Spinach lasagna 

Ingredients

1 box lasagna noodles 

1 16 oz. container cottage cheese 

1 cup Parmesan cheese 

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed 

1/4 cup sour cream 

1 large jar tomato/spaghetti sauce 

1/2 tbsp. minced garlic 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

1 tsp. garlic powder 

1/2 tbsp. basil 

1 cup water 

dash salt 

dash pepper 

Instructions 

To begin, you will need a class casserole dish—about 13×9 works well. Before continuing, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and sour cream; stir until blended. Meanwhile, pour the frozen spinach into a microwavable bowl and heat for three to four minutes until defrosted; add to the cheese mixture and stir together. Add the majority of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the mix, leaving some for the top of the lasagna—though you can always shred more later if you prefer to add more to the mixture now. 

Season the mixture with the minced garlic, garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir well, evenly combining the mixture ingredients. 

Next, pour a few heaping tablespoons of the tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Layer five to six lasagna noodles on top, covering the sauce. Spoon half of the lasagna filling mixture atop the noodles; spread evenly. Top with a few more spoonfuls of sauce and spread evenly again. Repeat this layering combination one more time, using the rest of the filling mixture. 

Finish the layers with one last layer of noodles, using the rest of the box. Pour the rest of the sauce over the last layer, spreading evenly to cover the noodles. Top the lasagna with the last of the shredded cheese and about half a cup of parmesan, adding more of either as desired—the cheesier the better! For final touches and taste, sprinkle additional garlic powder and basil on top. 

Before inserting the completed lasagna into the oven, pour about one cup of water inside the lasagna around its exterior border and top to add juices and allow the noodles to bake. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven—once preheated. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The lasagna will bubble with juices when done. Enjoy with garlic bread, salad, or by itself! 

Commentary

When I lived at home, lasagna was one of my favorite homemade things we ate, so when I moved away for college, I was determined to figure out how to master it. I remembered watching my mom make it at home many times and how simple it was, as well as how few ingredients or effort it really took. I was extremely excited when I figured out how to put it together, especially when I was able to make mine just as good if not better than the ones I ate growing up! 

This was only my second time making lasagna, as the first time was almost a year ago, at which time I had originally just found a recipe online and tweaked it. Since then, I had forgotten how I made it, so I just threw together what I could remember went into it, making my own personal additions—such as the seasonings and sour cream. 

I made this late one night because it simply sounded good, so I put it together and it didn’t take long at all. If you think you can’t cook or bake well, trust me that this is a very delicious and simplistic recipe anyone can master—and make it his/her own! There are many variations to lasagna, though this is just a simple cheese-spinach one. If you want to switch-up your recipe, try adding various vegetables or a combination of multiple cheeses and see what works for you! 

I hope you enjoy this healthy Italian meal for your dinner or even leftovers, as it saves great for days as well!