Lasagna Casserole

This is as quick as you want it to be.  You can make your own sauce, or, use the bottled.  I have done both and gotten good results.  The original recipe called for cottage cheese, but, nothing beats ricotta in Italian food.  So here goes.

This is good and fast.  I like to make my own sauce now.  It is really easy and I think it taste better.  If I use a bottle, we have always preferred Prego.  To make mine, you just need a little olive oil in bottom of you pot.  Get that medium and add fresh (or bottled) minced garlic.  Let that go for about 1 min.  I then add mild Italian sausage (casing removed) and let that cook until all pink is gone.

After the garlic has cooked for about 1 min., I add 1 T. of Italian seasoning and mild Italian sausage (casing removed) and let that cook until no longer pink.  Remove 1/2 and put in a bowl.

I then add one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and let that simmer for about 20 min.  You can see in my pot that it reduced and the flavor concentrated.  To the bowl with half the sausage, I add a container of ricotta cheese, about 2 c. of shredded mozzarella, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, and 1 egg.  Mix to combine.

Put a little of your tomato sauce in the bottom of your 9 x 13 to cover.

Put your pasta next (I had shells in the pantry), then half of the cheese mixture fallowed by half of your sauce.  Sprinkle both mozzarella and Parmesan, and then do it all over again.

Finish it with a sprinkling of cheeses then into a 350 oven.

Cook for about 30 min. done.

It is always good and even faster with bottled sauce.  For a salad, I always use Romain, red onion, black olives, cucumber, hard salami if you have it (I didn't have it this time) and Paul Newman's Italian.  This salad rocks (don't forget extra Parmesan on it too).  

My husband and kids even like the leftovers. = )

Enjoy!