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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.
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2
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to the meat mixture.
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3
Stir in the wine, diced bell pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano and brown sugar.
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4
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; turn heat down to a simmer and cover.
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5
Simmer 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
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6
Taste often and add more spices to taste if needed, simmering after each addition before tasting again.
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7
Add the spinach, sliced mushrooms and red pepper flakes 1 hour before serving if desired.
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8
In the meantime, cook lasagna noodles according to the package instructions.
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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.
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10
Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until cheese is melted and spotted with browned areas, about 30 to 45 minutes.
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11
Allow lasagna to set for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.
