Description
A hearty and comforting Cottage Cheese Vegetable Lasagna featuring layers of sautéed vegetables, creamy cottage cheese, and mozzarella baked to golden perfection. Perfect for a nutritious vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium zucchini cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms roughly chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and diced small
- 10 oz baby spinach roughly chopped
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Cottage Cheese Layer
- 3 cups small curd cottage cheese preferably whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Assembly
- 12-15 no-boil lasagna noodles (1 box)
- 8-10 oz low moisture mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F and arrange the rack in the center position. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Cook Vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots, cooking for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Lower heat, add balsamic vinegar, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until veggies are soft and moisture has reduced. Remove from heat.
- Mix Cottage Cheese Layer: In a large bowl, combine small curd cottage cheese, grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well to combine.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread 1 cup marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer 3 no-boil lasagna noodles on top. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture over noodles, then half the cooked vegetable mixture, followed by one-third of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat layering with marinara, noodles, cottage cheese, veggies, and shredded mozzarella. Finish with a final layer of noodles, marinara sauce, and the remaining shredded mozzarella on top.
- Bake: Cover the assembled lasagna with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the edges bubble and the top is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes before slicing to set. Optionally, top with extra parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, or fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
- Use whole milk small curd cottage cheese for a creamier texture and to avoid watery pockets in the lasagna.
- Lactose-free versions can be made by using lactose-free cottage cheese; parmesan and mozzarella are naturally low in lactose.
- Ensure to let lasagna rest before slicing to maintain structure.
- No-boil noodles save time and help absorb sauce during baking.
- You can substitute baby bella mushrooms with cremini or portobello for a deeper flavor.
- For extra flavor, add Italian herbs like basil and oregano to the vegetable mixture or cheese layer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
