Dutch Oven Lasagna With Cottage Cheese
This Dutch Oven Lasagna is everything you want from a classic - rich, cozy, and deeply savory - but lighter and more balanced thanks to a high-protein cottage cheese filling. It's meat-forward, not overly cheesy, and baked and layered entirely in one Dutch oven for an easy, one-pot dinner with perfectly tender layers every time.
Servings: 6
Calories: 699kcal
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Dried Marjoram
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 lb Ground Beef grass-fed
- ½ lb Italian Sausage
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce
Cottage Cheese Filling
- 16 oz Cottage Cheese low fat
- 1 Egg
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
Assembly
- 10 Lasagna Sheets gluten-free
- 4 slices Provolone Cheese
Instructions
- Par-Cook the Noodles: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna sheets and cook for about 3 minutes, just until they're flexible but still quite underdone. Drain and lay them flat on a towel or parchment so they don't stick together. Set aside while you make the sauce.10 Lasagna Sheets
- Start the Meat Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, oregano, marjoram, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ Yellow Onion, 3 Cloves Garlic, 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, ½ teaspoon Dried Marjoram, ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Brown the Meat: Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the Dutch oven. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully browned and no pink remains. Season with sea salt and black pepper.1 lb Ground Beef, ½ lb Italian Sausage, ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Simmer the Sauce: Stir in 24 oz of marinara sauce and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, just long enough for the flavors to come together. You want the sauce slightly loose since it will continue to thicken as the lasagna bakes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then remove from the heat, scoop into a large bowl, and set aside.24 oz Marinara Sauce
- Make the Cottage Cheese Filling: As the sauce is simmering, add the cottage cheese, egg, sea salt, black pepper, dried basil, and Parmesan to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, then stir in the chopped parsley by hand. Set aside.16 oz Cottage Cheese, 1 Egg, ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt, ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper, 3 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
- Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spoon a thin layer of meat sauce into the bottom of the Dutch oven to keep the noodles from sticking. Add a layer of noodles, followed by the cottage cheese mixture and more meat sauce. Repeat the layers until everything is used, finishing with a generous layer of sauce on top. Lay the sliced provolone evenly over the sauce.4 slices Provolone Cheese
- Bake: Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling around the edges and the provolone is melted and lightly browned.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 25-30 minutes before slicing. This gives the layers time to set and makes serving much easier.
Notes
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Par-cook Jovial noodles for less time than you think - 3 minutes is the sweet spot. Otherwise, your noodles may get soggy as they cook in the Dutch Oven.
- Blending the cottage cheese fully is key to a creamy, ricotta-like texture.
- Resting time matters - don't skip it.
- A 7-quart Dutch oven gives the best results for layering and even baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 699kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1736mg | Potassium: 916mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1046IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 4mg
