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This Cottage Cheese Lasagna is a protein-packed, vegetarian dinner that’s hearty, cheesy, and comforting enough to satisfy the whole family. Each serving packs 21 grams of protein and it’s easily made gluten-free with a simple noodle swap. This is the kind of lasagna you’ll want to make on repeat.
While ricotta is usually a go-to for lasagna, I turned to cottage cheese for this version and was amazed by how amazing the sauce tasted. As a certified nutrition coach, I love finding ways to boost protein in comfort food without sacrificing flavor, and this lasagna does exactly that.
By blending cottage cheese with mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach, you get a rich and creamy sauce in seconds. Once layered up with the simple tomato sauce and lasagna noodles, everything melds together into a melty, cheesy dish that’s irresistible.
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to sneak cottage cheese into your meals, check out my recipes for High-Protein Cottage Cheese Bagels, cottage cheese pizza crust, and Cottage Cheese Pasta.
A Quick Overview
- High protein and vegetarian: 21g of protein per serving with no meat required.
- Creamy blended cheese sauce: Blending the cottage cheese with mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach creates a smooth, luxurious sauce in seconds.
- Gluten-free friendly: Simply swap in gluten-free lasagna noodles and the whole dish is gluten-free.
- Great for meal prep: Makes 12 servings, stores in the fridge for 5 days, and freezes beautifully.
Tips Before You Get Started
Some tips for perfecting this lasagna recipe:
- Check the label on the bag of spinach to see if it requires rinsing before you use it. If directed, rinse and dry the spinach before blending it into the sauce; otherwise, you may end up with a gritty texture.
- After draining the lasagna noodles, drizzle them with a little olive oil and toss gently to prevent them from sticking together while you prep everything else.
- Keep an eye on the onions and garlic when sauteing so they don’t catch on the pan and burn. You want them to reach a light golden color before adding the marinara sauce
- I like to let the baked lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving as it holds together better once it has slightly cooled down.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make this delicious lasagna. Full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Cottage cheese: The star of the recipe. Use full fat or 4% for the creamiest, richest sauce. Fat-free will work but you may lose some of that rich texture.
- Lasagna noodle sheets: Regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free all work here. Cook to al dente so they hold up during baking.
- Marinara sauce: A good quality jarred marinara keeps things simple and is already packed with flavor. No need to make your own but you can always refer to my homemade marinara sauce recipe.
- Shredded mozzarella: Full fat melts best and gives you that gooey, stretchy cheese pull. Low moisture mozzarella works well too.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, savory depth to the cheese sauce. Grana Padano or Pecorino work as substitutes.
- Spinach: Blends right into the cheese sauce giving it a vibrant green color and an easy veggie boost. Frozen works fine, just thaw and squeeze out the liquid first.
- Italian seasoning: A simple pantry staple that instantly flavors the cheese sauce without measuring out multiple herbs.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Lasagna
Below is the step-by-step method with pictures to help guide you through this recipe.
Step 1: Sautée the onions and garlic
Cook the aromatics gently in olive oil until they turn golden.
✏️ Stir the mixture occasionally to prevent the onions and garlic from burning.
Step 2: Add marinara and season
Pour in the marinara sauce, season with salt and pepper, then cook down for 10 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce.
✏️ If you’re making the tomato sauce ahead of time, allow it to cool down at this point before storing in the fridge. It will speed up your lasagna assembly later.
Step 3: Blend the cheese sauce ingredients
Blend together the cottage cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, and egg with Italian seasoning and spinach until smooth and bright green. Season with salt and pepper.
✏️ If you’re vegetarian, you can use vegetarian-friendly, Italian-style hard cheese instead of the Parmesan.
Step 4: Layer the ingredients
Start by layering tomato sauce in the base of your baking dish, followed by the boiled lasagna noodles. Top with more tomato sauce, followed by the blended cheeses. Repeat this layering until everything has been used up. Top the assembled dish with the remaining shredded mozzarella.
Step 5: Bake the lasagna
Bake at 375°F until golden and bubbling. Let it rest for 10 minutes before garnishing with some freshly chopped parsley, slicing and serving.
Common Questions
Yes, you can make the red sauce and cheese sauce ahead of time then store in airtight containers for up to 3 days in the fridge. When ready to make, boil the lasagna noodles and layer up with the sauces and cheese then bake as instructed in the recipe.
Yes, it freezes very well. You can freeze leftover baked lasagna in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight before transferring it to an ovenproof dish and baking until piping hot in the middle.
When heated, cottage cheese will loosen and slightly melt to create a thinner, creamy sauce texture. It will still retain some texture as the curds will remain. This is why I like to blend it with other cheeses like mozzarella and Parmesan for lasagna, to give the sauce that gooey texture.
Cottage cheese has similar properties to ricotta in that it’s a creamy, high-protein dairy product. However, cottage cheese tends to be lower in fat and has a stronger cheesy flavour than ricotta. It also is more heat-tolerant so holds up well in baked dishes like lasagna as it won’t curdle, staying creamy and soft in this recipe.
Yes, absolutely. Brown ground beef or ground turkey with the onions and garlic before adding the marinara. It adds extra protein and turns this into a meat lasagna while keeping all the same cottage cheese benefits.
Variations
If you’re looking for more ideas to change up this lasagna, check out my suggestions below.
→ Add more veggies: Grill strips of zucchini or eggplant until tender and layer into the lasagna along with the noodles.
→ Go meaty: For a protein boost, cook down ground beef or ground turkey in the skillet along with the onions and garlic before adding the marinara sauce.
→ Change up the sauce: Blend steamed butternut squash into the cheese sauce in place of the spinach for a cosy flavor.
Storage & Make Ahead Tips
- Fridge: Let the lasagna cool completely, then cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Assemble the lasagna as written in the recipe, but don’t bake it yet. Wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight, then uncover and bake as directed in the recipe.
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Cottage Cheese Lasagna (High-Protein & Vegetarian)
Video
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodle sheets, gluten-free or whole wheat works
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 24 ounces jar marinara sauce
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 20 ounces cottage cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups packed spinach, frozen works, thaw and squeeze out liquid
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook the 12 lasagna noodle sheets according to package directions to al dente. Drain and drizzle with a bit of oil to prevent them from sticking.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the 1 large sweet onion (diced) and 6-8 garlic cloves (minced) and saute for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the 24 ounces jar marinara sauce and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for 10 minutes.
- To make the cheese blend, add the 20 ounces cottage cheese, 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (from the 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese), 1 large egg, 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, 3 cups packed spinach, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper to a food processor. Blend until almost smooth.
- To assemble the lasagna dish, layer half a cupful of tomato sauce at the base on a 9×13 baking dish.
- Arrange 3 lasagna noodles without overlapping. Top with sauce, then layer with cheese blend. Repeat the layers until everything is used up. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and brown on top. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
Substitutes:
- Vegetarian: Use vegetarian-friendly, Italian-style hard cheese in place of the Parmesan if you’re vegetarian
- Gluten-free: You can use gluten-free lasagna noodles in this recipe
- Grana Padano or Pecorino will work well in place of the Parmesan in this recipe
- You can use garlic powder in place of the crushed garlic in the red sauce. Just be sure to add it to the pan when the marinara goes in, instead of cooking it with the onion.
- You can use whole wheat lasagna noodles if you like
- Let the cooked lasagna cool completely, then wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap (or place into an airtight container). Chill in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I rated this a BIG 5 Star.
Glad you loved it. Yay
Mucho supreme, I added in eggplant and it came out great. Pretty easy for an old man with limited experience. Thanks!
Love it