noodles necessary.

9 -12 regular, uncooked lasagna noodles
16 oz. cottage cheese
26 oz. marinara sauce
2 eggs
21 - 24 oz. shredded cheese
1 cup water

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Mix cottage cheese, marinara sauce and eggs. Set aside.
Place 3 noodles in pan, spread about one third the pink sauce (cheese/sauce/eggs mix), and sprinkle with one bag shredded cheese. Repeat twice layering noodles, pink sauce, and shredded cheese each time.
Pour water around pan. Cover tightly, bake at 350 approx 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake an additional 40 minutes.

You can probably use half sour cream and half cottage cheese.
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Really Awesome Mom!

Active Poster Joined: Aug 31 2011 Posts: 96

I never boil the noodles. I put a little pasta sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then a layer of noodles. I mix cottage cheese with pasta sauce and put that on top of the noodles and then sprinkle some shredded pizza cheese on top. I repeat this 2 or 3 times. On the top layer of noodles I only put sauce and shredded cheese. I then pour a little milk (maybe 1/2 cup in total) in all 4 corners of the pan. Cover tightly and bake on 350 for 1 1/2 hours (sometimes longer)

As for using sour cream, I can't answer as I never tried. I do have a good recipe for pancakes that calls for sour cream if you are interested.

Good Luck!

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

thank you ra-mom. sounds good.

wow, that s a lot of shreedded cheese! no wonder it is so fattening. so you don't think I should do all sour cream? (btw, thanks for taking the time to answer all of my questions! you are very thoughtful).

also, is marinara sauce the same thing as canned tomato sauce (that's what I have in my cabinet right now and I have never used marainara sauce before!)

thanks cmommy I just saw your post too! and while we are talking sour cream do you have any other ideas how to use mine up?!

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

thanks! how many people does a 9 x13 serve would you say?

Active Poster Joined: Aug 31 2011 Posts: 96

marinara sauce is thicker than tomato sauce.

Here is the pancake recipe. I think I got it from The Dairy Gourmet cookbook

1 1/2 c. flour
3 Tablespoon sugar
2 teas. baking powder
1 1/2 teas. kosher salt
1/2 C. sour cream
3/4 C. plus 1 Tablespoon milk
2 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
1/4 C. Chocolate chips (optional)

Whisk wet ingredients together. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined - there should be lumps.

Heat frying pan. (I use a teflon pan so I don't need to use butter or oil) Once hot, pour batter. ( I have a large square pan, so I make 4 small pancakes at a time. I find it easier to flip that way) Let set. When the batter starts to bubble, you know it is time to flip over to the other side.

My kids love this recipe. It yields about 16 small pancakes - 4 servings.

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

Thank you so much for your help ra-mom and cmommy! I really appreciate it.

These lasagna recipes are too complicated for me. I just layer noodles (uncooked), sauce, cottage cheese (1/2 lb), noodles, sauce, shredded cheese (1/2 bag-4 oz). repeat once. add 1/2-3/4 cup water. cover tightly and bake 1 hour or so. (as I have to double wrap for my oven, I usually bake for 2 hours).

I would not use sour cream instead of cottage cheese. Though maybe I might try mixing some of the sour cream into the cottage cheese.
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Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

thanks shanie5, yours is the easiest so far! now I just have to decide which nice ladies' recipe I will use.

Gold Member Joined: Sep 13 2010 Posts: 2116

cheese mixture: full fat cottage cheese, 1 egg, pinch salt, pinch oregano, package spinich if desired.

layer a pan with:

marinara sauce
lasagna noodles
cheese mixture

repeat

then put a layer of noodle, a layer of sauce, 1 package of shredded mozzerella cheese.

bake covered till done.

Easier still.

Place a little sauce at the bottom of a pan.

Layer noodles.

Add sauce to cover (thinly), piles of ricotta (or cottage cheese) here and there, then shredded cheese. Do another layer. Final layer is noodles, sauce, Parmesan.

As to sour cream, food.com allows you to search for recipes by ingredient.

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

Thanks ysmommy and barbara! I am really looking forward to my maiden attem;pt at cooking lasagne now! barbara, I never heard of food.com before, thank you for hte tip!

Silver Member Joined: Apr 26 2010 Posts: 983 Location: NJ

Here's one more version- so easy & so yummy.
1 jar marinara (if all you have is tomato sauce prob about 2 15oz cans)
1 container cottage cheese(1lb- whipped works best)
1 box uncooked lasagna noodles (regular-NOT the no-boil ones)
1 bag shredded cheese

put thin layer of marinara on bottom of 9x13. mix remaining marinara, cottage & 1/2 the cheese. layer noodles (3 per layer-no need to break them)& sauce mixture until you run out (usually 5-6 layers) ending with sauce. sprinkle with rest of cheese. add aprox 1/2 cup water to the side of the pan (if you use tomato sauce you prob need a little less). cover tightly and bake at 350F for 90min. Let stand for 10 min before serving.
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Senior Member Joined: Apr 28 2009 Posts: 247

9 x 13 pan
uncooked lasagne noodles
1 large can Don Pepinos pizza sauce (or Spegetti sauce) I think it is a 20 oz. can
1 large container of Cottege Cheese (I use fat free) I think it is 1 lb

put water in the bottom of pan (thin layer)
Place the noodles
Mix half of the Cottege cheese and sauce as on top of the noodles
Layer with Noodles
Cottege cheese and sauce on top of the noodles
Layer with noodles
Sauce

I add a can of mushrooms, you can add cheese

Cover tight and cook for 2 hours 350 it tastes best if you cook, Fridge and then reheat next day to serve

Gold Member Joined: Feb 08 2012 Posts: 1041 Location: USA

thanks again ladies! is one package of lasagne noodles really enough for a 9 x 13?

Senior Member Joined: Apr 28 2009 Posts: 247

I usually use 9 pieces per 9x13, I think I get 2 lasganas out of a box of noodles.