Lasagna is delicious, but it can be expensive and then there's lots of leftovers. It reheats great, but what if you don't really want to eat 12 servings of lasagna.
I wanted to make just enough for my husband and me. I bring him dinner on most Wednesday nights at work, and this is perfect to make and take. Also, I usually have all of these ingredients when I make pizza or spaghetti.
No boil noodles are great. My sauce is this easy arrabiata, so it has kick. I only had about 1 cup left. Perfect for two. I cooked a small amount of ground turkey with Italian sausage seasoning. I like provolone as well as mozzarella. And I make it all in a bread loaf pan.
Usually I would mix my meat and sauce in a bowl, but why make a new dish. 
I mixed 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1/2 t Italian seasoning and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. 
I grated 2 ounces each of provolone and mozzarella and tossed it right on the cutting board with a little more Parmesan. 
All it takes is three noodles, and I snap 1/3 of the length off each to fit in my pan. Waste not, the pieces equal a fourth noodle. 
After spraying the loaf pan I add 1/4 of the sauce. 
Then a noodle and cottage cheese mix then grated cheese then sauce. 
Repeat for three layers. (Noodle, cottage, cheese, sauce, noodle, cottage, cheese, sauce, noodle)
Top with the last of the sauce and more grated cheese. Spray some foil so it will come off the cheese. Tightly wrap the pan.
Place it in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes. Rotate it half way if you think if it.
After 30 minutes remove the foil. Bake or broil for 15 minutes or until the top cheese is melted and a little browned. Watch it! Don't burn it. And just like kids, every oven is different.
Remove it to cool and let it rest. Please please rest your lasagna. It is more likely to cut if you let it cool down. Leftover lasagna is the proof.
Cut in half and serve!
Just the Recipe…
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 c marinara or pasta sauce
- 4 oz cooked ground meat (preferably with Italian seasoning)
- 1 c cottage cheese, or ricotta, or sour cream. It really does work too.
- 1 egg
- 3/4 c grated Parmesan, divided
- 1/2 t Italian seasoning
- 4 oz grated cheese, mozzarella and provolone, or whatever you like
- 3 no boil lasagna noodles, 1/3 snapped off and reserved
- Non stick spray
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray.
- Mix meat and sauce, set aside.
- Mix cottage cheese, egg, 1/2 c Parmesan, and Italian seasoning, set aside.
- Grate cheese and toss with remaining 1/4 c Parmesan. Set aside.
- Spread 1/4 c sauce in pan. *Place one snapped noodle on top. Spread 1/3 cottage cheese mixture then 1/4 grated cheese then 1/4 c sauce. Repeat twice from *
- Top with final noodle or the combined 3 snapped noodle, last 1/4 c sauce and 1/4 of the grated cheese. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through cooking.
- Remove foil carefully and broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or continue baking for 15, or until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Check often.
- Remove and let rest on a cooking rack for 15 minutes. Cut and serve.
manageable mess 