Heat the oven to 325 F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13 pan with cooking spray.
To make the sauce, in a large saucepan combine the ground beef and onion. Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is browned and onion is translucent. Drain well. Add the basil, oregano, garlic powder, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water. Stir to mix evenly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Put 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the remaining sauce, 1/3 cup cottage cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat until the ingredients are used up. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese is lightly browned, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.