Classic Cottage Cheese Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna with cottage cheese is a classic, easy version of lasagna that many home cooks love. It skips ricotta for cottage cheese, which is mellow and creamy. It’s a weeknight dinner staple that’s filling, straightforward, and cooks in about an hour. I make this often and thought you might like the recipe too.

Let’s walk through it step by step.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need. I keep things simple—no special grocery trips. Pick up most of this any week.

• Lasagna noodles: 12–15, regular or oven-ready.
• Ground beef: 1 pound. Or use turkey or plant-based crumbles.
• Cottage cheese: 2 cups. Full fat is best for flavor.
• Egg: 1, helps the cheese layer firm up.
• Italian seasoning: 2 teaspoons. Or dried oregano and basil.
• Salt and pepper: To taste.
• Garlic powder: ½ teaspoon.
• Onion powder: ½ teaspoon.
• Pasta sauce: 2 cups. Jarred is fine. I usually use marinara.
• Mozzarella cheese: 2 cups shredded.
• Parmesan cheese: ½ cup shredded.

Step-by-Step Directions

Prep

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil the lasagna noodles if you’re not using oven-ready kind. Cook them just shy of al dente, so they don’t get mushy. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Cook the Meat

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Break it up and cook until no pink remains, usually about 5–7 minutes. Drain any fat.

Add half the pasta sauce (1 cup) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir together and take it off the heat.

Make the Cheese Layer

Combine cottage cheese, beaten egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. It’s simple, but the egg helps the cheese stick together.

Assemble the Lasagna

Get a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread a bit of the remaining pasta sauce on the bottom—just enough to coat it.

Place a layer of lasagna noodles across the sauce, covering the bottom. Use three to four, depending on your dish.

Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles and spread it evenly. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Top with half the meat mixture, spreading gently so you don’t mess up the cheese.

Sprinkle one cup mozzarella and a quarter cup parmesan over the meat.

Do another noodle layer, the rest of the cottage cheese, then the rest of the meat.

Finish with a final noodle layer. Pour the rest of the pasta sauce over the top. Sprinkle the last of the mozzarella and parmesan.

Bake

Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Take off the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until bubbly and the cheese browns a bit.

Let it sit for 5 minutes before slicing. The cheese and noodles firm up as it cools. Scoop out big squares and serve hot.

Recipe Card

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes
Total time: 50–55 minutes
Serves: 6–8

Tips and Variations

Make ahead: Assemble the lasagna, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. Add 10–15 minutes to the bake time if you start cold.

Freeze: Wrap the cooled lasagna tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Vegetarian: Swap the ground beef for crumbled tofu, lentils, or roasted veggies.

Extra veggies: Stir spinach or sautéed mushrooms into the cheese layer.

Oven-ready noodles: Use these if you want to skip boiling and rinsing. Add a splash of water to the corners of the dish to help them soften.

Cheese swap: Try half mozzarella, half provolone. Or sub ricotta for part of the cottage cheese.

Why Cottage Cheese Works

Cottage cheese might seem unusual, but it’s common in homemade lasagna. It’s a bit tangy, creamy, and light. The egg binds it, so it sets up nicely between the noodles. Some people use both cottage cheese and ricotta, but this version keeps things simpler.

Family Favorite Notes

I grew up eating this lasagna. It always felt like home. My mom used cottage cheese because it was cheaper. Now I use it because I like the texture and flavor.

Friends sometimes ask why I don’t use ricotta. I tell them it’s habit, but also cost and taste. Cottage cheese is easy to find and often cheaper. I don’t feel like I miss much. If you like ricotta, you can use it. But try cottage cheese once—you might be surprised.

Serving Suggestions

Lasagna is hearty. Pair it with a simple green salad, garlic bread, or roasted broccoli. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days. The leftovers can be microwaved or reheated in the oven.

Glass bakeware makes nice leftovers and reheats evenly, but any dish works. Cut the lasagna into squares. Let pieces cool if you’re packing for lunch.

Common Mistakes

Undercooking noodles: Don’t do this with regular noodles. They need to be mostly soft before baking, or they soak up too much sauce and get dry.

Too much liquid: Don’t drown it in sauce. Keep a balance. If you want a juicier lasagna, add a bit more sauce, but don’t go overboard.

Overbaking: Take the lasagna out when it’s bubbly and the cheese is starting to brown. It keeps cooking off heat.

Ingredient Notes

Cottage cheese: Use small curd, regular fat. Non-fat is fine but not as creamy.

Pasta sauce: Pick one you like. Chunky or smooth, both work.

Meat: Lean ground beef is best, so you don’t have lots of grease. Turkey, chicken, or vegetarian crumbles are great swaps.

Cheese: Freshly shredded mozzarella melts better than pre-shredded. But pre-shredded is fine if that’s what you have.

The Basics, Broken Down

Lasagna is just layers. It feels like a lot, but it’s not. Noodles, cheese, meat, repeat. The cottage cheese layer is quick to mix. The meat takes a few minutes. Assembly is simple. While it bakes, you can make a salad or tidy up.

Don’t stress about making it perfect. Even a messy lasagna tastes good. It’s hard to mess up if you follow the order: noodles, cheese, meat, noodles, cheese, meat, noodles, sauce, cheese.

Final Thoughts

This recipe gets dinner on the table without fuss. Cottage cheese makes it a bit lighter than ricotta versions. It’s adaptable—add what you like, skip what you don’t.

I don’t claim it’s the world’s best lasagna. But it’s honest, easy, and reliable. It’s the one I make when I need a crowd-pleaser, or when I want leftovers for the week.

If you try this lasagna, let me know how it goes. Adjust the cheese, meat, or sauce to your taste. That’s the whole point—make it yours.

Classic Cottage Cheese Lasagna Recipe

Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

380

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

Lasagna with cottage cheese is a classic, easy weeknight meal. Cottage cheese replaces the usual ricotta—adds a creamy, light touch. It’s filling, simple to make, and a family favorite for leftovers. Use ground beef or your favorite veggie swap.

Ingredients

• Lasagna noodles: 12–15 (regular or oven-ready)

• Ground beef: 1 pound (or turkey, chicken, or plant-based crumbles)

• Cottage cheese: 2 cups (small curd, regular fat

• Egg: 1 (large)

• Italian seasoning: 2 teaspoons (or dried oregano and basil)

• Salt: To taste

• Pepper: To taste

• Garlic powder: ½ teaspoon

• Onion powder: ½ teaspoon

• Pasta sauce: 2 cups (marinara or your favorite)

• Mozzarella cheese: 2 cups shredded

• Parmesan cheese: ½ cup shredded

Directions

• Prep: Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil lasagna noodles just shy of al dente if not using oven-ready. Drain, rinse with cold water, set aside.
• Cook meat: Brown beef in a skillet. Break it up, cook until no pink remains. Drain fat. Add 1 cup pasta sauce, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, remove from heat.
• Cheese mix: In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
• Assemble: In a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Spoon half the cheese mix, spread evenly. Add half the meat, spread gently. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan. Repeat: noodles, cheese, meat, cheese. Finish with a noodle layer, spread remaining sauce on top, sprinkle last mozzarella and parmesan.
• Bake: Cover with foil, bake 25 minutes. Uncover, bake 10 more minutes until bubbly and cheese starts to brown. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting.

Notes

• Notes:
  Make ahead: Assemble, refrigerate up to a day. Bake 10–15 extra minutes if cold.
  Freeze: Cool, wrap tightly in foil, freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
  Vegetarian: Use crumbled tofu, lentils, or veggies.
  Extra veggies: Stir spinach or mushrooms into cheese layer.
  Oven-ready noodles: Add a splash of water to corners to help soften.
  Cheese swap: Mix ricotta with cottage cheese if you like.
  Serving: Good with green salad, garlic bread, or roasted vegetables.
  Leftovers: Keeps well in fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in oven or microwave.
• Why cottage cheese:
  Cottage cheese is creamy, light, and tangy. It sets well with the egg, holds layers together, and is often cheaper than ricotta. Try it once, it might become your go-to.
• Family favorite:
  This is the lasagna many of us grew up with—honest, easy, and flexible. Adjust meat, cheese, or sauce to your taste. It’s hard to mess up.