Meatball Lasagna

Make the meatballs: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands until everything is combined. Avoid overmixing as this can make your meatballs tough. Roll mixture into 3/4- to 1-inch diameter balls.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom. When oil is hot, add meatballs and fry until golden brown on the outside and just cooked through. Do not crowd the pan; do this in two batches if necessary. Remove meatballs; set aside.

Make the tomato sauce: In another large skillet (large enough to hold both tomato sauce and meatballs), heat a couple of generous glugs of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add garlic, onions, bay leaf, and parsley stems, and sauté until onions are soft. Add dried oregano and paprika, and fry, stirring for one minute.

Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, and another swirl of olive oil; stir. Simmer uncovered until reduced slightly and thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add cooked meatballs to tomato sauce and toss gently to coat meatballs. Cover pan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, checking to make sure that nothing is sticking. If it looks too dry, add a bit of hot water. You want your sauce fairly runny if you are using ready to cook noodles (as these will absorb some of the liquid as they cook). Take off heat; set aside. 

Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter. Place a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place lasagna noodles over the sauce. Cover noodles well with more tomato sauce and meatballs. Top with 1/3 of the cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Cover with another layer of noodles. Press down to squash the meatballs a bit so you can fit two layers in your dish. Repeat the same layering once more. Cover the last layer of noodles with more sauce and the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in a 350ºF oven until the cheese is melted and golden in places, and you can see the filling bubbling up the sides.