Mom Emerson's Lasagna

Please feel free to send me your recipes and I will be more than happy to add them to the Perez, Party of Eight Recipe collection!

1 Pkg. No Cook Lasagna Noodles (my mother would have been ecstatic had they come out with these while she was still living)
2 C. Shredded Parmesean Cheese
4 C. Shredded Mozarella
2 large cans Tomato Puree
1/4 C. Italian Seasoning (if you use the dried pre-mixed kind) OR basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion salt
1/8 C. Sugar
2 lbs. Ground Beef (lean)
1 small/medium yellow onion
1 T. minced garlic
1 container Ricotta (optional)

Brown ground beef adding onion at the end just until tender (rinse any excess fat/grease)
Add Tomato puree and then fill each can about 1/2 to 3/4 full and add water, add spices, garlic, sugar and mix well.

Smear about 1/2 C. of sauce on the bottom of a glass or metal lasagna pag (spray with Olive Oil PAM if you wish to prevent sticking).
Layer the no-cook lasagna noodles to cover the bottom of the pan, layer the noodles with 1. Sauce (thin layer), parmesean, mozarella (making sure you save enough of these to spread on at least two more layers).

Layer more noodles and follow the above steps for as many layers as you can fit. Save the majority of your mozarella for the top of the lasagna.

If you wish to add ricotta spread this on the noodles before the sauce for each layer.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 40 minutes, remove the foil and let the cheese get golden for approximately another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting/serving.

Serve with garlic bread (we love Cole's Texas Toast or Peppridge Farm mozarella garlic bread)
and a vegetable salad with non or low fat Italian dressing.

Makes about 10 servings