I never use cottage cheese on my lasagna. It has too much moisture and will make it runny in my opinion.
I use ricotta, a whole tub, and mix it with two eggs and parsley and chill it for at least two hours before I spread it. For me, its a consistency thing...and drippage over the pan edges stinks.
I use one pound of hamburger and one pound of fresh Italian sausage.
I brown the hamburger with about 1/2 of a large sweet onion and about 5 decent sized garlic gloves, salt and pepper
I brown the sausage separately with fennel seed, fresh basil and marjoram and dried oregano and dried red pepper, salt and regular pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper.
For the sauce, I use one small can of tomato paste, and one large can (half drained) of stewed tomatoes that I puree in a processor. I then use one regular can of tomato sauce and water (after the meat is added.)
After the meat has drained, I add it to the sauce that is already cooking. When it has reached a boil and then simmered down now, for at least a half hour, I add confectioners sugar to taste. The amount always varies, but I usually end up around 3 teaspoons...and then let it simmer another 30 minutes or so.
I use Cremete regular lasagna noodles, and only two layers of noodles.
I only use a glass baking dish, 13x9. First a layer of sauce topped with the ricotta/egg mixture, then mozzarella (one regular bag for the whole deal) followed by dried parmesan. Then a noodle layer..making sure the noodles overlap by 1/3 of an inch. Then repeat, and repeat with just sauce and moz and parm on the top layer. The top layer has extra, extra, parm, but no ricotta.
I cook covered in tin foil for 45 minutes at 350. Then up to 400 for 15 minutes and most importantly let it set and cool for a good 20 minutes before cutting.
It is always so much better the next day, and the fennel just pops! in your mouth.
That's a new one on me............then again my Grams used to add sugar in her spaghetti, don't ask me why! LOL
