Start water for the noodles and cook them according to package directions, then set aside to cool slightly. While the water heats, prepare all your vegetables by dicing the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, the bell pepper and zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces, and finely dicing the onion. Mince the garlic and chop the fresh basil. Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Heat 2.5 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, and onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, cooking for 8-12 minutes until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize slightly, stirring occasionally. Add the spinach and cook for another 3 minutes until wilted. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor and pulse 5-7 times until roughly chopped but still textured—you want some vegetable pieces visible, not a puree.

In a blender, combine the drained diced tomatoes, fresh basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano. Blend until smooth, creating a vibrant sauce with visible herbs. I like to drain the tomatoes well before blending to control the sauce consistency—this prevents the lasagna from becoming watery.

Blend 1 cup of the cottage cheese until completely smooth, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the pulsed cooked vegetables from Step 2 to the blended cottage cheese and mix well. Fold in the remaining 1.5 cups cottage cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. The filling should have a creamy base with visible vegetable pieces throughout. I prefer to keep some of the cottage cheese chunky rather than fully blending it—it gives the lasagna better texture and helps prevent it from becoming too dense.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato-basil sauce from Step 3 on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 3 cooked noodles over the sauce, breaking them to fit as needed. Spread half of the cottage cheese filling from Step 4 over the noodles, then pour 3/4 cup sauce over it and sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Add another layer of 3 noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese filling, another 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, then the final 3 noodles. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup sauce and 1 cup mozzarella, spreading everything evenly to the edges.

Cover the assembled lasagna with foil and bake at 425°F for 18 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving—this resting period allows the lasagna to set and makes it much easier to slice cleanly without falling apart.