Step 1

Brown ground beef and sausage over medium heat in a large pan. Stir often and break into pieces to brown all sides.

Step 2

Add olive oil, onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in tomato sauce with basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer sauce for 45 minutes to one hour. Stir occasionally.

Step 4

Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 teaspoon of salt.

Step 5

Cook pasta in batches for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs to a greased or lined baking sheet in a single layer. Use foil or parchment paper to layer pasta without sticking together.

Step 6

If you are using cottage cheese, drain well. Mix with fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix in beaten egg. Refrigerate until ready to layer casserole.

Step 7

Preheat oven to 350°.

Step 8

Spoon sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.

Step 9

Add lasagna noodles in a single layer to cover the sauce.

Step 10

Top with an even layer of cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Step 11

Repeat with a layer of noodles, sauce, cottage cheese mixture, shredded cheese and pasta.

Step 12

Add a layer of sliced mozzarella, meat sauce, noodles, sauce and finish with the remaining sliced mozzarella.

Step 13

Cover with aluminum foil that is coated with non stick cooking spray. Place on a sheet pan to catch any over flow while cooking.

Step 14

Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook another 25 minutes.

Step 15

Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.