Healthy Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese

cottage cheese lasagna slice close-up in a pan with parsley on top.

Healthy Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cottage cheese lasagna

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Calories: 303kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

Meet the cottage cheese lasagna recipe that my family eats almost every single week. It includes a sneaky addition (spoiler: it's lentils) that stretches the ground beef filling and adds extra fiber to each bite. But, you'd never know, because this healthy lasagna tastes just like the regular version... only with 24 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per slice!

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion , chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 pound lean ground beef
fine sea salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 ounce cooked lentils
16 ounces cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
1 large egg
3 ½ cups marinara sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese
9 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To prepare the meat sauce, add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until it softens, about 5 minutes. (Note: the onion is optional; sometimes we skip this part.) Then add the garlic and stir for one more minute. Next, add the ground beef and a ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat in the skillet until it is no longer pink, about 8 more minutes.
Once the meat is fully cooked, add the sage, thyme, cayenne pepper, and another ½ teaspoon of salt. Stir briefly to create a sausage-like flavor. Then add the can of drained and rinsed lentils and 2 cups of marinara sauce. Stir until the sauce is warm, then set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Use a fork to whisk it together, or an immersion blender to puree the mixture. (Blending will make it look more like ricotta cheese.) Set this aside.
To assemble the lasagna, spread ¾ cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Add one layer of no-boil lasagna noodles. Break a lasagna noodle into pieces to cover the pan, if needed, but there's no need to be perfect about it. Next, add half of the cottage cheese mixture and spread it evenly over the noodles. Then sprinkle on one cup of mozzarella cheese. After that, add half of the meat sauce and spread it out evenly.
Repeat the layering process: noodles, then the rest of the cottage cheese mixture, then the rest of the meat sauce, followed by one last layer of noodles on top. Spread the remaining ¾ cup of marinara sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. Cover tightly with foil or a baking sheet, and bake at 400ºF for 35 minutes.
When the timer goes off, remove the cover and bake for 10 more minutes. Let the lasagna rest on the counter for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. (Or freeze for up to 3 months.)

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 slices. This is automatically calculated, so it's just an estimate and not a guarantee.

Cheese Note: Most lasagna recipes call for 4 cups of mozzarella cheese, which will certainly increase the protein, but also the fat and calories. Use extra cheese if you prefer; sometimes we add a thin layer of Parmesan for extra flavor.

Spice Note: If you don't keep sage, thyme, and cayenne pepper in your home, you can substitute this with your favorite Italian spice blend. I like to make the ground beef taste like sausage, without actually using store-bought sausage, but the marinara sauce will add plenty of flavor already.

Cottage Cheese Note: If you like a thicker layer of cheese, I also tested doubling the cottage cheese in this recipe. In my opinion, it was "too thick" and my kids didn't like it as much, but that addition does add 4g of protein per slice, so feel free to try it. You can also season the cottage cheese mixture with 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, if you'd like to.

Nutrition