This is a baked ground beef lasagna with a cottage cheese and pesto filling instead of the usual béchamel. It comes together in about 50 minutes and feeds six people without requiring any specialist equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. If you want a filling weeknight pasta bake that doesn’t leave the kitchen wrecked, this is a solid choice.
The short version of why this works
Two things carry this recipe. First, browning the ground beef properly before adding the tomatoes — if the meat steams instead of browns, the sauce tastes flat and watery. Get the pan hot enough that you hear a real sizzle when the meat hits the oil. Second, the egg yolk in the cheese mixture. It binds the cottage cheese, sour cream, and pesto into a layer that holds its shape when sliced rather than sliding apart. Skip it and the cheese layer turns soupy. Both steps take under ten minutes but they determine whether the finished lasagna cuts cleanly or collapses on the plate.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the oil on the cooked pasta sheets. The recipe tells you to cool them — it doesn’t emphasize how fast they weld together. Toss them in oil immediately after draining, before they cool, or you’ll be peeling sheets apart and tearing them.
- Using wet cottage cheese straight from the tub. Drain it briefly through a fine sieve or press it with a paper towel first. Excess liquid turns the cheese layer runny and makes the bottom of the lasagna soggy.
- Undercooking the meat sauce. The recipe gives you 7 minutes for the meat and 5 for the tomatoes. If your pan is crowded or the heat is low, that’s not enough time to cook off the liquid. The sauce should look thick and clingy before it goes into the baking dish, not loose and soupy.
- Not checking internal temperature. Ground beef is safe at 160°F (71°C). A quick probe in the center of the assembled lasagna before pulling it from the oven takes five seconds and removes all guesswork.
- Cutting it straight out of the oven. Let the lasagna rest for 8–10 minutes after baking. The layers firm up as it cools slightly, and you’ll get clean slices instead of a sliding mess.
Substitutions that actually work
- Cottage cheese: Ricotta is the straightforward swap — use the same weight and skip the draining step. The texture will be slightly denser but it works well.
- Pesto: If you don’t have pesto, a teaspoon of dried basil stirred into the cheese mixture does the job. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
- Preserved tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes or a roughly chopped can of whole peeled tomatoes both work. Use about the same volume. Fresh tomatoes need longer cooking time to break down properly.
- Parmesan: Pecorino Romano is a direct swap. Grana Padano also works and is usually cheaper.
Storage and reheating
Cooled leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered container. To reheat, add a tablespoon of water over the portion, cover with a microwave-safe lid or damp paper towel, and heat in 90-second bursts until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). For oven reheating, cover the dish with foil and warm at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes. The lasagna also freezes well — cut into individual portions before freezing and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating; reheating from frozen leads to uneven heating and a rubbery cheese layer.
Lasagna alla Bolognese with Cottage Cheese & Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
10 sheets lasagna sheets
2 medium yellow onion - finely diced
2 cloves garlic - minced- 14 ounces preserved tomatoes - crushed or chopped, canned, 400g
14 ounces ground beef - minced beef, 400g
8 ounces cottage cheese - 225g
1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese - finely grated, 45g
3 ounces mozzarella cheese - shredded, 85g
2 tablespoons pesto
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook for 5–6 minutes until well browned — you should hear a steady sizzle, not steaming. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the salt, oregano, and paprika. Pour in the preserved tomatoes, stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 medium yellow onion, 14 ounces ground beef, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 14 ounces preserved tomatoes
- Mix the cottage cheese, half the Parmesan, the pesto sauce, the sour cream, and the egg yolk.8 ounces cottage cheese, 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons pesto, 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 large egg yolk
- Cook the lasagna pasta according to package instructions, then let them cool down. Grease them with oil so that they don’t stick together.10 sheets lasagna sheets
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C (170°C fan-forced).
- Lightly grease a 9×13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce across the bottom. Lay down a single layer of lasagna sheets (trimming to fit if needed). Spread half the remaining meat sauce evenly over the sheets, then top with half the cottage cheese mixture.10 sheets lasagna sheets
- Add another layer of lasagna sheets, then the remaining meat sauce, another layer of sheets, and the remaining cottage cheese mixture. Finish with a final layer of lasagna sheets. Spread the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmesan.10 sheets lasagna sheets, 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese
- Bake at 375°F / 190°C (170°C fan-forced) for 20–25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing — this allows the layers to set and makes for much cleaner portions.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I assemble this lasagna the night before and bake it the next day?
Yes, you can assemble it fully, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight. Add 5–8 minutes to the bake time since it’s going in cold, and check that the center is hot through before pulling it out.
Do I have to pre-cook the lasagna sheets?
For this recipe, yes — the meat sauce is relatively thin and there isn’t enough liquid in the dish to hydrate dry sheets during baking. Oven-ready no-boil sheets are the exception; if your package says no pre-cooking required, you can use them directly.
The cheese layer looks watery after mixing — is that normal?
It usually means the cottage cheese had excess liquid. Drain it through a fine sieve for a few minutes before mixing, and make sure your egg yolk is fully incorporated. The mixture should be thick enough to spread with a spoon, not pour.
Can I use a different ground meat instead of beef?
Ground pork or a beef-pork blend both work well and stay moist. If you use ground turkey or chicken, cook it to 165°F (74°C) and be aware it can dry out faster, so don’t extend the bake time beyond what’s needed.
What to cook next
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Ultimate Cheesy Beef Bake
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
