Don's Special LasagnaSauce

1 tablespoon olive oil1 small onion, chopped1 garlic clove, minced1 pound 95 percent lean ground beef2 cups water2 cans (16 ounces each) plum tomatoes (with juice) pureed1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled (or 1 tablespoon fresh) 1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper (or to taste)Lasagna1 cup freshly grated Romano or parmesan cheese12 ounces dried lasagna noodles, uncooked2 cups 1 percent cottage cheese, drained (or 16 ounces reduced-fat ricotta cheese)16 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (3 fat grams per ounce), gratedFor the sauce: Place a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. When it is hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up with the edge of a spoon, until it loses its pink color.Stir in water, pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and pepper; reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Set aside. (The sauce may be prepared in advance and refrigerated.)Place the oven rack in the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.To assemble the lasagna: Spread one-fourth of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-11-by-3-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with one-fourth of the Romano cheese. Place four of the uncooked noodles over the cheese (do not overlap; give them room to expand). Spread one-third of the cottage cheese or ricotta and one-third of the mozzarella cheese over the noodles. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the sauce and Romano. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the pasta is soft and the top is lightly browned. Serve immediately.Serves eight.Cook's notes: In this recipe, the noodles do not need to be cooked before assembling the lasagna. Use regular lasagna noodles; they will absorb the sauce and cook in the oven. Do not use "no boil" noodles. If there is any liquid on the surface of the ricotta, pour it off before spreading it on the lasagna.Nutrition values per serving: 480 calories (29.9 percent from fat), 15.9 g fat (8.8 g saturated fat), 45 g carbohydrates, 3.3 g fiber, 40.2 g protein, 104 mg cholesterol, 1,236 mg sodium.SaltSense: Using no-salt-added tomatoes reduces the sodium to 841 mg per serving.