Cottage cheese lasagna skeptics, hear us out. Unlike ricotta, which can turn chalky, small-curd, whole-milk cottage cheese stays moist through the long bake. And when mixed with nutty Parmesan, melty Fontina, eggs, and garlic, it makes an exceptionally creamy lasagna filling.
A combination of ground beef and hot Italian sausage brings plenty of flavor and richness to the meat sauce, while tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce give canned tomatoes long-simmered depth without the long simmer. Keep the sauce loose: That extra moisture is what cooks the regular dried lasagna noodles right in the baking dish. (Yep, no boiling required.)
This may not be nonna’s classic (we’ve got BA’s Best Lasagna for that), but it’s deeply savory, exceptionally cheesy, and considerably easier to assemble.
Cottage cheese lasagna FAQs
What kind of cottage cheese should I use?
Whole-milk cottage cheese is nonnegotiable. Lighter versions can make the lasagna watery and less flavorful. We prefer small-curd for texture, but large-curd works just fine if that’s what you have. Read more about our staff favorite cottage cheese brand:
The Cottage Cheese Brand Our Staff Is Obsessed With
Do you have to boil lasagna noodles before baking?
Regular dried lasagna noodles go directly into the baking dish—no boiling or soaking required. The relatively loose tomato sauce provides enough moisture to cook the noodles until al dente as the lasagna bakes.
Can I make cottage cheese lasagna ahead of time?
Yes. The baked lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Let it cool completely, cover loosely with foil, and reheat, covered, in a 325° oven for 30–45 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also make the meat sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container; there’s no need to reheat it before assembling the lasagna, but you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.
You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked lasagna for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
Can I use ground turkey?
Absolutely. Swap the ground beef for ground dark meat turkey and the pork sausage for Italian-style turkey sausage. Because poultry is leaner, add an extra drizzle of olive oil if the pan looks dry.
Recipe information
Ingredients
Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
oz. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more
Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste
28-oz. can plus 1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes
tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided, plus more
oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 3 cups), divided
oz. Fontina cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
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Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook 1 lb. ground beef (20% fat) and 8 oz. hot Italian sausage, casings removed, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until well browned and cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a medium bowl, leaving fat behind.
Step 2
Add 2 large onions, finely chopped, 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt to same pot; if pot looks dry, add up to 1 Tbsp. more oil. Cook, stirring often, until onions are translucent and golden around the edges, 8–10 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste and 1 Tbsp. dried oregano; cook, stirring constantly, until paste is brick red and beginning to stick to bottom of pot, 5–8 minutes. Return meat to pot.
Step 3
Add one 28-oz. can plus one 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. sugar, and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper to pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot. Remove from heat and stir in 2 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1 cup). Taste tomato sauce and season with more salt if needed.
Step 4
Toss 12 oz. Fontina cheese, grated (about 3 cups), and remaining 4 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 2 cups), in a large bowl to combine; measure out 1 cup cheese and set aside for topping. Add 2 large eggs, 24 oz. whole-milk cottage cheese, and remaining 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper to remaining cheese in bowl. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon until combined.
Step 5
Arrange 3 regular dried lasagna noodles in a single layer in a 13×9″ baking dish. (If noodles are long, arrange parallel to long sides of baking dish; if noodles are short, arrange parallel to short sides of baking dish. Don’t worry about any gaps—noodles will swell as they cook.) Spread 1½ cups tomato sauce over noodles. Scatter one third of Fontina mixture evenly over sauce (mixture will be stiff; use hands to break off small pieces and scatter over sauce). Starting with another layer of noodles, repeat process, creating 4 layers of noodles in total and ending with a layer of tomato sauce. Top lasagna with reserved cheese.
Step 6
Place baking dish on a large rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake lasagna until sauce is bubbling around the edges, top is golden brown, and noodles are al dente (insert a skewer into center of lasagna to check), 75–85 minutes. Let sit at least 15 minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Lasagna can be baked 2 days ahead. Let cool completely; cover loosely with foil and chill. Reheat, covered, in a 325° oven until warmed through, 30–45 minutes.
Editor’s note:This cottage cheese lasagna recipe was first printed in September 2023. It has been updated for style.
DinnerMainNut-FreeMake AheadOven BakeItalian AmericanAmericanLasagnaPasta & NoodlesGround BeefBeefMeatSausageCanned TomatoTomatoVegetableParmesanCheeseFontina
