This vegetarian lasagne is so cozy and perfect for fall! You can add cooked ground chicken or sliced cooked chicken breast to the mushroom mixture if you wish! Skip the last layer of lasagne noodles to lighten it up a bit. This makes 12-15 servings depending on how big you cut them. Serve this with a side salad.
Drain the cottage cheese in a fine seive in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight (covered). Thaw the spinach and squeeze the water out (well) of it once the cottage cheese has drained.
In a medium bowl, add the drained cottage cheese and stir in the drained spinach, mozzarella, beaten eggs, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Set aside and bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly oil a 9x13" baking dish.
Add the lasagne noodles to the large pot of boiling water and cook until al-dente. Drain in a colander and cook the mushroom layer while the water is boiling and the noodles cook.
In a large frying pan on medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant and transparent. Add the sliced mushrooms and the garlic and cook, stirring occassionally, until the mushrooms have softened and the liquid has cooked out, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the pesto if using and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the shredded mozzarella cheese and the parmesan together.
Layer 3 lasagne noodles length-ways in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread 1/2 of the mushroom mixture evenly on this layer, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese, and top with another layer of 3 lasagne noodles.
Spread all of the spinach cottage cheese mixture evenly on top of this layer of lasagne noodles (use the back of a spooon or a rubber spatula to smooth out), top with another layer of 3 lasagne noodles followed by the remainder of the mushroom mixture and another 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
Top with the last 3 lasagne noodles and the rest of the cheese and bake for around 45 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before cutting and serving.
*you can substitute spinach for 4 cups of packed shredded kale - simply make sure that you cook down the kale in a frying pan with a bit of oil to remove all liquid before adding to the mixture.