Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

1. Heat the oven. Preheat to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. Start the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

3. Brown the meat. Add ground beef (or sausage). Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking it up, until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess fat if needed.

   

4. Build quick depth. Stir in tomato paste, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook 1 minute. Add marinara and water or broth. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt.

   Sauce note: You will use roughly 1 cup on the bottom, about 1 1/2 cups for each middle sauce layer, and the rest on top. Do not stress. Aim for even coverage, especially at the edges.

5. Mix the cottage cheese filling. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly mixed.

   If your cottage cheese looks very wet: Drain it in a fine-mesh strainer for 10 minutes first, then mix.

6. Layer 1. Spread about 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of noodles (usually 4 cooked noodles). Spread half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with about 1 1/3 cups mozzarella. Spoon on about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

   If using no-boil noodles: Arrange them in a single layer (you may need a slightly different count). Make sure sauce fully covers noodles, especially around the edges, so you do not get crunchy corners.

7. Layer 2. Add another noodle layer. Spread the remaining cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with about 1 1/3 cups mozzarella. Spoon on about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

8. Top layer. Add the final noodle layer. Spread the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

   

9. Bake covered. Cover tightly with foil (spray the underside with cooking spray to prevent sticking). Bake for 35 minutes.

   No-boil noodle note: If your noodles are oven-ready and the pan looks a bit tight on sauce, add 5 to 10 minutes to the covered bake time.

10. Bake uncovered for bubbly edges. Remove foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is browned in spots and the edges are bubbling. If you want extra color, broil 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.

    Doneness cue: It is ready when it is bubbling throughout and the center is hot.

11. Rest, then slice. Let the lasagna rest 15 to 20 minutes before cutting. This is the difference between “perfect layers” and “delicious lava.”

    

Practical tips and variations

• Want it smoother? Blend the cottage cheese quickly for a creamier, ricotta-like filling.
• Add spinach: Stir 2 cups thawed frozen spinach (squeezed very dry) into the cottage cheese mixture.
• Go meatless: Swap meat for 12 ounces mushrooms, chopped and sautéed until their liquid cooks off. A handful of diced zucchini works too, but cook it first.
• More sauce insurance: If your noodles tend to drink up moisture, keep an extra 1/2 cup marinara on hand to loosen the sauce layer.
• Make-ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time.