Easiest Lasagna with Cottage Cheese and Spinach (No Chopping!)
This is the easiest lasagna for those nights when you want an ultra cozy dinner without launching into a big cooking project. There's no chopping, no boiling noodles, and no homemade sauce to simmer. Just mix cottage cheese with frozen chopped spinach, layer it with oven-ready lasagna sheets, jarred marinara sauce, and grated cheese, and let the oven do its thing.
💪 Low effort and macro-friendly!
This lasagna takes less than 15 minutes of hands-on effort and makes 6 satisfying portions, with leftovers that are great for freezing.
Plus: it packs a whopping 38 grams of protein per slice, at under 450 calories!
Why this is the world's easiest lasagna
Lasagna usually involves a few different jobs before you even get to the layering and baking. This one skips most of them. Frozen chopped spinach means you don't need to bust out a knife and a cutting board, oven-ready noodles mean you don't need a pot of boiling water, and a jar of marinara takes care of the sauce.
It's also designed around convenient package sizes:
- One large jar of marinara
- a 750-gram container of cottage cheese
- a 320-gram bag of grated cheese.
Package sizes vary, of course, but if yours match, you can use the whole thing without leaving a spoonful of this and a handful of that in the fridge.
The cottage cheese makes the filling creamy and satisfying, with plenty of protein even without meat. And because this recipe makes six portions, if you're a smaller family (or live alone) you can have dinner now and freeze a few portions for another day. The two-cup Souper Cubes are handy for this.
One thing to know: this is a lasagna for cottage cheese lovers. There is a lot of cottage cheese in here. It can't be ignored.
Ingredients needed
- 8-9 oven-ready lasagna sheets: These go straight into the baking dish, with no boiling required.
- 750 grams 1% cottage cheese: The base of the spinach filling.
- 500 grams frozen chopped spinach: Thawed and lightly squeezed to remove excess water.
- 2 eggs: Mixed into the filling to help it hold together.
- 1 teaspoon salt: For seasoning the spinach and cottage cheese mixture.
- Black pepper, to taste: This one's totally up to you.
- Nutmeg, to taste: A classic flavor combo with spinach and cheese.
- 320 grams grated mozzarella or a mozzarella-cheddar blend: For the layers and the cheesy topping. You can grate this yourself, or get the pre-grated bagged kind.
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese: Divided between the layers and the top.
- 650 grams marinara sauce: About one large jar of your favorite brand. You can, of course, make it yourself if you'd like. Here's my basic marinara recipe.
- ½ teaspoon olive oil or a little oil spray: For the parchment paper that covers the lasagna.
A quick note about the spinach
You'll need to fully thaw the spinach before mixing the filling, and give it a light squeeze to remove excess water, but you don't need to wring it completely dry. The oven-ready noodles need moisture to soften as they bake.
Which cheese should I use?
Mozzarella gives you a mild, stretchy topping. A mozzarella-cheddar blend adds a little more flavour. Pre-grated cheese keeps this recipe simple, so use whichever you prefer. You can also use part-skim mozzarella or a lower fat cheese blend if you prefer.
How to make the easiest lasagna
Step 1: Make the spinach and cottage cheese filling
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, thawed and lightly squeezed spinach, eggs, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until everything is evenly mixed.
Step 2: Layer the lasagna
Use a baking dish that can comfortably hold the layers, with room at the top for bubbling. Depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your noodles, you'll use two or three sheets in the first layer. Break the sheets to fit if needed, and avoid stacking several pieces on top of one another.
Build the layers in this order:
- Spread one-third of the marinara over the bottom of the dish.
- Add two or three lasagna sheets.
- Spread over half of the spinach and cottage cheese filling.
- Sprinkle with one-quarter of the grated cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Add three more lasagna sheets, followed by one-third of the marinara.
- Spread over the remaining spinach and cottage cheese filling.
- Sprinkle with one-quarter of the grated cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Add three more lasagna sheets, then cover with the remaining marinara.
- Finish with the remaining grated cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Step 3: Cover and bake
Lightly oil a piece of parchment paper and place it oil-side down over the lasagna. Wrap the dish tightly with foil. The parchment helps keep the cheese from sticking to the cover, while the foil traps the steam that helps cook the noodles.
Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and parchment. Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden, the sauce is bubbling, and the noodles are tender. If the noodles still feel firm when pierced with a knife, cover the dish again and give it more time.
4. Let it rest (unless you want a very sloppy lasagna!)
Let the lasagna rest for about 10-15 minutes before cutting it into six portions. It'll be easier to serve, and you won't have molten sauce and cheese sliding all over your plate. A simple green salad is a great thing to have alongside it, but there's already spinach in the lasagna, so keep dinner as simple as you like.
How to store and reheat lasagna
To store in the fridge: Divide leftover lasagna into shallow, airtight containers and refrigerate it within two hours of cooking. Store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Don't leave the whole dish on the counter for hours waiting for it to cool completely.
To store in the freezer: Freeze cooked lasagna in individual portions for easy future dinners. Once the portions are chilled, transfer them to freezer-safe containers, or freeze them in two-cup Souper Cubes and move the frozen portions into a freezer bag. Label with the date and use within 2-3 months for the best quality.
Thaw portions overnight in the fridge when possible. You can also reheat from frozen, but they'll take longer to heat all the way through.
Reheating in the microwave: Put a portion in a microwave-safe dish and cover loosely with a microwave-safe lid. Heat in short intervals until hot throughout, checking the centre as well as the edges. A small splash of water around the edge can help keep the pasta from drying out.
Reheating in the oven: Place the lasagna in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and reheat at 350°F (175°C) until hot throughout. Remove the foil near the end if you want to freshen up the cheesy topping. Reheating time depends on the size of the portion and whether it starts chilled or frozen.
For either method, reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C) in the center. If reheating from frozen, use a dish suitable for that temperature change, rather than moving a frozen glass dish straight into a hot oven.
Frequently asked questions
It skips chopping, boiling noodles, and making sauce from scratch. Frozen chopped spinach, cottage cheese, oven-ready lasagna sheets, jarred marinara, and pre-grated cheese keep the hands-on work to less than 15 minutes once the spinach is thawed. It still needs about an hour in the oven, so it's low-effort rather than a 15-minute dinner.
It's a lazy lasagna in the sense that it takes very little effort. Many recipes called lazy lasagna use ravioli instead of lasagna sheets, or turn the dish into a skillet pasta. This version keeps the familiar layers and uses oven-ready lasagna noodles to save a step.
No, they're designed to cook in the sauce as the lasagna bakes. Cover the dish tightly during the first part of baking and keep the noodles covered with filling or sauce. Check your noodle package too, since brands can have different liquid requirements.
Yes, but cook them according to the package instructions before layering. Regular dry noodles aren't a direct swap for oven-ready noodles in this recipe.
You can, but ricotta is usually thicker and less moist, so it won't behave exactly the same way. This recipe is written for cottage cheese, and the filling's moisture helps the oven-ready noodles cook. If you prefer ricotta, check the noodle package's liquid guidance and be prepared for a different filling texture.
Yep. Brown and season one pound of lean ground beef, pork, or turkey, drain any excess fat, and divide it between the filling layers. Don't add raw ground meat to the assembled lasagna.
They may need more moisture, more time, or a tighter cover. Thick sauce, exposed noodle edges, and loosely wrapped foil can all make it harder for oven-ready noodles to soften. Cover the dish again and continue baking until tender. Check your noodle package for any brand-specific instructions.
Yes, cooked cottage cheese lasagna freezes well in individual portions. Chill it promptly, pack it in airtight freezer-safe containers, and use within two to three months for the best quality. Reheat until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
The meat-free version can be made lacto-ovo vegetarian, depending on your cheese. Some Parmesan and other cheeses use animal rennet, so choose vegetarian-labelled cheeses if that matters to you.
Still hungry?
If you're in the mood for another simple pasta dinner, try my Creamy Blue Cheese Pasta with Lemon and Walnuts or Simple Summer Spaghetti. You can also browse all my pasta recipes for more dinner ideas.
Easiest Lasagna with Cottage Cheese and Spinach (No Chopping!)
Equipment
- Baking dish 9 x 12
- Parchment paper
- Tinfoil
- mixing bowl to mix the cottage cheese and spinach
- spoons and spatulas for scooping and spreading
Ingredients
- 9 oven-ready lasagna sheets enough for 3 layers, depending on the size of the sheets
- 750 g cottage cheese 1% or 2%
- 500 g frozen chopped spinach thawed and lightly squeezed to remove excess water (weight before thawing)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Ground nutmeg to taste
- 320 g grated mozzarella or mozzarella-cheddar blend divided
- 6 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 650 g marinara sauce 1 large jar, divided
- ½ teaspoon olive oil or a little oil spray for the parchment paper
Instructions
Setup
- Before you start cooking, make sure your spinach is fully thawed. I tend to leave it in the fridge overnight, but you can also immerse the bag into room temperature water to thaw it faster.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Have a 9 × 12-inch baking dish ready.
- Lightly squeeze out the excess water from the defrosted spinach. In a large bowl, mix the spinach, cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
It's layering time!
- Spread one-third of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the dish. Add a single layer of lasagna sheets, using 2-3 sheets as needed to fit. Break the sheets to fit if necessary, and avoid overlapping them too much. Spread half the spinach filling over the pasta, then sprinkle with 60 g of the grated cheese and 2 tablespoon Parmesan.
- Add another single layer of lasagna sheets. Spread with half the remaining marinara sauce, then the rest of the spinach filling. Sprinkle with another 60 g of grated cheese and 2 tablespoon Parmesan.
- Add the final layer of lasagna sheets. Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the pasta, covering the sheets right to the edges. Top with the remaining 100 g grated cheese and 2 tablespoon Parmesan.
Cover and Bake
- Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the lasagna. Lightly brush or spray one side with oil, then place it oil-side down over the cheese. Cover the top of the baking dish with foil, crimping it tightly around the edges to trap the steam.
- Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the lasagna from the oven, take off the foil and parchment and bake for another 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden, the sauce is bubbling, and the pasta is tender all the way through. If it's not as brown as you like, move it up to the top rack and broil the top for a few minutes. (Be careful with the broiler. It's easy to burn the top if you're not paying attention!
- Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting it into 6 portions.
Notes
- Keep the dish tightly covered during the first stage of baking so the pasta can fully cook.
- Be careful if you decide to broil the top. Keep your eye on it so it doesn't burn!
- If you want to add meat, you can add 1lb of seasoned, cooked ground beef, pork, or turkey to the marinara sauce.
