Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 24 oz small-curd smooth-and-creamy cottage cheese 4%
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 12  lasagna noodles uncooked
• 1 pound ground beef lean
• 0.5 cup onion finely chopped
• 0.5 cup pesto refrigerated
• 16 oz ricotta cheese 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 10 oz mozzarella cheese shredded divided
• 48 oz tomato-and-basil pasta sauce 

Equipment

• frying pan
• oven
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 37
2. Prepare noodles according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, stir together cottage cheese and next 4 ingredients. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
4. Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 6 to 7 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in pasta sauce.
5. Layer 1 cup beef mixture, 3 noodles, and 2 1/2 cups cottage cheese mixture in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 2 cups beef mixture, and 3 more noodles. Top with remaining cottage cheese mixture, 3 noodles, and beef mixture.
6. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake, covered, at 375 for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes or until cheese is browned.
8. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
9. Note: Freeze unbaked lasagna up to 3 months. To bake, thaw in refrigerator 24 hours.
10. Let stand 30 minutes; bake as directed. We tested with Classico Di Napoli Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce and both LeGrand Garden Pesto and Buitoni Reduced Fat Pesto with Basil.