Name: Easy No-Boil Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 145 min
Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef; 15 oz tomato sauce in can; 15 oz crushed tomatoes in can; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning; ½ tbsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp pepper; 16 oz cottage cheese; ½ cup parmesan cheese (shredded ); ½ tsp Italian seasoning; 1 egg (beaten); 3 cups mozzarella (freshly shredded); ½ cup parmesan cheese (shredded); 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning; 12 lasagna noodles (uncooked); 1/2 cup hot water

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This Easy, No-boil Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese is perfect for special occasions, but simple enough to make ahead of time, for busy weeknights. Use protein packed lean beef and cottage cheese for the filling, and skip boiling the noodles to save yourself some time. Quick simmer a sauce packed with classic Italian flavors, then simply layer in a casserole dish for a hearty, cheesy meal the whole family will love!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Lasagna Recipe

I love a good lasagna dinner, but for a long time, I never made it from scratch because it just took SO long to prepare…and then it had a long bake time.

Until I started us on a journey of choosing cleaner ingredients, I would buy the pre-made lasagnas from the frozen food section at the grocery store. However, once I started really reading labels, I discovered that those pre-made lasagnas, while convenient, are usually highly processed and contain several additives to preserve freshness. Plus you bake them in the plastic tray that they come in, which I am highly against doing. I do not cook anything in plastic because when plastic heats up, it can cause chemicals, like BPA and phthalates to seep from the plastic, and into your food.

Since we didn’t want to give up lasagna dinners at home, I knew I needed to come up with my own recipe that worked better in our busy schedule.

I sometimes refer to this as “Shortcut Lasagna” because I feel like it takes less time and effort than traditional lasagna does with all of the steps. But it’s still loaded with fresh ingredients, and rich Italian flavors, which makes one of our favorite family meals.

I do a couple of things differently…

First, I use cottage cheese in my cheese filling layer instead of traditional ricotta cheese. It’s feast or famine when in comes to cottage cheese in our house. Some weeks everyone loves it, and it gets eaten right away. Other weeks no one is interested and the container sits unopened in the refrigerator. In an effort not to waste food, I usually use the uneaten cottage cheese in my lasagna since I already have it on hand. It also works both ways, so if I buy a container of cottage cheese specifically to make lasagna, and don’t use it all, we can have it for a snack. Leftover ricotta cheese would just get thrown away since I typically only use ricotta for an Italian pasta dish.

Also, a serving of cottage cheese typically has double the amount of protein than ricotta does. Since protein is an essential part of our diet to help support muscles, as well as helping us feel fuller longer, I try to pack extra protein into our meals wherever I can.

Here are a few other reasons I love this easy lasagna recipe…

No pre-cooking noodles – Skipping the step of boiling noodles saves time, and the hassle of working with sticky cooked noodles.
Kid-approved – The cheesy layers and mild marinara sauce make it a hit with little ones.
Clean Ingredients – Uses simple ingredients found in any grocery store without hidden additives that a lot of pre packaged frozen lasagnas have.
Great for meal prep – Make it ahead and bake later, or freeze it for dinner in the future.

Lasagna is a Great Make Ahead Meal

If I want to serve this on a weeknight, I usually put it together the night before, and store in refrigerator. Then just bake it for dinner the next night. Use the “time bake” feature on your oven if you will be gone for after school activities. Before you leave for the activities, place lasagna in oven, and set up your “time bake” feature so oven turns it’s self on, and bakes lasagna at the correct time. This way dinner is ready when you walk in the door.

Ingredients:

lean ground beef
canned tomato sauce
canned crushed tomatoes
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
sugar
salt and pepper
cottage cheese
egg, beaten
mozzarella cheese
shredded parmesan cheese
uncooked lasagna noodles (Regular lasagna noodles are fine. No need to buy the special no-boil noodles)
water

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Preheat: Preheat your oven to 375°F

2. Make the Meat Sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook 1lb of lean ground beef until browned. Use this handy tool to help break up meat while it cooks. Drain excess fat. Stir in the can of tomato sauce, the can of crushed tomatoes (do not drain), 1/2 T Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 T sugar, 1tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Let simmer for about 5 minutes to let flavors meld.

3. Prepare the Cheese Mixture: While meat sauce simmers, combine 16 oz of cottage cheese, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1tsp of Italian seasoning in a medium bowl and stir well.

4. Layer the Lasagna:

Grab a 9 x 13 casserole dish, and working in 1 cup measurements, spread a thin layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Add a single layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. If they are wider than your dish, simply break off part of the noodle, and set it to the side. TIP: once you get enough little broken pieces, lay them in a line to create one of the noodle strips so you are not wasting them).
Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, and top that layer with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.
Repeat all four layers: add another cup of sauce, the uncooked noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese mixture, and a cup of shredded mozzarella.
Finish with another layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce.
Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and and another 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Evenly sprinkle 3/4 tsp across the top of the cheese as the finishing touch.

5. Add Extra Moisture & Cover: Pour 1/2 cup of hot water around the edges of the dish…this is what cooks the dry pasta while it bakes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam.

6. Bake & Serve: Bake for 45 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Let rest for 5- 10 minutes before slicing to let the layers set. Tip: If there is some extra standing water along the top, fold a paper towel and lightly dip edges in water to soak up the excess moisture

How to Layer Lasagna

I stick with this pattern and it has never failed me:

Meat sauce
Layer of noodles
Cheese mixture
Shredded cheese layer
Repeat all 4 layers until you reach the top layer
Finish with a noodle layer, extra sauce, shredded cheese and a dust of Italian seasoning

Best Side Dishes for Lasagna

Caesar salad or side salad
sliced garlic bread or bread sticks
Roasted vegetables
Caprese salad
Sautéed spinach with garlic
Air fryer green beans

FAQ: Lasagna Cooking and Storage Tips

How long is leftover lasagna good for?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

How to reheat lasagna in the oven?

Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Can you reheat lasagna in an air fryer?

Yes! Cut into slices and heat at 350°F for 5-7 minutes for crispy edges.

Can you freeze lasagna?

Oh yes, Lasagna is a great freezer meal. Fully cook the meat sauce and assemble all of the layers in your baking dish or in a disposable aluminum pan. Double wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn. First, wrap in a plastic wrap and then with a layer of tin foil. Lasagna will last in freezer for up to 3 months.

How to cook frozen lasagna?

Let lasagna thaw in refrigerator over night and then bake covered for 45 minutes, and uncovered for 10 minutes.

Or to bake lasagna from a frozen state, bake at 375°F for 90 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.

Lasagna Ingredient Swaps

What are substitutes for ricotta cheese in lasagna?

Cottage cheese is the best substitute for the ricotta mixture, because it is similar to ricotta cheese in taste and texture. Alternately, you could use mascarpone cheese, or fresh goat cheese in a pinch, but those are both much stronger flavors and may over power your dish.

What veggies are good in lasagna?

Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, and eggplant all work well in lasagna. Save some calories by slicing zucchini eggplant into thin strips, and relace some of the layers of noodles, with strips of vegetables instead.

What type meat works well in lasagna?

I hearty meat sauce is a quintessential layer in lasagna. I use ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey, ground pork or Italian sausage. In fact, my grandmother’s classic lasagna recipe calls for a mix of meats in the sauce, so try combining a few varieties together and see what you like!

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