Spicey Kale Lasagna

from A couple Cooks

I think this surprised Daniel as well how good this was. Could easily add meat like sausage or hamburger, but was great meatless. In the future I edited the recipe to include more tomatoes as I didn't think it didn't make enough sauce when I was making it. And we had fresh herbs on hand and I love them, so I threw them in as well. Definite do again. Especially as Daniel was happy about having it for lunch twice afterwards.

Spicy Kale Lasagna Serves about 8
What You Need 1 pound no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles (or noodles cooked according to the package instructions)
1 1/4 pounds kale (around 2 bunches, I used just 1 and it worked but 2 would probably be best) or substitute spinach
4 cups cottage cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese 
2 cups mozzarella cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
3 (14 oz cans) crushed tomatoes (with herbs, if available)
1 teaspoon lemon juice 
Fresh oregano, basil, rosemary, and/or thyme (optional)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do
1  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2  Prepare the kale: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Remove the stems from the kale. Boil the kale for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Using a towel, wring out as much water as possible from the kale. Chop it and season with salt and pepper.

3  Make the tomato sauce: Meanwhile, dice 3 cloves garlic. In a cold saucepan, combine garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to medium high heat, stirring as the mixture heats up. Saute for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs if desired. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

4  Make the filling: Strain out all liquid from the 4 cups cottage cheese (squeeze it in a strainer, if necessary). Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.

5  Assemble the lasagna: Place a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of noodles, then half of the cheese mixture, half of the kale, and half of the remaining sauce. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese, and the remaining kale. Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan.

6  Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving to absorb some of the liquid.