Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and no longer pink.

Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.

Pour in 1/4 cup of red wine or beef broth and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Add the marinara sauce, sea salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, granulated sugar, and chopped parsley. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, the egg, and 2 tablespoons of parsley. Mix thoroughly until well-blended.

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

Boil a large pot of water, add salt, and cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce over the bottom of a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish. Lay 3 cooked noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Evenly spoon half of the cheese sauce over the mozzarella.

Repeat this layering process: add 3 more noodles, another 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and the remaining half of the cheese sauce.

Finish with the final 3 noodles, the rest of the meat sauce, and the last cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

Insert 9-12 toothpicks into the lasagna's surface to prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden and bubbly.

Allow the lasagna to rest for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.