Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 2 cups (500 mL) homemade tomato sauce
- 2 pounds (1 kg) ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Spinach Filling
- 1 litre cottage cheese
- 1 (500 g) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly strained
- 4 eggs
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Assembly
- 1/2 cup homemade tomato sauce
- Prepared Meat Filling
- Prepared Spinach Filling
- 650 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 16 lasagna noodles, cooked
Instructions
- Prepare Meat Filling: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat with minced garlic, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the beef has cooked through, measure 4 cups of the cooked beef mixture and combine it with 2 cups of homemade tomato sauce in a bowl. Stir well, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Prepare Spinach Filling: Place the thawed frozen chopped spinach inside a thick tea towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. In a large bowl, mix the drained spinach with the cottage cheese, eggs, and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper. Stir until fully combined and set aside.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread 1/2 cup of homemade tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of an 11 x 13 inch casserole pan. Lay down 4 cooked lasagna noodles to cover the sauce. Sparsely spread 1 cup of the prepared meat sauce over the noodles, then top with another 4 noodles. On this second layer, spread about 1 1/4 cups of the meat sauce, then add an even layer of sliced mozzarella cheese. Continue with a third layer of noodles, using half-pieces if necessary to fit, then spread the entire spinach and cottage cheese mixture over this layer. Add a final layer of noodles. Top with 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce spread thinly over the noodles. If your pan allows, add another layer of noodles and remaining meat sauce. Finally, cover the top with generous slices of mozzarella cheese.
- To Freeze (Optional): Wrap the assembled, unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap. Label and date, then freeze. When ready to bake from frozen, place in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the lasagna is hot, bubbly, and the cheese is golden. Tent loosely with foil if the cheese browns too quickly.
- To Bake (If Not Frozen): Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the lasagna, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it’s hot throughout and the cheese on top is just starting to brown. Tent with foil during baking if needed to prevent over-browning.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This helps the layers set, making for cleaner servings.
- Storing Leftovers: For leftovers, slice into portions, wrap each piece well, label, and freeze. Lasagna reheats easily in the microwave or oven and tastes freshly baked even after freezing.
Notes
- Double the recipe to freeze one lasagna for later—great for busy weeks or gifting.
- A large box of lasagna noodles is usually enough for a double batch.
- Leftover individual pieces freeze and reheat well, making convenient lunches.
- Tent foil over the lasagna while baking if the cheese is browning too quickly.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main-course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Canadian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10th of lasagna)
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 860mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
