Description
This Spinach Lasagna is a delicious and wholesome vegetarian dish featuring layers of no-boil lasagna noodles, a smooth cottage cheese and spinach mixture, fresh tomato basil sauce, and melted mozzarella. Baked to bubbly perfection with a golden brown top, it’s a comforting meal perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Cottage Cheese and Spinach Mixture
- 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small-to-medium yellow onion, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Lasagna Assembly
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Sprinkle of additional chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the tomato sauce: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Drain excess juice from diced tomatoes in a mesh sieve for about a minute. Transfer tomatoes to a food processor bowl. Add basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes if using. Pulse about 10 times until a spreadable sauce forms. Set aside about 2 cups of this sauce in a bowl.
- Blend cottage cheese: Rinse the food processor bowl. Place half (1 cup) of the cottage cheese in the bowl and blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute. Transfer this smooth cottage cheese to a large mixing bowl; keep the food processor bowl for later steps.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add chopped onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook spinach: Add spinach in batches, cooking and stirring until wilted each time. Continue cooking and stirring frequently for 10-12 minutes until spinach is vastly reduced and most moisture evaporated.
- Chop spinach mixture: Transfer spinach mixture to the food processor and pulse 12-15 times to finely chop without pureeing. Return chopped spinach to large bowl with smooth cottage cheese. Add remaining cottage cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble lasagna - first layer: Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles over sauce, overlapping edges as needed. Spread half of the spinach mixture over noodles. Top with ½ cup tomato sauce and sprinkle ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Assemble lasagna - second layer: Add 3 more noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture evenly. Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded mozzarella. This layer does not get tomato sauce.
- Assemble lasagna - final layer: Add last 3 noodles. Spread remaining tomato sauce over noodles to cover. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake the lasagna: Cover the baking dish with parchment paper or tightly with aluminum foil without touching the cheese. Bake covered for 18 minutes. Remove cover, rotate pan 180°, and bake uncovered for an additional 12-17 minutes until the top is spotty brown and bubbly.
- Rest and serve: Remove lasagna from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil and slice to serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for longer storage. Reheat gently in microwave or oven as needed.
Notes
- Draining the diced tomatoes helps prevent a watery lasagna.
- No-boil noodles save prep time and absorb sauce well during baking.
- The spinach should be cooked thoroughly to remove excess moisture and avoid soggy layers.
- Cover lasagna during the first part of baking to keep moisture in, then uncover to get a browned, bubbly top.
- Leftovers reheat well and freezing single portions makes for convenient meals.
