Preheat oven to 350°. As you begin to prepare the rest of ingredients, cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and beef (or other choice) to pan; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. If mixture sticks to pan, add a little bit of water, but be sure to cook until the water evaporates. Remove from the pan. Drain fat if necessary.

Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and sauté until onion is tender. Add the garlic, basil, and red pepper and saute for a minute or two longer.

Add wine if using, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits, and cook until liquid almost evaporates. Remove from heat and stir in ground meat/sausage mixture, and marinara sauce. Heat through. Add pasta and stir. Remove from heat.

Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9–inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until hot throughout bubbly, Remove from oven and add mozzarella slices, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake until cheese melts and begins to brown, about 5o to 7 minutes. If the cheese isn’t browning, turn the broiler on and watch closely. Remove from oven and let sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Optional Ricotta Mixture:

If using optional Ricotta mixture, mix together ingredients: the ricotta, egg, parmesan, and parsley if using.

Add half the pasta mixture to the casserole. Dollop half the Ricotta mixture over. Add the remaining pasta mixture. Cover and bake as above. Remove from oven and add the mozzarella cheese over the top. Dollop the remaining ricotta mixture around, filling any spaces between the mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake as directed above.