1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
salt and pepper , to taste
1 small onion , chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
24 ounce jars marinara pasta sauce
3 Tablespoons butter
8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage and season with salt and pepper. Remove most of the grease. Add onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes until onion is translucent. Add all but 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce (reserve 1/2 cup for the noodles) to the mixture and stir to combine. Set aside. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, just until “al dente”. Place hot spaghetti in a large mixing bowl with butter and 1/2 cup marinara sauce and toss to combine. Pour HALF of the pasta into a 9x13’’ pan. Combine cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese in a bowl and mix well. Smooth over noodles in the pan. Top with remaining noodles. Add meat mixture on top and smooth into an even layer. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Check it around 20 minutes and if the cheese is browning too quickly, place a piece of tinfoil over it. Wait about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!