Ingredients
Vegetables and Oil
- 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
Cheese Mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Other
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles (adjusted as needed to fit)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the lasagna.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped carrots, red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables turn golden on the edges, about 8–12 minutes.
- Cook Spinach: Add handfuls of the baby spinach to the skillet, stirring frequently until wilted. Repeat until all spinach is cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Tomato Sauce: Drain excess liquid from the diced tomatoes using a fine mesh sieve. Transfer drained tomatoes to a food processor. Add ¼ cup chopped basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse about 10 times until sauce reaches a spreadable consistency. Transfer sauce to a bowl and set aside.
- Blend Cottage Cheese: Rinse the food processor. Add half the cottage cheese (1 cup) and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the smooth cottage cheese to a mixing bowl.
- Chop Vegetables: Add the cooked vegetable and spinach mixture to the food processor. Pulse 5–7 times until finely chopped but not puréed. Scrape down sides as needed. Transfer to the bowl with the blended cottage cheese.
- Combine Cheese Mixture: Add remaining cottage cheese, ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste), and freshly ground black pepper to the bowl. Stir well to combine all the cheese and vegetable ingredients.
- Assemble First Layer: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 no-boil lasagna noodles on top, trimming or overlapping to fit if necessary. Spread half the cheese and vegetable mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce and sprinkle ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.
- Assemble Second Layer: Add 3 more noodles on top of the cheese layer. Spread the remaining cheese and vegetable mixture evenly (without tomato sauce). Sprinkle another ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Assemble Top Layer: Place the final 3 noodles on top. Spread ¾ cup tomato sauce evenly over the noodles and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. You may have a bit of sauce left over.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish with parchment paper or foil, making sure it does not touch the cheese. Bake covered for 18 minutes.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the cover, rotate the dish 180 degrees, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the top is spotty golden brown and bubbling.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes to set. Garnish with additional fresh basil, then slice and serve.
Notes
- No-boil lasagna noodles are used for convenience; adjust noodle quantity to fit the baking dish as needed.
- Be careful not to let the parchment or foil cover touch the cheese to prevent sticking.
- You can add other vegetables such as mushrooms or eggplant if desired.
- Allowing the lasagna to cool before slicing helps the layers set and makes serving easier.
- For a richer flavor, you can substitute regular cottage cheese or add some ricotta.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
