Description
A comforting and hearty layered pasta dish made with tender lasagna noodles, rich meat sauce, creamy cottage cheese filling, and plenty of melted mozzarella. This family favorite is satisfying, easy to prepare, and perfect for gatherings or cozy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, half of the parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Mix until smooth.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook briefly.
- Add ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomato sauce, dried oregano, and dried basil. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Layer 3 to 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread a portion of the cottage cheese mixture on top, followed by meat sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat layering process until all ingredients are used, finishing with mozzarella and remaining parmesan on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Allow the lasagna to rest before slicing to help the layers set properly.
- You can assemble the dish one day ahead and refrigerate before baking.
- For a lighter option, substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
