Last Updated on September 26, 2025 by PorchLightReading
Zucchini lasagna recipe with a cottage cheese filling. Skip the noodles and try this hearty dinner idea for a spin on the classic dish!
I love a good hearty dish as much as the next person, but sometimes a can get a little tired of how heavy pasta can be. Of course I still crave a good comforting dish, as do the kiddos, so we started making this zucchini lasagna recipe and it’s every bit as delicious even with no pasta noodles!
No lasagna noodles? That’s right. This dish is using zucchini as the noodles and although you might notice a slight difference, it’s one you won’t mind because your jeans might just feel a little better.
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- Table of contents: Zucchini lasagna recipe with a cottage cheese filling
- Ingredients
- How to make zucchini lasagna
- How to avoid a watery zucchini lasagna
- Substations and variations
- Jump to recipe
Zucchini Lasagna With Cottage Cheese
A lighter version of lasagna still with gooey cheese and a hearty beef sauce. The zucchini “noodles” are easy to prepare and layer so beautifully, that you won’t believe how easy this dish comes together!
- Skip the noodles without missing the flavor.
- Using cottage cheese adds protein.
- Great way to sneak in extra vegetables
- Easily customizable with things you may already have on hand.
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini (You may not need all three zucchini but it’s nice to have a little extra while learning how to slice them into ⅛ inch slices.)
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 24 oz pasta sauce
- 15 oz cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- ½cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
How To Make Zucchini Lasagna
Prep zucchini- Slice the zucchini lengthwise about ⅛ inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and salt lightly. Let sit 20 minutes and pat dry. This helps prevent your lasagna from becoming too watery and is an essential step for a good zucchini lasagna.
Cook the meat sauce- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook until soft. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in pasta sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cheese mixture- Combine 15 oz cottage cheese, egg, ½ cup Parmesan, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. onion powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
Layer the lasagna- Spread a little of the sauce mixture on the bottom of an 9×13 baking dish. Add zucchini slices along the bottom of the dish. Spread the cottage cheese mixture on top the the zucchini, along with a layer of sauce followed by a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.
Repeat the layering until you reach the top of the dish. Finishing with a layer of meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 375℉- Bake in a preheated oven at 375℉ for 30 minutes coved with foil. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is a golden color. Let sit 10 minutes before serving to allow to cool slighting and firm up.
How To Avoid a Watery Zucchini Lasagna
Zucchini lasagna has a tendency to get a little watery if not prepped properly. To avoid a watery lasagna you’ll want to make sure you don’t skip the prepping before layering the zucchini.
- Salt and dry- After slicing the zucchini into 1/8 inch slices, lay on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Salt the zucchini and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Pat dry before using. Salting the zucchini helps to draw out the water and allowing it to sit makes sure that all the excess water is removed for the best texture possible.
- Use a thick sauce- Generally I like to get every bit out of my tomato sauce jar by adding a bit of water to the glass. However, this will only add to a watery lasagna. As much as you want to, resist the urge and stick to a thicker sauce.
- Removing the foil– Bake an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered to allow for the extra moisture to escape and the cheese to turn to a golding color.
Substitutions and Variations
This recipe is so versatile and you can really substitute for a lot you may already have on hand. Have some ground turkey? Use that for your sauce instead of beef!
- Cottage cheese swap: Looking to keep it more of a classic recipe? Skip the cottage cheese and use ricotta instead. Or blend the cottage cheese to make it more creamy like ricotta.
- Meat options: Swap the ground beef or ground turkey or chicken.
- Vegetarian night: Skip the meat and have a vegetarian dinner night! Try adding chickpeas or lentils to the sauce.
Although we still do like using regular pasta noodles from time to time, we love how light and delicious this homemade dish is. It’s a mix of comfort food with a healthier alternative ingredient. Not to mention it reheats for leftover perfectly! And we all like that because mama is taking a bit of a break for dinner the next day. Maybe we’ll make a nice apple salad to go with it.
Recipe Card
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 25 oz pasta sauce
- 15 oz cottage cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise about 1/8 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and salt lightly. Let sit 20 minutes and pat dry. This helps prevent your lasagna from becoming too watery and is an essential step for a good zucchini lasagna.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic and cook until soft. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in pasta sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine 15 oz cottage cheese, egg, ½ cup Parmesan, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. onion powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Spread a little of the sauce mixture on the bottom of an 9×13 baking dish. Add zucchini slices along the bottom of the dish.
- Spread the cottage cheese mixture on top the the zucchini, along with a layer of sauce followed by a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layering until you reach the top of the dish. Finishing with a layer of meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375℉ for 30 minutes coved with foil.
- Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is a golden color.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving to allow to cool slighting and firm up.
Notes
Nutrition
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