Cottage Cheese Lasagna With No-Boil Noodles

This cottage cheese lasagna layers no-boil noodles with a savory beef-and-tomato sauce, creamy cottage cheese, and plenty of mozzarella. It is an easy Italian-American-style baked pasta: the noodles soften right in the sauce, so there is no separate boiling step, and the casserole slices neatly after a short rest.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, if needed for your pan
1 pound (454 g) lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, about 1 cup (150 g)
3 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon (9 g)
1 jar marinara sauce, 24 ounces (680 g), about 3 cups
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano
1 teaspoon (5 g) fine salt, divided, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) black pepper
1 3/4 cups (425 g) cottage cheese, preferably small-curd
3 cups (340 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup (50 g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
9 no-boil lasagna noodles, about 8 ounces (225 g); use the amount needed to make three layers in your dish
2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Set a rack in the middle. If the ground beef is very lean or your pan tends to stick, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and diced onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, breaking the beef into small pieces and stirring often, until the onion is soft and the beef is browned. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer; the USDA FSIS safe minimum for ground beef is 160°F (71°C).
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the marinara, water, oregano, about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Stir, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste carefully and add the remaining salt if needed. The sauce should be loose and spoonable rather than thick; that extra moisture is what hydrates no-boil noodles as they bake.
While the sauce simmers, stir the cottage cheese with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the Parmesan in a medium bowl. It does not need to be perfectly smooth. If the cottage cheese has a noticeable pool of liquid, drain off the excess first, but do not press it completely dry. Set aside about 1/2 cup of the mozzarella for the top and divide the rest into three portions.
Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish. Arrange three no-boil noodles in a single layer, breaking a noodle if needed to cover the surface without overlapping too much. Spoon on about one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, spreading it gently, then add about one-third of the remaining mozzarella and roughly 1 cup of sauce.
Repeat the noodle, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and sauce layers two more times. Finish with any remaining sauce so the edges and corners of the top noodles are covered; exposed dry noodle edges can stay firm. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella evenly over the sauce. If your dish looks especially full, place it on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling sauce.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, taking care that the foil does not press into the cheese. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges, the top is melted and lightly browned, and a thin knife passes easily through the noodles. If the top is already deeply golden, loosely replace the foil for the final few minutes.
Set the lasagna on a heat-safe surface and let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting. This pause helps the sauce settle so the portions hold together instead of sliding apart. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve hot.

Tips

Keep the sauce generous. No-boil noodles need moisture to cook through. Make sure each noodle layer is covered, especially at the corners, and do not reduce the sauce simmer to a thick paste. The added water loosens jarred marinara without making the finished dish watery.
Choose the right cottage cheese. Small-curd cottage cheese spreads easily between layers. If yours is quite wet, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer for several minutes. For a smoother, richer filling, briefly pulse it in a food processor; avoid adding extra liquid.
Use foil without losing the topping. A tight foil cover traps steam for the first part of baking. If cheese tends to stick to your foil, lightly oil the side facing the lasagna or tent the foil so it sits above the surface. Uncover for the final 15 minutes to brown the mozzarella.
Let the pan rest before slicing. Cutting immediately can make even a properly cooked lasagna look soupy. Fifteen minutes is a useful minimum; for especially tidy squares, let it stand 20 minutes. Use a sharp knife and a broad spatula to lift each piece.

Serving Suggestions

Serve a square of lasagna with a crisp green salad dressed with vinaigrette, or with lightly dressed arugula to balance the rich cheese and tomato sauce. Steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or sautéed zucchini make easy vegetable sides. If you would like bread, offer a small basket of garlic bread or plain crusty bread for collecting sauce; the pasta is filling, so the sides can stay simple.

For a casual dinner, set grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley on the table so everyone can finish their portion as they like. The lasagna also works well for a potluck: bake it in a sturdy dish, allow it to rest, and transport it covered. Keep it hot for serving or refrigerate it promptly if it will not be served soon.

Variations

For a meatless version, replace the beef with 12 ounces (340 g) chopped mushrooms and 1 cup (150 g) diced zucchini. Cook the vegetables until their released liquid has mostly evaporated before adding the marinara, then assemble as directed. The result will be more vegetable-forward and a little less meaty. You can also use 1 pound (454 g) of Italian sausage instead of ground beef; sausage is usually well-seasoned, so taste the sauce before adding extra salt and cook the sausage to 160°F (71°C) if it is ground pork or a pork-and-beef blend.

To make the filling more herbaceous, mix in 2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped parsley or 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried Italian seasoning. For a stronger, tangier cheese flavor, replace up to half of the cottage cheese with ricotta. If you prefer a milder top, use part-skim mozzarella; for more browning, use a little less mozzarella and scatter extra Parmesan over the surface. Gluten-free no-boil lasagna sheets can work, but brands vary, so follow the package directions and check the center for tenderness before removing the pan from the oven.

Storage and Reheating

Do not leave the baked lasagna at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container, or cover the cooled baking dish tightly, and use them within 3 to 4 days. For quicker cooling, divide the lasagna into individual portions before refrigerating rather than leaving a deep, hot pan on the counter for an extended time.

Reheat a portion in the microwave, covered loosely, in short intervals until steaming hot throughout. To warm several portions or a larger section, place it in an oven-safe dish, add a spoonful of water or sauce to keep the edges from drying, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F (175°C) until hot. Leftovers should reach 165°F (74°C) when checked with a food thermometer, in line with USDA FSIS guidance. Reheat only the amount you plan to eat.

To freeze, wrap individual portions or a fully cooled casserole securely and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or heat from frozen in a covered oven-safe dish at 350°F (175°C), allowing extra time and checking that the center reaches 165°F (74°C). Noodles can soften a little more after freezing, but the sauce helps keep the texture pleasant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular lasagna noodles instead of no-boil noodles?
Yes, but cook them according to the package directions, drain them, and let them cool enough to handle before layering. Because boiled noodles bring extra water into the dish, omit the 1/2 cup of water from the sauce and keep the sauce thick enough to spread without pooling. The baking time may be a little shorter, so check that the lasagna is bubbling and heated through.

Will cottage cheese taste grainy in lasagna?
It can have a slightly curdy texture, which is normal and is part of what makes this version simple to assemble. Small-curd cottage cheese tends to blend more evenly with the Parmesan. For a smoother filling, pulse the cottage cheese briefly or replace some of it with ricotta; blending it for too long can make it runnier.

Why are my no-boil noodles still firm?
They may not have had enough moisture or enough covered baking time. Check that the sauce reaches the edges and covers the top layer, seal the foil tightly for the first 35 minutes, and test the center with a thin knife before taking the dish out. If the noodles remain firm, cover the pan again and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, checking once more.

Can I assemble this lasagna ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Because the dish will start cold, it may need about 10 to 15 additional minutes in the oven; keep it covered until the noodles are tender, then uncover to brown the cheese. If you assemble it in a cold glass dish, let the dish sit at room temperature briefly while the oven heats, and do not put cold glass straight into a hot oven unless its manufacturer says it is safe.

Can I make the lasagna without meat?
Yes. Omit the beef and use the mushroom-and-zucchini variation above, or simply make the sauce with marinara and an extra 1/2 cup (120 ml) water if you are not adding vegetables. Taste the sauce for seasoning and make sure it remains loose enough to hydrate the noodles. The meatless casserole may finish a little sooner, so begin checking the noodles after the covered bake.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).