What do you call fake spaghetti?
An Im-pasta! 😂
Speaking of pasta, let’s talk about one of my all-time favorites—lasagna!
I first fell in love with this dish when my husband and I were on a major cottage cheese kick. But as someone who’s lactose-sensitive, I kept running into Pinterest recipes boasting extra creamy or cheesiest-ever pasta dishes (a nightmare for my stomach, I know 🙁). That’s why I adjust the mozzarella and Parmesan in this recipe to my liking—Kaleb just adds extra when he heats his portion!
What I love about this lasagna is that it’s hearty but not overloaded with dairy 🐄. The cottage cheese makes it rich without being too heavy. Sometimes we’ll even use sliced mozzarellas instead of shredded for more flavor. We don’t make it super often, but when we do, it’s perfect for meal prep! It usually lasts us about 4–5 days (because, trust me, it goes fast).
Best part? The prep is simple—the hardest part is chopping spinach and boiling noodles. Let’s get cooking! 👩🏻🍳
THE GOODS – Ingredients:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 5–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- 32 oz. spaghetti sauce
- 5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 5 oz. grated Parmesan, divided
- 8 oz. shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided
- 24 oz. 4% milkfat cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- Garlic salt and black pepper (to taste)
- Dash of dried basil and rosemary
THE ACTION – Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, brown ground beef, crumbling as it cooks. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook for 1 minute. Stir in spaghetti sauce.
- In a bowl, mix chopped spinach, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, cottage cheese, eggs, garlic salt, black pepper, basil, and rosemary.
- Lightly grease a 9×13” baking dish and spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom.
- Layer as follows:
- 3 lasagna noodles
- 1/3 spinach mixture
- 1/2 cup meat sauce
- Repeat twice more
- Top with final 3 noodles, remaining sauce, and cheeses.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for 5 minutes to get a golden, bubbly top.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing—this helps keep those perfect layers intact! Garnish with extra Parmesan and enjoy!
Voila! A lasagna even Garfield would approve of! 😻
Pair it with some garlic bread or a fresh side salad, and you’ve got a meal that’s sure to impress.
Tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments how you made it your own! Would you swap in different cheeses or add extra veggies? I’d love to hear your take! 👀
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