Karen's Lasagna

Total Time: 5 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 15
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb italian sausage
• 1 large onion, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons crushed basil
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped spinach leaves (optional)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3 cups low fat cottage cheese or 3 cups ricotta cheese

Recipe

• 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.