Sally Overbeck's Lasagna

It looks like another storm is headed for the northeast. Since we may spend another couple of days snow bound, I thought it would be great to share recipe for a dish that would help warm the house as well as fill the stomach. Thanks Sally for sharing!!

SALLY’S TO DIE FOR LASAGNA

(makes enough for 6-8 people)

o 1 ½ lbs of hot Italian sausage, cooked and ground
o 1 big can of tomato paste
o one 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
o 2 to 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic
o 2 T. of anise or fennel seed
o 1/3 cup fresh basil
o one 24 oz. container of small curd cottage cheese
o 2 to 3 eggs
o ½ cup of parmesan cheese
o black pepper
o ½ cup fresh parsley
o 1 lb. of mozzarella cheese, sliced thin or shredded
o enough lasagna pasta to make three layers

Cook the sausage, drain and rinse with water (rinsing is optional, but it cuts down on the fat and doesn't seem to affect the flavor).

Add the fennel or anise seed, any other hot seasoning that you want, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes. simmer for 30 minutes or more.

Add the minced garlic and fresh basil when you're through simmering.

At the same time you can be cooking the pasta, and making the cottage cheese mixture.

Start by stirring the eggs into the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley and enough pepper to that you can see it when mixed.

Butter a 9x13 inch glass or aluminum pan (I usually make a recipe and a half and use a 10"x 15" pan). Pans of 3 inch depth are preferred. Spread a layer of pasta, then a layer of cottage cheese, then meat sauce, then mozzarella. Layer the pasta in the opposite direction for the second layer and continue. For the last layer, put the mozzarella under the meat sauce because the cheese tends to burn if you leave it on top.

You can cook it right away at 350 degrees for one hour (or longer for larger ones or ones that have been in the fridge). Let sit for 10 or 15 minutes outside of the oven before cutting and serving.

- Sally Oberbeck