Today we are in the mood for something warm, cozy, and filling. Our bodies crave this kind of food in the winter time, which is why this is a staple in our house during colder months. We use cottage cheese, zucchini, pork & beef, and a whole host of spices and herbs in this homemade lasagna. If you are like us and love a hearty dinner, you will love this homemade lasagna recipe. This recipe has been tested and proven a success each time – but there are a few secrets to getting the perfect texture and taste. Today I am sharing all our lasagna tips, tricks, and secrets so you can enjoy this recipe all year long.
Why we Love this
If you’ve seen some of my other recipes, like the instant pot sausage soup with kale and potatoes, you’ll see that I love to make balanced meals. And it’s a bonus when all ingredients fit into one pot or pan! I love this lasagna because it has protein, fiber, and grain all in one. So, it’s a complete meal on it’s own. I still serve this with a full bowl of kale salad which we do most nights, though. Like most of you I’m sure, we are big eaters! We eat a lot of food. So the other reason I love this recipe is that it makes great leftovers, or you can even freeze it for another time.
Tips for Making Homemade Lasagna
First, I do recommend boiling your own lasagna noodles. You can buy noodles that are ready for baking and skip the boiling step, but I like boiling the noodles because you can control the el-dente texture which is preserved when baking.
Next, trust the cottage cheese! When I first started making this recipe, my Italian husband said, no way are we putting cottage cheese in that. Of course, that was before he ate the meal. Now, he says, that is the best key ingredient. So if you are like us and are very picky about your pastas, you might want to just give this a try. We love it!
Third, and most importantly, DO NOT OMIT THE OLIVE OIL from the boiling water. The secret to perfect lasagna noodles is olive oil in the boiling water and cooking el dente. Also, make sure you are gentle when you drain the noodles after boiling. This is not a step to do in a rush. Be careful with the noodles so they stay flexible and strong and not falling apart. If you omit the oil, the noodles might stick together, and you don’t want that!
Lastly, I suggest freshly grating your cheese. If you did not know, pre-shredded or grated cheese at the grocery store contains chemicals which prevent it from sticking together and preserve it longer. Therefore, we always buy whole cheese blocks and freshly grate it when we can. Plus, have you have freshly grated parmesan cheese? It is ten times tastier than store-bought, pre-grated cheese.
You will need:
- 9 x 13 inch glass baking pan
- one large mixing bowl
- Dutch oven or similar stovetop pot
- large pasta boiling pot
- cutting board and chopping knife
Ingredients:
- olive oil for drizzling in the boiling water
- 1 package lasagna noodles. I recommend getting the raw noodles that require boiling.
For the Meat Mixture:
- Meat: roughly 1/2 pound each of grass-fed organic ground beef & pork
- 1 organic zucchini, cut into fourths
- Roughly 1/2 of a white onion, chopped or minced
- 1 large garlic or 2 medium garlics, chopped
- 1 can (8 oz) of tomato sauce and 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes. We like the organic fire-roasted kind!
- Fresh Italian parsley chopped – about 1 tablespoon
- Dried herbs: 1/2 tsp of dried oregano & onion powder, and 1 1/2 tsp of dried basil. I also included some real herbs that I had frozen since summer. You’ll also need 1 1/2 tsp of salt and several grinds of pepper.
- 1/8 tsp white sugar
For the Cottage Cheese Mixture:
- 1 pound (16 oz) of cottage cheese. We like the Nancy’s brand because it contains probiotics.
- 3 eggs (farm fresh if possible)
- about a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- One teaspoon chopped parsley
- 2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper
Other:
- One pound (16 oz) freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- Coconut oil for spreading on baking dish
How to Make Homemade Lasagna
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Do not omit the olive oil!
Step 2: Add your pork and beef to a medium-sized pot on the stove. I like to use a Dutch oven. Sauté the meat until brown on all sides.
Step 3: Chop up the zucchini into fourths and add to the meat pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine your cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Step 5: Add your lasagna noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions, but air on the side of el dente because the noodles will continue to cook later on in the oven. When finished, drain the noodles and carefully lay them flat on a plate.
Step 6: To the meat mixture, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, onion, garlic, oregano, onion powder, sugar, basil, and salt. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer (about a level 4 on my electric stove) and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 7: Shred your mozzarella cheese and set aside.
Step 8: Lightly spread coconut oil on a 9X13 glass baking pan. Add two layers of 3 lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan (6 noodles total). Then, add half of your cottage cheese mixture, followed by half of your mozzarella cheese, and then half of your meat mixture. Repeat, starting with another set of two layers of 3 lasagna noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and meat.
Step 9: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes.
Watch: How to Make Homemade Lasagna
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Homemade Homestead Lasagna
This is our go-to pasta recipe for cold winter nights. We love this homemade lasagna because it is hearty, juicy, and makes great leftovers too. I know you and your family will love this homestead lasagna recipe!
- olive oil for drizzling in the boiling water
- 1 package lasagna noodles. I recommend getting the raw noodles that require boiling.
For the Meat Mixture:
- 1/2 pound grass-fed ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 organic zucchini (cut into fourths)
- 1/2 cup white onion (chopped or minced)
- 1 large garlic or 2 medium garlics (chopped)
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes. We like the organic fire-roasted kind!
- 1 TBSP Fresh Italian parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp of dried basil
- optional: More herbs as desired. I also include some herbs that I had frozen since summer.
- 1 1/2 tsp of salt
- Black pepper
- 1/8 tsp white sugar
For the Cottage Cheese Mixture
- 1 pound cottage cheese. We like the Nancy's brand because it contains probiotics.
- 3 eggs farm fresh
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Other:
- 1 pound freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- Coconut oil for spreading on baking dish
First, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a large pinch of course salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Do not omit the olive oil!
Add your pork and beef to a medium sized pot on the stove. I like to use a Dutch oven for this. Sauté the meat until brown on all sides.
Chop up the zucchini into quarter-sized pieces and add to the meat pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the meat pot occasionally while browning.
In a large bowl, combine your cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix with a large wooden spoon.
Once your water is boiling, add your lasagna noodles to the boiling water. Cook according to package instructions, but air on the side of el dente because the noodles will continue to cook later on in the oven. Once lasagna noodles are cooked, drain them and lay them out flat on a plate to cool.
Once your meat is browned, add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, onion, garlic, oregano, onion powder, sugar, basil, and salt. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Shred your mozzarella cheese and set aside.
Lightly spread coconut oil on a 9X13 glass baking pan. Add two layers of 3 lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan (so, 6 noodles total). Then, add half of your cottage cheese mixture, followed by half of your mozzarella cheese, and then half of your meat mixture. Repeat, starting with another set of two layers of 3 lasagna noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and meat. You will do 2 full layers total.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes, and then take the foil off and bake another 10 minutes. Top with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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Thanks for stopping by the Homestead!
Angela says
You are making me hungry! I have to try this with the zucchini! Yummy 😋 Great recipe!
Alexa Gibbons says
Thanks Angela!
Sylvia says
Of course pre-shredded cheese has chemicals. I only buy the bricks because it’s more economical, but now I have another reason! In any case, this is going on my menu for next week 🙂
Alexa Gibbons says
Oh yes, isn’t that a bummer?! Not to mention it just tastes better when it’s freshly grated! Let me know how you like this!
Anja says
We love using more veggies in general and using zucchini in lasagna instead of the traditional pasta is such a great way of doing that! Thank you for a great recipe and beautiful pictures!
Alexa Gibbons says
Nice! We love having at least one veggie with every meal!
Marisa says
We love lasagna! I really like to see everyone’s take on such a delicious dish. Thanks for sharing!
Alexa Gibbons says
We do too, and this one is so good!
Laura says
Wow this is amazing! Best lasagna recipe ever! Thank you for sharing!
Alexa Gibbons says
Yum!! We love it!
Alissa says
This looks SO delicious, and we can easily sub gluten-free noodles for our Celiac family. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Alexa Gibbons says
So good! Let me know how you like it!