Cottage Cheese Lasagna

Cottage Cheese Lasagna with layers of flavorful meat sauce, noodles and melted mozzarella cheese. This hearty dish is protein-packed, cheesy and budget friendly!

Have a household of lasagna fans? Try my zucchini lasagna, artichoke chicken lasagna roll ups and Instant Pot lasagna.

I love cottage cheese recipes if they taste good! We loved my cottage cheese pasta and cottage cheese mac and cheese, so I wanted to make a super easy lasagna with cottage cheese that tastes delicious and is lighter.

My secret is quality marinara sauce! This cottage cheese lasagna will satisfy all lasagna lovers and critics and is a breeze to make compared to any traditional lasagna recipe out there!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Minimum ingredients: This recipe calls for 8 basic ingredients, most are probably already in your kitchen.
• Easy recipe: There are a few steps to making it but I assure you each one is practically effortless.
• Delicious: Cottage cheese has less fat and calories than ricotta cheese but does not sacrifice flavor. Instead, it adds extra tang and creaminess to the dish.

Ingredients for Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

• Lasagna noodles: Use your choice of a noodle. Regular, whole wheat, or brown rice pasta all work well.
• Ground beef: You’ll need more or less 1 pound of ground beef for the meat sauce. I use extra lean ground beef, so there’s less fat to drain.
• Marinara sauce: It has to be quality marinara sauce because the ingredient list for this lasagna recipe is short. I love Rao’s marinara or my homemade marinara! Another good brand is La San Marzano. Or use your favorite marinara sauce you trust is flavorful!
• Cottage cheese: Make sure to use full fat cottage cheese made with whole milk for the best flavor and creamier texture. Low fat cottage cheese will lead to a watery lasagna.
• Egg: 1 large egg acts as the binding agent for the cheese filling.
• Seasoning: I always make my own Italian seasoning, you can also use packaged seasoning. That’s all you need!
• Spinach: Frozen spinach works well for this recipe, make sure to thaw and squeeze it. Doesn’t have to be very dry, a bit of moisture is great to cook the lasagna.
• Mozzarella cheese: Freshly grated mozzarella cheese melts beautifully and adds rich flavor.
• Cooking spray: A light spray is needed to prevent sticking, I use Misto.

How to Make Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

• Make the meat sauce: Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and cook ground beef for 10 minutes, breaking into small pieces. Drain any fat at the end. Add marinara sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, then let it simmer covered for 15 minutes.
• Combine cheese mixture: Meanwhile, add cottage cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning to a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Cook lasagna noodles: While sauce is cooking, boil noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain and carefully lay noodles flat on a baking sheet. Cover them with a towel and set aside.
• Finish prep: Preheat your oven to 375 F and spray a large 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

• Start layering: Cover the bottom of the greased baking dish with a bit of meat sauce. Next, layer 4 noodles lengthwise with edges overlapping. Then spread 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture, half the spinach, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat this layer once more but without the mozzarella.
• Assemble top layer: Finish lasagna with remaining 4 noodles, 1/3 of meat sauce and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. 
• Bake: If you have a silicone lid, spray it with cooking spray, if not spray aluminum foil and cover the dish. Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
• Serve: After removing lasagna from oven, allow it to rest for 20 minutes while covered. Slice into 9 pieces with a sharp knife and serve using a flat, sturdy spatula.

Tips for Best Results

Here are my expert tips to make this homemade lasagna an absolute favorite main dish!

• Use only quality marinara sauce: To make this recipe easier, I opted for store-bought marinara over homemade. Make sure to choose a high-quality sauce to enhance the depth of flavor. I absolutely love Rao’s marinara!
• Salt the water for pasta: It infuses lasagna sheets with extra flavor we need in this recipe because we don’t use many ingredients. Work smarter, not harder!
• Bake it covered: Start baking with the lasagna covered to prevent it from drying out.
• Let it rest: Allow lasagna to set, so the noodles don’t slip and filling doesn’t create a mess when you cut it.
• Spray cover with oil: This tip helps avoid cheese from sticking to foil or silicone lid cover. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that delightful gooey goodness!

Serving Suggestion

I usually top my lasagna with fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley, then serve alongside a salad such as a simple lettuce salad or a healthy Caesar salad.

And, naturally, some crusty bread, high protein Greek yogurt bread or cottage cheese bread, or garlic bread is the perfect complement to complete the meal.

How to Store

Store: Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: I recommend to freeze sliced lasagna for easy defrosting. You can freeze them individually or in a pack of 2 or 3. Cut cold lasagna into individual slices and place them in a large airtight container to leave enough room in between.

You can also freeze individual slices on a baking sheet separately and then once frozen transfer to an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Make ahead: You can assemble and refrigerate lasagna covered for up to 2-3 days in advance. Before baking, bring it to room temperature for about an hour and then cook as per recipe.

You can also freeze uncooked cottage cheese lasagna for up to 3 months. Then thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 5-6 hours and bake as per recipe.

FAQs

More Lasagna Recipes to Try

• Roasted red pepper lasagna
• Zucchini lasagna rolls
• Instant Pot lasagna soup
• Instant Pot white chicken lasagna soup