Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasonings
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (24-oz.) jars marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook just until pliable according to package directions. Drain the noodles and set them aside. (Do not stack them atop one another or they will stick together.)
- In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese with 4 cups of the shredded mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and egg. Set the mixture aside.
- Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to a large heavy-bottomed stock pot set over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spatula until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes then remove it from the heat.
- Add 2 cups of the meat sauce to the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture atop the noodles then repeat the meat sauce, noodles and cheese layers two more times, ending with the meat sauce.
- Cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake the lasagna, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Return the lasagna to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. (If desired, broil the lasagna 3 inches from the top broiler until the cheese is bubbling.)
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- You can use regular lasagna noodles that you have to boil or no-boil noodles. I’ve actually made this with regular lasagna noodles and not boiled them and it still worked great. If you go that route, just add about 20 extra minutes to the initial covered bake time before adding the cheese topping.
- Full-fat cottage cheese gives the creamiest texture and the most protein per serving.
- To make ahead: Assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. When baking from cold, add 10–15 extra minutes to the covered bake time before uncovering and adding the remaining cheese.
- To freeze (unbaked): Assemble the lasagna in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 25–30 minutes to the covered bake time.
- To freeze (baked): Cool completely, then freeze the whole pan or individual slices. Reheat covered at 350°F until hot and bubbly (about 30–45 minutes for refrigerated slices; longer from frozen).
- To store leftovers: Keep cooked lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!