Delicious Vegetarian Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

If you ask me, vegetarian lasagna is one of those dishes that makes everyone at the table happy.

This hearty meatless take on the classic Italian comfort food is packed with fresh vegetables like zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers. Layers of cottage cheese mixed with herbs replace the traditional ricotta for a lighter twist that tastes just as good.

The whole thing comes together with a simple homemade tomato sauce, tender spinach, and plenty of melted mozzarella on top. It’s the kind of meal that feels special but doesn’t require fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.

It’s filling enough to satisfy meat-eaters and vegetarians alike, perfect for a weekend dinner or when you’re feeding a crowd.

What Kind of Cottage Cheese Should I Use?

For vegetarian lasagna, you’ll want to grab a container of whole milk or full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest, most satisfying results. Small curd cottage cheese works great here because it spreads more easily between the lasagna layers and blends nicely with the other ingredients. If you only have large curd on hand, don’t worry – it’ll still work perfectly fine, though you might want to give it a quick stir or even a few pulses in a food processor to break it down a bit. Some people like to drain their cottage cheese if it seems really watery, but honestly, a little extra moisture in lasagna isn’t a bad thing since it helps keep everything from drying out in the oven.

Options for Substitutions

This vegetarian lasagna is really forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Cottage cheese: Ricotta cheese is the classic swap here and works perfectly without any adjustments. You can also use a mix of both for extra creaminess.
• Vegetables: Feel free to swap in whatever veggies you have on hand. Mushrooms, eggplant, yellow squash, or broccoli all work great. Just make sure to chop them to similar sizes so they cook evenly.
• Spinach: Fresh kale, Swiss chard, or even frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) work just as well. If using frozen, you’ll need about 10 ounces.
• Diced tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes or marinara sauce can replace the diced tomatoes. If using marinara, you might want to reduce the amount slightly since it’s already seasoned.
• Mozzarella cheese: Provolone or Italian cheese blend make good substitutes. You can also use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan for extra flavor.
• Lasagna noodles: Don’t skip the noodles – they’re essential for lasagna structure. However, you can use no-boil noodles if that’s what you have, just add a bit more liquid to the sauce.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making vegetarian lasagna is not draining your vegetables properly after cooking, which can lead to a watery casserole that won’t hold its shape when sliced – press them gently with paper towels or let them cool in a colander to remove excess moisture.

Another common error is skipping the resting time after baking, as those 15-20 minutes allow the layers to set and make cutting clean slices much easier instead of ending up with a messy pile on the plate.

Don’t forget to cover the lasagna tightly with foil during the first part of baking to prevent the noodles from drying out, and make sure your foil doesn’t touch the cheese by tenting it slightly or spraying it with cooking spray.

Finally, resist the urge to skip blending part of the cottage cheese – this step creates a creamier texture that binds the layers together better than using cottage cheese straight from the container.

What to Serve With Vegetarian Lasagna?

This veggie-packed lasagna is pretty filling on its own, but I always like to serve it with a simple side salad and some garlic bread for scooping up any extra sauce on the plate. A crisp Caesar salad or mixed greens with a light vinaigrette works perfectly to balance out the richness of the cheese and tomato layers. If you want to keep things easy, just warm up some crusty Italian bread with butter and garlic, or grab a baguette from the bakery. For a complete meal, you could also add some roasted vegetables on the side like Brussels sprouts or green beans, though honestly the lasagna already has plenty of veggies built right in.

Storage Instructions

Store: Leftover lasagna keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just cover it tightly with foil or transfer individual portions to airtight containers. I actually think it tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to meld together!

Freeze: This lasagna is perfect for freezing either before or after baking. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and it’ll keep for up to 3 months. You can freeze the whole pan or cut it into individual portions for easy grab-and-go meals.

Reheat: To reheat, cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. If you’re reheating from frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight first. For single portions, the microwave works great too – just heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1950-2150
• Protein: 95-110 g
• Fat: 95-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 oz spinach

For the tomato sauce:

• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the cheese filling:

• 16 oz cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the assembly:

• 9 lasagna noodles (parboiled until just pliable)
• 10 oz mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded)

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Preheat

• 3 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 3 garlic cloves

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

While the oven heats, dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, seed and dice the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the zucchini and onion into similar-sized pieces, and mince the garlic cloves.

Having everything prepped and ready before cooking ensures you won’t be rushed during the sauté phase.

Step 2: Sauté Vegetables and Wilt Spinach

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 oz spinach

Heat 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the diced carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, and onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and develop light color.

Add the spinach and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely wilted.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor.

Step 3: Build the Tomato-Basil Sauce

• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Drain the canned diced tomatoes well to remove excess liquid.

In a blender, combine the drained tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and dried oregano.

Blend until smooth but still slightly textured—you want some body to the sauce, not a completely puréed consistency.

Set aside.

Step 4: Create the Cottage Cheese-Vegetable Filling

• cooked vegetables from Step 2
• 16 oz cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

In the food processor with the cooked vegetables, blend 1 cup of the cottage cheese for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.

Add the remaining 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Pulse the processor 5-7 times until the vegetables are finely chopped and well combined with the cottage cheese—you want a chunky texture, not a smooth paste.

I find pulsing rather than continuous blending gives you better control over the texture and keeps the filling from becoming too dense.

Step 5: Assemble the Lasagna

• tomato-basil sauce from Step 3
• 9 lasagna noodles
• cottage cheese-vegetable filling from Step 4
• 10 oz mozzarella cheese

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-basil sauce from Step 3 evenly across the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Arrange 3 parboiled lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

Layer half of the cottage cheese-vegetable filling from Step 4 evenly over the noodles, followed by 3/4 cup more sauce and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

Add another layer of 3 noodles, then the remaining vegetable filling, and top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.

Finish with the final 3 noodles, the remaining 3/4 cup sauce, and the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella spread evenly across the top.

Step 6: Bake and Finish

• assembled lasagna from Step 5
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Cover the assembled lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 18 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes more until the cheese on top is melted and beginning to brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes—this resting time allows the lasagna to set so it will slice cleanly rather than fall apart.

I like to tent it loosely with foil while it rests to keep the top warm.

Top with fresh basil leaves if desired and serve.

Delicious Vegetarian Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

Delicious Delicious Vegetarian Lasagna with Cottage Cheese recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 27 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 2050 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the vegetables::

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots (diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7 oz spinach

For the tomato sauce::

• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the cheese filling::

• 16 oz cottage cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the assembly::

• 9 lasagna noodles (parboiled until just pliable)
• 10 oz mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 425°F. While the oven heats, dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, seed and dice the bell pepper into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the zucchini and onion into similar-sized pieces, and mince the garlic cloves. Having everything prepped and ready before cooking ensures you won't be rushed during the sauté phase.
• Heat 2.5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, and onion with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and develop light color. Add the spinach and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely wilted. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor.
• Drain the canned diced tomatoes well to remove excess liquid. In a blender, combine the drained tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Blend until smooth but still slightly textured—you want some body to the sauce, not a completely puréed consistency. Set aside.
• In the food processor with the cooked vegetables, blend 1 cup of the cottage cheese for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining 16 ounces of cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Pulse the processor 5-7 times until the vegetables are finely chopped and well combined with the cottage cheese—you want a chunky texture, not a smooth paste. I find pulsing rather than continuous blending gives you better control over the texture and keeps the filling from becoming too dense.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-basil sauce from Step 3 evenly across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 parboiled lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Layer half of the cottage cheese-vegetable filling from Step 4 evenly over the noodles, followed by 3/4 cup more sauce and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Add another layer of 3 noodles, then the remaining vegetable filling, and top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Finish with the final 3 noodles, the remaining 3/4 cup sauce, and the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella spread evenly across the top.
• Cover the assembled lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 18 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes more until the cheese on top is melted and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes—this resting time allows the lasagna to set so it will slice cleanly rather than fall apart. I like to tent it loosely with foil while it rests to keep the top warm. Top with fresh basil leaves if desired and serve.