• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 9 lasagna noodles–uncooked
• 1-cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, optional (large curd cottage cheese holds up to the heat of the oven better than ricotta)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. PREHEAT oven to 375°. Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. 
2. BROWN the beef and drain if necessary. Add the water, sauce, and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid to avoid splattering. 
3. SPRAY an 11×7 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 
4. COMBINE the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.
5. SPREAD one side of each of the uncooked lasagna noodles with the ricotta or cottage cheese and set the “frosted” noodles aside. 
6. LAYER the ingredients: Use about 1/4 of the sauce, then 3 noodles and about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Repeat.
7. ADD the last layer of sauce. Gently shake the pan so the sauce coats the noodles and then sprinkle the final layer of cheese over the pan. 
8. SPRAY a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and tightly cover the lasagna.
9. COVER with foil and bake for 50 minutes. 
10. TEST for doneness by using a fork and knife to remove a small piece of pasta from the center of the pan and taste it for tenderness. Bake for additional time if needed. 
11. SET the lasagna aside to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.