This lasagna with cottage cheese is a lighter twist on the classic without sacrificing any flavor! It’s hearty, creamy, protein-packed, and cheesy.

I love a good homemade lasagna, but sometimes I want it to be a touch lighter and higher in protein…provided it tastes like the real thing. That’s where this cottage cheese lasagna comes in. 

I tested a few versions over the years, and cottage cheese turned out to be the perfect substitute for ricotta. It adds extra protein, keeps everything creamy, and no one in my family, not even my ultra-picky partner, even noticed the change until I told them. It’s also quite a fair bit lower in fat, which to me means extra gooey mozzarella on top. It’s now become our go-to lasagna! 

Table of Contents

1. Key Ingredients
2. How to make lasagna with cottage cheese
3. Ways I’ve changed up this lasagna
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. Leftovers and make-ahead
6. Frequently asked questions
7. Lasagna With Cottage Cheese (Recipe Card)
8. More creative lasagna recipes

Recipe highlights

• No cottage cheese taste. The cottage cheese blends seamlessly into the noodles for creamy, cheesy goodness.
• Perfect make-ahead meal. I love to prep a double batch and keep one in the freezer for busy weeknights. It can be cooked frozen and tastes just as good!

Key Ingredients

Here are the main ingredients for this lasagna recipe with cottage cheese, along with my kitchen notes. The complete list is in the recipe card below.

• Ground beef. I prefer lean ground beef because it’s lower in fat and higher in protein, but any ground beef works. If you choose a higher-fat one, simmer the mixture for an extra 3-4 minutes to reduce the excess liquid.
• Tomato sauce. No, not ketchup! This is 100% unsweetened tomatoes, often called Pasata (Australian and UK friends, especially).
• Crushed tomatoes. I recommend tomatoes in their natural juices rather than those with spices or seasonings. My seasoning mix already packs in the right balance of flavor.
• Tomato paste. A small amount of tomato paste added to the sauce enriches the sauce’s tomato flavor. 
• Vegetables. I’m using bell pepper, onion, and garlic. They help provide the rich, flavor base for the sauce.
• Vinegar. Use red or white wine vinegar to balance the tomatoes’ acidity and tartness. 
• Seasonings. Kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
• Sugar. To reduce the acidity of the tomatoes, you may need to add a small amount of sugar to the sauce. I’ve always added a pinch of sugar to all my pasta sauces (thanks, Mom!).

To assemble the lasagna:

• Lasagna noodles. You will need nine lasagna noodles to assemble this in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Don’t worry if they break apart or you only have small ones; you can fit them all in.
• Cottage cheese. To replicate ricotta’s texture and flavor, always choose full-fat cottage cheese, either small curd or smooth. If your cottage cheese is large curd, blend it until smooth before adding it to the lasagna, or make my whipped cottage cheese. You can also use my dairy-free cottage cheese if you need to cut back on dairy.
• Mozzarella cheese. Grated mozzarella cheese melts perfectly layered between the sauce and the lasagna noodles. 
• Parmesan cheese. To finish off the lasagna with a bold, cheesy flavor. 
• Basil and parsley. To sprinkle on the lasagna before serving. 

How to make lasagna with cottage cheese

Step 1- Cook the meat. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant. Add the ground beef. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the meat and cook it until it’s no longer pink. 

Step 2- Build the sauce. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, simmer for 5 minutes, then remove.

Step 3- Assemble the lasagna by adding a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, then 1/3 of the cottage cheese and 1/3 of the grated mozzarella, then more meat sauce. Repeat.

Step 4- Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

Arman’s recipe tips

• Use a store-bought marinara sauce to save time. Or spaghetti sauce. I have tried both my pomodoro sauce and sugo recipes for this dish, and they have worked perfectly.
• Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese melts better and tastes better, too, so skip the pre-shredded kind.
• Take your time dividing the beef sauce and grated cheese into even portions. Spread the sauce and cheese evenly over the lasagna noodles so each bite is full of flavor. 
• Scale up the recipe. While this recipe calls for only three layers of noodles, you can make six layers to make the lasagna more filling and feed more people. Double this recipe and you are good to go.
• Make it gluten-free. I recently made this for my celiac niece, and it turned out almost the same. All I did was switch out the lasagna noodles for gluten-free ones (I love Barilla). Check the label on the cottage cheese, too. Some brands add wheat starch to cottage cheese to improve its consistency. 

Leftovers and make-ahead

To store: Place leftover portions of lasagna in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.

To freeze: Leftover cottage cheese lasagna can be stored in individual portions in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Make ahead: Assemble the lasagna, cover it with aluminum foil, and freeze it for up to 3 months. When it’s time to bake, remove the frozen lasagna from the freezer and bake it, covered, until it defrosts and cooks. Remove the foil cover and bake the lasagna until the top is bubbly and golden brown.  

Frequently asked questions

More creative lasagna recipes

• Zucchini lasagna
• Seafood lasagna
• Eggplant lasagna
• Keto lasagna

Originally published December 2022