Donna s Lasagna

1 pound lean ground beef

8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed

1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato puree

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley

9 lasagna noodles

3 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley

½ teaspoon salt

16 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef and sausage over medium heat until brown; drain. Stir in tomato puree, tomato paste, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, pepper, Parmesan, 1 1/2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a 9x13 inch baking dish, layer a third each of the noodles, sliced mozzarella, cottage cheese mixture, and meat sauce. Repeat layers twice.

Bake lasagna in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.