Pumpkin and Sweet Italian Sausage Lasagna

 Ingredients: 

2  8 ounce containers of cottage cheese ( You can use Ricotta if you prefer )

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded

1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top before baking.

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 pound sweet, mild, Italian sausage links, removed from casings

1 small white onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 8 ounce package Cremini  mushrooms, sliced

1 can pumpkin puree 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 15 ounce jar store bought or homemade pasta sauce

1 9 ounce box no boil lasagna noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
In a large pan, crumble sausage and brown.  Add onion and cook until tender and translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms to mixture and cook until tender. Stir in pumpkin, sugar and wine. Cook over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.
Ladle enough of the pumpkin sausage mixture to well cover the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place lasagna noddles on top of mixture and top the noodles with half of the cheese mixture. Pour over and spread 1/2 of the pasta sauce. Repeat process again. Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese over top of pasta sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Serve with a salad and crusty bread.