Description
A hearty and comforting no-boil vegetable lasagna layered with a flavorful mix of roasted veggies, fresh spinach, homemade tomato-basil sauce, creamy cottage cheese, and melted mozzarella. This recipe offers a balanced Italian-inspired meal that’s quick to assemble, baked to perfection, and perfect for family dinners or casual gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Veggies and Spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach
Tomato Sauce
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Remaining Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the lasagna.
- Cook Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chopped carrots, red bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until veggies start to brown on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.
- Wilt Spinach: Add a few handfuls of baby spinach to the skillet. Stir frequently until wilted. Repeat in batches with remaining spinach until all is wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Tomato Sauce: Drain excess juice from the diced tomatoes using a fine mesh sieve. Transfer drained tomatoes to a food processor bowl. Add ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse about 10 times until tomatoes break down to a spreadable sauce. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Blend Cottage Cheese: Without rinsing the food processor, add half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop Veggies: Add the cooked veggies and spinach to the food processor. Pulse 5 to 7 times until finely chopped but not pureed. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the blended cottage cheese.
- Combine Mixture: Add the remaining cottage cheese on top. Season with ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine all ingredients.
- Assemble Lasagna Layer 1: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top, trimming or overlapping as needed to fit. Layer half of the cottage cheese mixture over noodles, then top with ¾ cup tomato sauce and sprinkle ½ cup shredded mozzarella.
- Assemble Lasagna Layer 2: Add another 3 noodles, spread the remaining cottage cheese mixture evenly (without tomato sauce), and sprinkle with ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Assemble Lasagna Layer 3: Top with last 3 noodles. Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce evenly over the noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish with parchment paper or foil, ensuring it does not touch the cheese. Bake covered for 18 minutes.
- Uncover and Continue Baking: Remove the cover, rotate the pan 180 degrees for even baking, and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the top is bubbling and spotty brown.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to cool and set for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing.
- Serve: Garnish with additional fresh basil before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Lasagna noodles: Use no-boil lasagna noodles such as DeLallo’s Whole Wheat or Whole Foods 365 brand. For gluten-free options, substitute with gluten-free no-boil noodles and cook according to package directions if necessary.
- Vegetable Variations: Swap out or add vegetables like mushrooms or butternut squash to make about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding onion) for a varied flavor.
- Dairy Free/Vegan Option: Substitute cottage cheese with vegan sour cream, skip blending cottage cheese, blend spinach/veggies into vegan sour cream instead, omit mozzarella, and use tomato sauce for the top layer. Serve with vegan sour cream or basil pesto.
- Cooling Time: Allowing the lasagna to cool is essential for proper setting and easier slicing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of lasagna)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
