Easy Lasagna

Ingredients

• 12 ounces lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato paste
• 0.5 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 0.25 teaspoon ground pepper
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (15 ounce) container light ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese, drained
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 0.25 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (1 ounce)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. For sauce, cook ground beef, onion, carrot, and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, the water, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain well; set aside.
3. Lightly coat a 2-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. For cheese filling, stir together the egg and ricotta (or cottage) cheese in a small bowl.
4. Layer three noodles in the prepared baking dish. Spread with one-third of the cheese filling. Top with one-third of the sauce and one-third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with Parmesan (or Romano).
5. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with basil.