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The BEST easy, classic lasagna recipe made with a ground beef meat sauce, no- cook noodles, and cottage cheese for extra protein!
Easy Lasagna Recipe
If you’re Italian and you’re thinking, cottage cheese in lasagna? I totally get you! I always turned my nose up to that idea. But with great cottage cheese brands available these days, I recently made these Lasagna Roll Ups with Cottage Cheese and my family went nuts over it! So, I set out to create a cottage-cheese version of my go-to Italian lasagna with meat sauce, and I’ll never make it any other way. It doesn’t change the flavor or texture of the final dish, it just adds more protein – my family devoured it! So if you’re reading this and thinking, “Cottage cheese in lasagna?” I swear it works. You can’t tell at all! More lasagna recipes you must try, my Lasagna Soup Recipe and my easy Skillet Lasagna.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Lasagna Recipe
My husband is half Italian, so I make lasagna all the time! We love this high protein lasagna with meat sauce, it’s always a winner in my home!
- Delicious: Lasagna is a classic for a reason. Layered with meat sauce, noodles, and three kinds of cheese, what’s not to like? It’s so good!
- Family-Friendly: This cheesy lasagna recipe is sure to be a hit with your whole family.
- Freezer-Friendly: This pasta dish is perfect for freezing – baked or unbaked.
- Easy: No-boil noodles mean the noodles cook in the oven, which saves you a step.
- Healthy and High Protein: This has extra protein by swapping the ricotta mixture with cottage cheese.
Featured Comment
DELICIOUS. next time I plan to add some different seasonings but as is, this is so good. I tell everyone about these recipes at work 🙂
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy lasagna recipe. See recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Ground Beef: I use 93% lean for rich flavor without excess grease, but any ground meat works here.
- Onion: Adds sweetness and depth to the sauce as it cooks.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic builds a savory, aromatic base.
- Tomatoes: A 28-ounce can forms the backbone of the sauce—Tuttorosso s my go-to for consistent flavor.
- Salt: Seasons the tomatoes and brings out their natural sweetness.
- Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: No boiling needed; they soften right in the sauce to save time.
Eggs: Help bind the cheese mixture so each slice holds together nicely. - Cottage Cheese: Part-skim cottage cheese (I love Good Culture) adds creaminess and extra protein.
- Mozzarella: Part-skim mozzarella melts beautifully—some goes in the filling and the rest creates that golden top layer.
- Grated Cheese: Pecorino Romano or Parmesan adds salty, savory umami to the cheese mixture.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley brightens the filling and makes a great garnish.
How to Make Lasagna
Here’s the step-by-step method. See recipe card below for printable directions.
- Make the Meat Sauce: Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic to a large skillet or large pot and cook on medium-high until the meat is no longer pink. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, stir a few times.
- Make the Cheese Mixture: Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl and add the cottage cheese, a half cup of mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, and parsley.
- Layer The Lasagna: Spread a cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 13-x-9- inch casserole dish, followed by four lasagna noodles, a third of the cheese mixture, and a cup of sauce, and repeat. Next, pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.
- Bake: Cooking time is about 1 hour. Cover the baking dish tight with aluminum foil to create steam to cook the noodles, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Uncover and cook for another five minutes until all the cheese browns slightly.
- Serve: Garnish the lasagna with parsley and let sit for five minutes before cutting into eight pieces.
Variations
- Is lasagna better with ricotta or cottage cheese? Both are good in lasagna, but cottage cheese gives it a protein boost. You can substitute equal amounts of ricotta cheese if you prefer to make a ricotta cheese mixture.
- Pecorino: Substitute Pecorino with parmesan.
- Sausage: Use Italian sausage in place of ground beef.
- Add Meatballs: Use turkey meatballs or beef.
- Protein: Sub lean ground turkey for beef.
- Vegetarian Lasagna: Omit the beef and add thawed frozen spinach or sautéed diced zucchini.
- Gluten-Free Lasagna: Use gluten-free noodles.
- Egg Allergy? Skip the egg. The cheese filling may be a little runnier, but it’ll still taste good!
- Herbs: Swap parsley with fresh basil.
Tools You'll Need
What to Serve with Lasagna
This homemade lasagna recipe pairs well with some French bread, garlic bread or garlic knots and an Italian salad or veggies, like Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower or Cacio e Pepe Brussels Sprouts.
How to Meal Prep Lasagna
- Meal Prep: Assemble the casserole, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to serve, bake the lasagna as instructed.
- Freeze Unbaked: Tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the unbaked lasagna in the fridge and bake according to the directions, or bake it from frozen for about 90 minutes until heated through. (Don’t forget to remove the plastic first!)
- Leftovers: Leftover cooked lasagna will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, refrigerate it overnight and microwave or bake until warm.
More Lasagna Recipes You Will Love
- Spaghetti Squash Sausage Lasagna Boats
- Chicken Parmesan Lasagna
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Pumpkin Lasagna
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups
Easy Lasagna Recipe (High-Protein & No-Boil)
A healthy, high-protein lasagna made with cottage cheese, lean ground beef, and no-boil noodles. Easy to assemble, family-friendly, and perfect for meal prep. Freezer-friendly before or after baking.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 /8th slice
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, I swear by Tuttorosso Green Label
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, such as Barilla or gluten-free noodles
- 24 ounces part-skim cottage cheese, from 1 1/2 16-ounce containers, Good Culture (or use ricotta cheese)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 1/2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
- Heat a large skillet, when hot add the ground beef, onion, and garlic and cook over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until no pink remains.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, to taste, cover and let it simmer over low heat 20 minutes, stirring 3 times.
- In large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and combine with 1 1/2 containers cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Pecorino Romano and parsley. Set aside.
- In a 13 x 9 casserole dish, spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of pan. Layer in the order, 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (it's okay if they overlap), then 1/3 of the cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce.
- Repeat the next layer using 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/3 part of the cheese mixture, and 1 cup sauce. For the top layer add the remaining sauce and finish with 1 cup mozzarella.
- Cover tight with foil and bake 55 to 60 minutes, until the pasta is cooked through.
- Uncover and continue cooking until all the cheese browns slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, and let sit 5 minutes before cutting. Slice into 8 pieces.
Last Step:
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Variations
- You can substitute equal amounts of ricotta cheese if you prefer to make a ricotta cheese mixture.
- Pecorino: Substitute Pecorino with parmesan.
- Sausage: Use Italian sausage in place of ground beef.
- Add Meatballs: Use turkey meatballs or beef.
- Protein: Sub lean ground turkey for beef.
- Vegetarian Lasagna: Omit the beef and add thawed frozen spinach or sautéed diced zucchini.
- Gluten-Free Lasagna: Use gluten-free noodles.
- Egg Allergy? Skip the egg. The cheese filling may be a little runnier, but it’ll still taste good!
- Herbs: Swap parsley with fresh basil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 /8th slice, Calories: 394 kcal, Carbohydrates: 36.5 g, Protein: 37 g, Fat: 11.5 g, Saturated Fat: 5.5 g, Cholesterol: 107.5 mg, Sodium: 840 mg, Fiber: 3.5 g, Sugar: 7 g
