ingredients
meat sauce
▢1 pound lean ground beef
▢1 large white onion diced
▢2 cloves garlic minced
▢15 ounces pasta sauce or tomato sauce
▢28 ounces canned whole tomatoes with juices
▢1 teaspoon sugar
▢1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
▢1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, more for garnish if desired
other
▢12 ounces medium pasta such as rotini or penne
▢1 cup sour cream
▢1 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
▢1 egg
▢¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
▢½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
▢1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded, or more to taste
instructions
Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a large deeps skillet until no pink remains. Drain fat.
Break up the canned tomatoes with your hands. Add (including the juices) to the ground beef along with pasta sauce, sugar, and Italian seasoning.
Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in half of the parsley, taste, and season with salt & pepper.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, do not rinse.
Mix sour cream, cottage cheese, egg, basil, remaining parsley, and grated parmesan cheese in a small bowl.
Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
Layer half of the pasta, top with all sour cream mixture, the remaining pasta and the meat sauce.
Top with mozzarella cheese and cover.
Bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
