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Healthier Creamy Pesto Lasagna - a lighter take on creamy pesto lasagna using cottage cheese and whole wheat noodles | www.thebatterthickens.com

Healthier Creamy Pesto Lasagna

  • Author: Molly
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 55 minutes

Description

Cottage cheese and whole wheat noodles make this Creamy Pesto Lasagna downright healthy.


Ingredients

  • 8 whole wheat oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 1 cup cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
  • 1/2 cup pesto
  • A few leaves fresh basil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • Sea salt
  • 3 oz fresh mozzarella (I used pearls)
  • 2 cups grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, pesto, fresh basil, and minced garlic. Puree until smooth. Taste test and adjust ratios of pesto, basil, and garlic to taste.
  3. In a small bowl, stir the ricotta, egg, water, and half the parmesan until well combined. Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste.
  4. Grease an 8×8 baking pan with olive oil.
  5. Smear about 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture on the bottom and layer four whole wheat lasagna noodles on top, overlapping to fit.
  6. Spread half the pesto mixture on the noodles, followed by half the ricotta mixture.
  7. Layer four more noodles on top, followed by the remaining pesto and remaining ricotta.
  8. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the fresh mozzarella and remaining parmesan.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and set the oven to low broil. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the top of the lasagna is just starting to brown. Check the lasagna at 5 minutes to prevent burning.
  10. Allow lasagna to sit for five minutes before serving.