1. Combine ground beef, Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed and crumbled), onions and garlic in a large dutch oven or large pot; saute until veggies are tender and meat is browned; drain any fat left in the pan. 2. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to the meat mixture. 3. Stir in the wine, diced bell pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano and brown sugar. 4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; turn heat down to a simmer and cover. 5. Simmer 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally. 6. Taste often and add more spices to taste if needed, simmering after each addition before tasting again. 7. Add the spinach, sliced mushrooms and red pepper flakes 1 hour before serving if desired. 8. In the meantime, cook lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. 9. Layer in this order in your lasagna pan: a thin layer of meat sauce, a layer of noodles, another thicker layer of meat sauce, a cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle on a thin layer of mozzarella, dust with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and begin the next layer starting with the noodles; repeat until all sauce, noodles, and cheeses are used ending with noodles, an even layer of mozzarella cheese, dusted with Parmesan. 10. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until cheese is melted and spotted with browned areas, about 30 to 45 minutes. 11. Allow lasagna to set for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nutrition
Ingredients
