The Best Lasagna (without Ricotta)

This easy meat lasagna recipe without cottage cheese is my personal favorite meat lasagna. Without ricotta cheese you get the pure cottage cheese and meat cheese texture full of creamy goodness.

So, this lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese is going to taste and feel heartier and different (but better!) than the regular lasagnas that you’ve had in the past but I have no doubt that you’ll love it! Introducing: My favorite lasagna recipe with cottage cheese, no ricotta. Enjoy!

This easy lasagna without ricotta cheese uses cottage cheese instead and although the ingredient list seems long, it’s deceiving.

This recipe is rather easy to put together and delicious!

The Best Lasagna (without Ricotta)

When my husband and I were first married I made lasagna. Turns out he doesn’t like ricotta cheese…. Whoops!

From there, I asked “can you make lasagna without ricotta cheese”? Is that a thing??

Turns out his mom made lasagna using cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese, and it turns out that it’s absolutely delicious!

I’ve been making this lasagna recipe without ricotta for years and it’s our favorite.

I hope that you can also find this to be one of your go-to family recipes as well!

Ingredients: Lasagna Recipe without Ricotta Cheese

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• ¾ pound lean ground beef
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves, divided
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons parsley
• 15 lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces of cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 24 slices mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Still wondering if you want to make this easy lasagna? I get that! It is simple, but you might also want to take a peek at my chicken alfredo lasagna  or this Crockpot lasagna with ravioli.

Directions for easy lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese:

• Brown sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic together
• Stir in all tomatoes and chicken broth/water
• To the meat and tomato mixture add: sugar, 2 tsp basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, I tsp salt, pepper and half of the parsley
• While this mixture simmers, soak lasagna noodles.
  • To do this: place lasagna noodles in a large rectangle dish of some sort.
  • Pour hot (close to boiling water) over noodles. Let noodles sit for 20-30 minutes in water
  • (You CAN use oven ready lasagna noodles instead and just make sure to let your lasagna wait to be cooked for 30 minutes or so to let noodles soak up liquids)
• In a third bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 T parsley
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Assemble lasagna:
• Spray 11×15 baking dish
• Spread 2 cups meat mixture
• Place 5 noodles on top (you may need to cut to fit)
• Spread 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture
• Place 8 mozzarella slices over cottage cheese
• Add 2 cups meat mixture over mozzarella
• Place 5 noodles on top
• Spread remaining cottage cheese mixture
• Place 8 mozzarella slices over cottage cheese
• Add 1 1/2 cups meat mixture over mozzarella
• Place 5 noodles on top
• Add remaining meat mixture over noodles
• Remaining mozzarella slices over meat sauce
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
• Garnish with remaining basil
• Spray foil with non-stick spray, place foil over lasagna.
• Let lasagna sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator if at all possible.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
• Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
• Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!