addenda to the lasagna recipe

A question has arisen as to the possibility of increasing the ingredients slightly so as to fit into a 9x13 pan, which is a more common size than 7x11. Yes, I've actually done such a thing; some of the jars of pasta sauce now come in a larger size (4 cups instead of 3, I think - an increase of, let's see: 33 1/3 %, right?), so add that much (or so) of the other ingredients; e. g., 22 oz. of cottage cheese (the usual next larger size), 2 or 3 more lasagna noodles (or the equivalent in other forms), about 2/3 cup more of mozzarella & a titch more parmesan.

Also, I neglected to mention adding meat: I add "some" browned ground beef if I have eaters who don't want the vegetarian version. For awhile, I would have that available "on the side," but my gourmet son, Brad, said that that "just doesn't do it, Mom," so generally make two panfuls of lasagana, one with meat, one w/o.

Enjoy!

Easy but tasty Lasagna with or without lasagna noodles

1 jar (28 oz.) pasta sauce, any brand, choice of styles (with meat, with mushrooms, etc.) I choose the traditional w/o meat.

Enough UNCOOKED pasta (curly noodles, e. g., or even six lasagna noodles if you prefer & have some on hand) to make two layers in a 11"x7" baking dish.

15 oz. cottage cheese ( I use fat-free)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided to be added at 2 different times

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Spread about 1 cup pasta sauce in a 2-qt. shallow baking dish (11"x7"). Top with a layer of noodles, the cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese, & 1 cup pasta sauce. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining pasta sauce, spreading the sauce so no pasta is exposed (curly noodles required a bit more sauce, as they stuck up). Cover (I use aluminum foil as I don't have an "official" cover). Bake at 375 deg. F. for 1 hr. Uncover and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Let stand 5 minutes (not necessary to put it back into the oven). 6 servings.

One of the several great features of this recipe is that you don't cook the noodles, thus eliminating the dirtying of another pan. Another is the joy you'll feel if you have leftovers for the next day.

Word for today - INTEGUMENT

INTEGUMENT: a natural covering, as a skin, shell, or rind.

Used in an ordinary sentence: When I see pictures on t-v of wriggling bugs, it absolutely makes my integument crawl.

Some of you may wonder if I sit down with a dictionary & choose words to feature; au contraire! The words I share are ones that have come up in my reading or in a crossword, ones that I have had to look up for my own understanding. I like to think I'm saving you the trouble of having to look up these useful words.