The Perfect Lasagna

Okay, guys, tonight I am attempting the near impossible. Roughly four years ago I made lasagna for dinner one night when some of John's friends were over. It was proclaimed by all three of them to be the most perfect lasagna EVER. I really have no idea how I did it as I used a combination of my mom's recipe and John's mom's recipe, along with that spaghetti sauce I made two nights ago.

Since I was making the sauce, I have decided to give the perfect lasagna another go. I had both recipes out in front of me trying to figure out how I would have done it. I guess I won't know if I got it until after we eat. So since I don't know which it will be, I figured I would post both recipes and then if the one I made ends up being perfect, I'll post it with my review. So, my MIL's first since it's on the computer and my mom's is a hard copy.

Mother-in-Law's Lasagna Recipe
6 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz Lasagna pasta
4 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups mozarella cheese
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 tab parsley
salt pepper to taste
Italian spices to taste (basil, oregano, garlic powder)
Meatballs, cooked
Italian sausage, cooked

Cook Lasagna pasta / drain well
Mix ricotta cheese, mozzerela cheese, parmesan cheese, egs, parsley for filling
Layer in a 13 by 9 in pan (the deeper the better!)
Sauce, pasta, cheese filling etc.
Top layer is sauce /mozarella cheese and a few meatballs and suasages placed on top.
Bake covered 30 minutes.
Uncover .
Bake 10 minutes more.
Let set 10 minutes then serve.

*****

Mom's Lasagna Recipe
1/2 lb lasagna noodles
2 Tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
2-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp rosemary or sweet basil
1 Tbsp minced parsley
2 cans tomato paste
1-1/2 paste cans hot water
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint cottage cheese or 1/2 lb ricotta cheese
1/2 lb mozarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Cook noodles in salted water, drain. Heat oil in skillet; saute garlic and onion until soft. Add beef and seasonings and cook until crumbly. Add tomato paste and hot waer and simmer 15 minutes. Set aside.

Blend eggs with cottage cheese in bowl. In a 9x13 pan put a thin layer of suace, half the noodles, all the cottage cheese and egg mixture, and 1/2 the mozzarella and half the meat sauce; on top layer place rest of noodles, remainder of sauce and mozzarella cheese. Spinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, in 350 oven for 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

*****

Okay, so I'm doing the meatball/sausage topping from John's mom's recipe, only I will used soy/veggie meatballs and sausage. My parents are eating with us tonight, so I'll report back on what everyone thought and how exactly I ended up making it.