Gina Homolka, the brains behind Skinnytaste, has a brilliant take on lasagna that’s equally comforting and nourishing. In her cookbook, Skinnytaste High Protein, Homolka explains that the Italian classic can get an easy protein boost from an ingredient you probably already have in your fridge.
“I swapped out the ricotta for cottage cheese in these lasagna roll-ups, and no one in my family even noticed,” Homolka writes. “In fact, my daughter Madison told me she liked them even better than when I use ricotta.”
Do you have your doubts? Homolka explains that she once felt the same way: “I used to turn up my nose whenever someone mentioned using cottage cheese instead of ricotta in lasagna, but cottage cheese has come a long way. Brands like Nancy’s and Good Culture taste amazing, and they have completely won me over!”
Plus, we love that these roll ups are completely vegetarian — if you’re doing meatless Mondays, this mouthwatering entrée will serve you well.
Lasagna Roll-Ups with Cottage Cheese
Serves 4
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 8 lasagna noodles, wheat or gluten-free
- 16 ounces 2% cottage cheese, drained (I like Good Culture)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
- 1 large egg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups marinara, plus more for serving
- ½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces)
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta. Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out the lasagna noodles so they don’t stick together.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, pesto, egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste, and mix.
- Ladle about 1 cup marinara on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch or large oval baking dish.
- Make sure the noodles are dry, then take 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture and spread evenly over the length of a noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles, placing one snugly against the next.
- Ladle the remaining marinara over the noodles and top each one with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil, being careful not to touch the cheese, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake until heated through and the cheese melts, about 40 minutes.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil or parsley.
Perfect pairings: Since I try to get a cup of vegetables with every meal, I serve this with a green salad and roasted vegetables like broccolini.
Per Serving: (2 rolls)| Calories 443 | Protein 31g | Carbohydrate 51g | Fiber 3.5g |Sugars 9g | Fat 15g | Saturated Fat 6g | Cholesterol 79 mg | Sodium 1,045 mg
Skinnytaste High Protein Copyright © 2025 by Gina Homolka. Photographs copyright © 2025 by Victoria Janashvili. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group A division of Penguin Random House LLC.
