Everyone loves a good lasagna. It's the ultimate comfort food. This homemade four cheese lasagna combines ricotta, cottage cheese and plenty of gooey, melted cheese with layers of pasta and sauce. Bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
Lasagna has to be one of my favorite meals.
Pair it with a salad (try this Kale Apple Salad) and garlic bread for a great meal for a large group.
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Why you will love this recipe
- Lasagna is an easy dish to make and is great for serving a large group of people.
- Four cheese lasagna also freezes and reheats well, making it a great make-ahead freezer meal.
- Leftover lasagna tastes great. In fact, I think it tastes even better the next day.
Recipe Ingredients
Noodles
Lasagna Noodles: I prefer traditional lasagna noodles over no-boil noodles because I think they taste better. No-boil noodles are shorter and don't fill my 9x13-inch pan properly. You also want to undercook the noodles slightly so they don't become mushy while the lasagna bakes. I usually boil mine for 10 minutes.
Pasta Sauce: You can use your favorite jarred pasta sauce. I really like using my Homemade Veggie-Loaded Pasta Sauce. because it makes enough to freeze for several meals. It's also great for making lasagna with homemade sauce just as easy as using jarred sauce.
Cheese: I subscribe to the philosophy that more cheese is always better, which is why this lasagna includes four different types of cheeses.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Most of the time I use shredded mozzarella because that's what I usually have in my refrigerator. You could also use low-moisture, part-skim slices.
- Parmesan Cheese: I think freshly grated parmesan cheese tastes the best. Plus you get a pretty good arm work out. You could also use the pre-shredded parmesan cheese found in a plastic tub with the rest of the shredded cheeses. Avoid parmesan cheese found in the green cardboard container. It doesn't melt properly.
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is made from the curds of milk, either whole, part-skimmed, or skimmed. Cottage cheese is lower in fat than ricotta cheese and is often cheaper. Use small curd cottage cheese for the best texture.
- Ricotta Cheese: Ricotta cheese is smooth with a slightly grainy texture. Whole milk ricotta works best in a lasagna. Don't worry we are cutting down some of the calories by also using cottage cheese.
Eggs: Eggs help to bind the cheese mixture together creating cleaner slices for serving.
Herbs: Adding herbs like basil, oregano, and parsley adds flavor to the lasagna. I use dried herbs because I always have them available and lasagna is baked for a long time so there are no benefits to using fresh herbs. If substituting fresh herbs, double the amount.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
The cheese filling in this lasagna is easy to customize. Want to add some vegetables? No problem. Try adding well-drained cooked spinach or sautéed zucchini and mushrooms. Make sure the vegetables are cooked and well-drained so they don't add too much moisture to the lasagna.
This four-cheese lasagna is vegetarian when made with vegetarian cheeses and sauce, but you can easily add meat. My husband always wants me to add pepperoni! I just layer the slices between the noodles and cheese. You can also add leftover cooked Italian sausage or ground beef.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Mix together the cottage cheese, 4 oz of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Step 2: Spread a small amount of pasta sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan to prevent the noodles from sticking.
Step 3: Place three lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Layer half the cheese mixture over the noodles, then add one-third of the pasta sauce.
Step 5: Repeat the layers of noodles, cheese mixture and sauce one more time.
Step 6: Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
Step 7: Cover the lasagna with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the sauce bubbly.
Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead: This lasagna can be assembled up to two days in advance, making it a great option for entertaining or busy weekends. I've found that the noodles hold up well when the lasagna is assembled ahead of time.
Assemble the lasagna according to the directions, cover tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to bake. Keep it refrigerated while the oven preheats. Bake according to the recipe instructions, allowing a little extra time since the lasagna will be cold. Check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C) before serving.
Storage: Store leftover cooked lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or cover them with foil and warm them in a 350°F (180°C) oven until heated through to 165°F (74°C).
I don't recommend freezing fully cooked lasagna. In my experience, the noodles become mushy after freezing and thawing.
To Freeze Uncooked Lasagna: Assemble the lasagna according to the recipe directions. Cover tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. Label with the date and freeze for up to three months for the best quality.
To Cook Frozen Lasagna: I prefer to thaw my lasagna in the refrigerator before baking. A full pan can take approximately 48 hours to thaw.
Once thawed, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil and bake at 350°F (180°C), following the recipe directions. You may need additional baking time because the lasagna is cold. Check that the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
You can also bake lasagna directly from frozen in a freezer-to-oven-safe pan, but it will take considerably longer. Keep it covered for most of the baking time, uncover toward the end and check the center temperature before serving.
Tip: If your lasagna has been frozen in a disposable aluminum pan, place the pan on a baking sheet for stability when transferring it to the oven.
Recipe FAQs
My lasagna usually has three layers of noodles because that's what fits best in my 9x13-inch pan. If you're using a deeper pan, you could add more layers.
Eggs help bind the cheese mixture together so the filling holds its shape when you cut the lasagna.
After boiling the lasagna noodles, I rinse them under cool water. This stops the cooking process, helps prevent the noodles from sticking together and makes them easier to handle when assembling the lasagna. I then lay them out in a single layer until I'm ready to use them.
Expert Tips
- Skip no-boil noodles. I prefer traditional lasagna noodles because they fit my pan better and give me the texture I like.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Slightly undercook the noodles so they don't become mushy while the lasagna bakes.
- Rinse the noodles after boiling. A quick rinse under cool water stops the cooking process and makes the noodles easier to handle.
- Cover the final layer of pasta with plenty of sauce. Make sure the noodles are completely covered so their edges don't dry out while baking.
- Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This helps the layers hold together and makes serving easier.
More Dinner Ideas
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Four Cheese Lasagna with Ricotta and Cottage Cheese
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 12 oz of cottage cheese
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8 oz of ricotta cheese
- 4 oz parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 9 lasagna noodles and cook until slightly underdone, about 10 minutes.
- While the noodles cook, mix together the 12 oz of cottage cheese, 4 oz mozzarella cheese, 8 oz of ricotta cheese, 4 oz parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl.
- Drain the noodles and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking. Lay them out in a single layer until you're ready to assemble the lasagna.
- In a 9x13 pan, spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan to prevent the noodles from sticking. Place three lasagna noodles across the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over the noodles in dollops, then gently spread it into an even layer. Add one-third of the pasta sauce and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon.
- Repeat with three more lasagna noodles, the remaining cheese mixture and another one-third of the pasta sauce. Spoon the cheese mixture over the noodles in dollops, gently spread it into an even layer, then add the sauce and spread it with the back of a spoon.
- Place the remaining three lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining pasta sauce evenly over the noodles with the back of a spoon, making sure to cover the edges. Sprinkle the remaining 4 oz mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. The cheese should be melted and the sauce bubbly.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Staci says
As a native Californian living in Germany for 24 yrs I can tell you 100%
Skip no-boil noodles is not an option here we only have no boil lasanga noodle.. 🙂 Good recipe though.
Erica says
I'm glad you liked the recipe. That is fascinating that their are only no-boil noodles there.