This Cottage Cheese Lasagna Is High-Protein And Irresistibly Creamy - Tasting Table

"Warm, rich, and cheesy lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. There are many ways to make lasagna, and they're all layered and satisfying. While lasagna usually calls for ricotta, cottage cheese is a valid option to add protein without changing the flavor or texture too much. Cottage cheese haters, please keep reading. You can't even tell it's in there: The cheese is blended smooth first, so it's lump-free, and the flavor melds perfectly with the rest of the ingredients, as ricotta does in traditional lasagna."

"Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for cottage cheese lasagna that doesn't require hours in the kitchen. In fact, it can be prepped in less than 30 minutes. The recipe calls for oven-ready noodles, which eliminates the fussy steps of boiling regular noodles and laying them out so they don't stick together. It also calls for tomato puree, so there's no need to spend time making sauce, although you can substitute tomato sauce if you prefer a heartier flavor."

"Layers of tomato puree, noodles, cottage cheese flavored with Parmesan and parsley, and cubed mozzarella make up the body of the dish. The top layer contains all three cheeses. The cottage cheese and mozzarella create a beautiful melted, swirly pattern on top, and the grated Parmesan bakes to golden brown, slightly crispy perfection. Enjoy the recipe as is or, if you prefer a taller lasagna, pick up extra ingredients and double up the layers."

Lasagna can use blended cottage cheese instead of ricotta to add protein without altering flavor or texture. Blending removes lumps and allows the cottage cheese to meld with other ingredients. The dish uses oven-ready noodles to skip boiling, and tomato puree eliminates the need to make sauce, though tomato sauce can be substituted. Layers include tomato puree, noodles, cottage cheese mixed with Parmesan and parsley, and cubed mozzarella, with all three cheeses on top. The mozzarella and cottage cheese form a melted swirly top while grated Parmesan crisps and browns. Layers can be doubled for a taller lasagna, and pecorino may replace Parmesan.

Read at Tasting Table