Hearty Homemade Lasagna by Linda

Heat a large vessel over a moderate temperature to cook beef until it turns brown. Remove all excess fat from the cooking surface. Add an onion and continue to cook until it loses its translucency. Introduce tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar into the mixture. Stir until everything is well combined and cook over a moderate temperature until it starts boiling. Lower the heat to a low setting and let it simmer for 1 hour.

During this time, blend cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and an egg until it becomes smooth. Set it aside for later use.

Bring a large container of salted water to a boiling point. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until it reaches the desired level of doneness; then drain.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Place a layer of sauce at the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover this with 3 portions of noodles. Then, cover the noodles with one-third of the remaining sauce. Add half of the mozzarella cheese on top of this layer. Place another layer of noodles and one layer of sauce over the mozzarella; then add a layer of cottage cheese mixture on top. Cover this with 3 more noodles and the remaining sauce.

Bake the dish in your preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until it turns golden brown and bubbly.