Lasagna al Forno Recipe

Cook noodles in a very large pan of boiling, salted water until almost tender: they will cook more in the oven, absorbing liquid from the sauce as the do, and if they are slightly under cooked at this point, they'll hold together better while you are assembling the dish. After draining the noodles, it can be helpful to spread them out on a towel or waxed paper, or submerge them in cold water.

Grease a 9"" X 13"" X 2 1/2"" baking dish. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom, and then a layer of noodles, lengthwise. Keep the best noodles for the top and use broken ones in the middle. Each layer of noodles should lie crosswise to the one below it.

On the layer of noodles, spread the first layer of filling: one half the cottage cheese, one third the nuts, one fourth of the Parmesan; then a coating of sauce. Layer the noodles again, then the spinach and most of the mozzarella, and sauce. More noodles, another cheese and nuts layer, and your prettiest noodles across the top. Add sauce and the rest of the nuts and cheese across the top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes (if your ingredients were hot, the shorter time will be enough); then let stand 10 minutes before cutting-otherwise it will be too runny to hold together, and too hot to eat.