Linda (lyndaluu), thanks for "seconding" Malna's advice. It sounds like the cottage cheese will work and taste OK. LindaC, I'll save that list; it explains why I can handle butter but not the other stuff. Lars, I appreciate your advice. I've read your posts in the past about lactose intolerance, and I think you're right that we can handle some cheeses (especially the hard, aged types) better than milk per se. But, unlike you, I've found that I can't handle cream, either (maybe it's really the milk mixed with the cream, but I don't want to experiment!). It's not a problem at home, of course, but I've sometimes been in great "distress" immediately after a restaurant meal if I wasn't aware of milk in a brown gravy or thought I could disregard the small amount of cream in a sauce or the shredded parmesan topping on a salad. After you suffer the consequences a few times, you learn to be very cautious (I carry Lactaid tablets in my purse). I'm going to try SoyaKaas mozzarella-style substitute in my lasagna. I keep watching for other new products. There are so many lactose-intolerant people, you'd think there would be a huge market for these products, but so far, they mainly sell soy yogurt and lactose-free milk, cottage cheese, american cheese, and ice cream. I'm grateful that I can have grilled cheese and ice cream again, after years of abstaining, but I'd like to see many more types of cheeses and other products. Sue

I happened to catch Throwdown with Bobby Flay yesterday; it was lasagna. The judges reviews of his spin on lasagna had me drooling. It's seems very labor intensive, but I'm definitely going to try it one of these days. Lasagna Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2007 See this recipe on air Saturday May. 10 at 4:30 PM ET/PT. Bolognese Sauce: 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 pounds pork shanks (on the bone) 3 pounds beef shanks (on the bone) Salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 pound pancetta, finely diced 1 1/2 cups finely diced Spanish onion 1/2 cup finely diced carrot 1/2 cup finely diced celery 4 whole garlic cloves 1 cup dry red wine 3 cups homemade beef or chicken stock 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juices 4 fresh thyme sprigs 3 sprigs fresh rosemary 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley 1 cup tomato sauce, recipe follows Chopped fresh parsley leaves Chopped fresh basil leaves Ricotta Mixture 3 cups ricotta, strained in a cheesecloth lined strainer for at least 4 hours 2 large eggs 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Salt Freshly ground black pepper Tomato Sauce 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large Spanish onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves Bechamel (Mornay) Sauce 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 to 2 1/2 cups whole milk, heated Pinch freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup grated fontina cheese 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Assembly: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Bechamel Sauce 4 fresh sheets pasta, cooked for 2 to 3 minutes in boiling, salted water, drained or 1 pound lasagna noodles (cooked in boiling, salted water until slightly under al dente, about 5 minutes) Ricotta mixture Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Fresh basil leaves Bolognese Sauce For the Bolognese Sauce: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper, place in the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the shanks to a plate. Remove fat from the pan. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook until golden brown. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and lightly golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red wine, scrape the bottom of the pan and cook until completely reduced. Add the beef stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the shanks and 1/3 of the pancetta back to the pan, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Remove the shanks to a cutting board and when cool enough to handle, shred the meat into bite-size pieces and place in a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl. Place 3 cups of the cooking liquid into a large high-sided saute pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the liquid is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add the shredded meat and the remaining cooked pancetta to the pan along with 1 cup of the tomato sauce, parsley and basil and stir to combine and just heat through. For the Ricotta Mixture: Stir together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, basil, cheese and salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. For the Tomato Sauce: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to boil, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley and basil. For the Bechamel (Mornay) Sace: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the hot milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thickened and loses its raw flavor, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and whisk in the cheeses. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in some of the remaining milk. For Assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the butter. Ladle a thin layer of bechamel evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of pasta dough, cut to fit the inside of the pan on top of the bechamel and top the pasta with the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Spread a thin layer of bechamel over the ricotta, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves. Top with another layer of pasta and spread the meat mixture evenly over the top. Ladle an even layer of bechamel over the Bolognese mixture, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan and some basil leaves. Place the final layer of pasta dough over the meat mixture and ladle the bechamel over the top to completely cover the pasta and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of Parmesan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 25 to 35 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices and top with some of the tomato sauce, more grated cheese and chopped parsley and basil. Recipe Summary Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Here are three tried and true recipes from this forum. A meat lasagnas, a chicken lasagna and a veggie lasagna. All three are delish! Save yourself the headache of cooking the noodles and buy a good quality "no cook" noodle. A 9 X 13 will give you 9 3" X 4" squares. If you make different kinds you can cut the squares smaller and people will try some of each. Regardless I think you need at least two 9 X 13 pans for 15 people.....me, being me, would do 3! Leftovers are a good thing, running short is a nightmare! LOL Joey's Killer Lasagna 1 medium onion -- chopped 3 Tbl olive oil 1/2 Lb ground beef 1/2 Lb Italian sausage -- casings removed and broken up 1/2 Lb ground veal 2 Clove garlic -- minced 4 ounces mushrooms -- chopped 15 ounces tomato sauce 12 ounces tomato paste 1/2 Cup dry red wine 1/2 Cup water 1 Tsp oregano -- leaves 1 Tsp basil crushed 1 Tsp salt 1/2 Tsp pepper 1/2 Tsp sugar 8 ounces mozzarella cheese -- thinly sliced 1 Lb Ricotta cheese 1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese 12 ounces lasagna noodles Saute the chopped onion in the olive oil. Add and cook the ground meats, starting with the sausage, then the beef, then the veal.~ Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook. Drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, water, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer covered for 1-1/2 hours. Cook the lasagna noodles while sauce is simmering. Use 10 to 16 pieces depending on the width of the noodles. Drain, rinse, drain again. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.~ Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of the sauce. Layer: 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the Ricotta cheese (in dollops), 1/3 of the Mozzarella. Repeat twice more. Cover with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until bubbly. ALasagna Veggie - Ohiomom 16 Ozpackage of lasagna 2 Tblolive oil 1 medium onion chopped 3 large Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped 2 Cup fresh spinach 2 1/2 Cup portabello mushrooms sliced 4 Tbl butter 2 garlic cloves finely chopped 3 Cup white sauce 1 Cupgrated monterey jack cheese 1 Cup grated cheddar cheese Salt & Pepper White Sauce: 3 Cup of milk heated 4 Tbl butter 4 Tbl all purpose flour 1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese Salt & Pepper Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, stirring until blended, about one minute. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with whisk. Continue to whisk over low heat until sauce is smooth and slightly thick. Add parmesan cheese, salt & pepper to taste, stir for two minutes more. Set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet and saute onion. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside. Cook spinach in 1 cup of boiling water until wilted. Pour into strainer, press gently with wooden spoon to remove liquid. Stir spinach into tomato mixture.~ Heat 4 Tbsp. butter in skillet and add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms start to exude their juice, add garlic. Cook the mushroom mixture until all the liquids evaporate and mushrooms start to brown. Set aside. Mix the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses together.~ In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles for about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lightly butter the bottom of shallow baking dish.~ Pour about 1/2 cup of white sauce in bottom and arrange a layer of pasta.Cover with half mushroom mixture. Drizzle with white sauce. Sprinkle with a little cheese.~ Make another layer of pasta, spread with half of the tomato mixture. Drizzle with white sauce. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Repeat layers in same order. Top with a layer of pasta, remainder of white sauce and cheese. Chicken Lasagne (Scott) 9 Lasagna Noodles 1/4 Cup butter/margarine 8 Oz cups sliced fresh mushrooms 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 Tsp salt 1 Tsp lemon juice 1/4 Cup flour 2 Cup milk 2 whole chicken breasts or equivalent poached and cubed 1 Cup of the liquid you cooked the chicken in 1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley 15 Oz carton ricotta cheese 2 eggs 3 Cup chopped fresh broccoli 8 Oz cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese. Cook lasagne noodles, drain and rinse in hot water.~ In large saucepan, melt butter, add mushrooms, garlic salt and lemon juice. Saute mushrooms unitl tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour; blend well. Add milk and chicken juice; cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken and 1/3 cup parsley.~ Heat oven to 325. Mix Ricotta and parmesan cheese with beaten eggs. Layer 1/3 each noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, sauce and broccoli (for the top layer I do the broccoli then the mozzarella on top). Sprinkle with remaining parsley. Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.~

I still have a lot of CL magazines and tried to archive some of the favorites there, but they are not all easy to find. I was willing to look, but I'm glad Annie found it for you. I will have to go check it out and have it ready for spaghetti squash in our CSA. My family's favorite lasagna is a recipe I got when my oldest was in preschool and they were having a family night with lasagna instead of spaghetti and they gave everyone the same recipe to make. I was happy to see you did not precook the pasta. I had not made lasagna up to that point because I remembered how my mother struggled with the cooked noodles when she made it. To this day, I have not cooked lasagna noodles. It's fun to think about how we acquire some of our favorites.