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My Lasagna with Cottage Cheese is So Good!
Lasagna is one of those meals that always gets a big “yes” from my family. And this version with cottage cheese is one the best lasagna recipes—if I do say so myself.
It’s been on repeat in my kitchen for years. The cottage cheese filling, the homemade meat sauce, and all that melted mozzarella and parmesan make it so good—and the leftovers are just as good if not better the next day (and the day after that!).
What I love about this recipe is how approachable it is. It’s perfect for a Sunday dinner when you want something a little extra special, but it’s not so complicated that you’ll regret making it. If you’ve never tried swapping ricotta for cottage cheese, I promise it’s just as good!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: This will be needed to start the sauce and adds flavor!
- Onion and garlic: A yellow or white onion works best, but shallots can be used for a slightly sweeter flavor. Also, Fresh garlic is best for flavor, but you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove if you’re out.
- Fresh basil: If you don’t have fresh, use 1 teaspoon of dried basil instead.
- Italian seasoning: If you’re out you can easily make your own with individual spices. You can use my Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe as the base.
- Ground beef: Instead of beef, try ground chicken or turkey instead.
- Whole peeled tomatoes: If you’re short on time, use two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes instead.
- Lasagna sheets: My recipe has a step for boiling the noodles, but you can use no-boil lasagna noodles if you prefer.
- Cottage cheese: I recommend using cottage cheese with a higher percentage of fat, which will have the best flavor!
- Parmesan cheese: If you’re vegetarian, make sure to buy parmesan cheese that doesn’t use rennet.
- Eggs: Using eggs in the cheese layer creates a spreadable sauce perfect for covering the noodles!
- Crushed red pepper flakes: This adds a little heat! If you don’t want that, leave the red pepper flakes out.
- Mozzarella cheese: Grate your own for the best melt and flavor. Pre-shredded mozzarella works but contains anti-caking agents that can affect the texture.
Popular Additions
- Add Vegetables: Add sautéed spinach, sauteed mushrooms with garlic, zucchini, or bell peppers. About 1 to 2 cups of cooked vegetables (if added raw your lasagna may end up watery) work well layered with the meat sauce.
- Béchamel Sauce: Add a thin layer of béchamel between the meat sauce and noodles for a creamier lasagna.
- Top with fresh herbs. Try topping the lasagna with fresh, chopped basil or parsley.
- Ricotta Cheese: If you love the traditional texture, you can replace half the cottage cheese with ricotta.
How to Make Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
While I do prefer to make my own marinara sauce, you can skip this step by using a store-bought marinara and mixing it with your ground beef.
Make the Ground Beef Marinara Sauce
Make the Cottage Cheese Layer
Assemble the Cottage Cheese Lasagna
My Best Lasagna with Cottage Cheese Tips
- Drain Your Cottage Cheese: If your cottage cheese is extra watery, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth before mixing to avoid a soggy lasagna. You don’t have to squeeze all the water out, you just don’t want to add a bunch of extra whey “juice”.
- Cook Lasagna Noodles Al Dente: Slightly undercook the noodles so they don’t get too soft while baking. If you’re using no-boil noodles, make your sauce has enough moisture to cook them through.
- Let it rest before slicing. Once the lasagna cools a bit, it will be easier to slice and hold its shape!
- Avoid buying fresh mozzarella. This is good for slicing, but not grating! You want the firm block of low-moisture mozzarella cheese.
- Make sure to salt the pasta water. The lasagna sheets will absorb some of the salty water as they cook, which adds flavor!
What to Serve
- Garlic Knots or Garlic Bread
- Zucchini Salad or a Fresh Garden Salad
- Oven Roasted Broccolini
- Smashed Brussel Sprouts
Frequently Asked Questions
Kept in the fridge in an airtight container, the lasagna will keep for up for about 4 days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and reheat in a 350˚F oven until warmed through. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave.
Yes, you can! Use a freezer-safe baking dish and cover it tightly with a layer of plastic wrap and foil. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Bake in a 375˚F oven directly from frozen until warmed through.
The top layer might not have been covered with enough sauce and cheese, or it may have baked uncovered for too long. Make sure the top layer of noodles is fully coated with a generous layer of meat sauce and plenty of cheese before baking. If it’s already baked and dry, you can try brushing the dry spots with a little extra sauce or adding more cheese and reheating it briefly in the oven, covered with foil.
The foil likely touched the cheese during baking, causing it to stick. To prevent this, tent the foil loosely so it doesn’t touch the cheese. You can also spray the underside of the foil with a little cooking spray to create a non-stick barrier. If your cheese has already stuck, sprinkle a bit of freshly grated cheese on top and pop the lasagna back in the oven uncovered for a few minutes to melt and cover the spots.
More Lasagna Recipes:
- Vegetable Lasagna
- Lasagna with Greek Yogurt
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Crisp Eggplant Lasagna
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
- Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Sheet Pan Lasagna
- Lasagna Soup
If you try this feel good Lasagna with Cottage Cheese recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for oiling the tray
- 1 onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves torn by hand
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for cooking pasta
- ½ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 pound lasagna sheets
- 1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese 3 or 4% fat
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese divided
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic, basil, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add ground beef and break into small chunks as it cooks. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Set sauce aside off the heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and oil a sheet pan. Add lasagna sheets to the pot and cook until al dente. Drain lasagna sheets, then set on the prepared sheet pan.
- In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, egg, remaining Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Add a very thin layer of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, followed by about ¾ cup of the cottage cheese mixture, smoothing it into a somewhat even layer. Add a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the cottage cheese mixture, then top with about ½ cup of mozzarella, and finally another layer of lasagna sheets. Repeat this process two more times so you have a total of three layers. Add remaining meat sauce on top of the final layer of lasagna sheets, followed by remaining mozzarella and remaining grated parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
