This Healthy Lasagna Recipe is a ridiculously delicious, protein-packed, low-calorie meal that the entire family will love! Packed with zucchini, cottage cheese, ground meat and veggies for a noodle-less and quick lasagna!
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Everyone loves lasagna, but making it can be quite a task. This one skillet healthy lasagna recipe is a total game changer, and tastes just as good as the real thing, and is healthier too!
On busy days, I like to keep things simple and just stick to easy meals, ideally ones that come together in one pan or a pot. And that’s why you’ll find my Healthy Enchilada Soup, Chicken Taco Bowls, and Healthy Pasta e Fagioli on repeat in my household.
Recently, I also tried my hands at a delicious and healthy lasagna soup recipe and it turned out amazing, which inspired me to try this noodle-less, skillet version of lasagna. I hope you enjoy it too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Low calorie: Traditional lasagna is generally 800 calories or more per serving. This healthy turkey lasagna without noodles is just 368 calories per serving, which makes it great if you’re trying to eat consciously.
- High protein and fiber: Each serving of this zucchini lasagna has 6 grams of fiber from the veggies and 43 grams of protein from the lean ground meat and cottage cheese. The cottage cheese not only adds protein but gives it a cheesy flavor without adding significant calories.
- Simple to make: The ingredients for this recipe are super easy to find and the dish is naturally gluten-free too. It’s super filling and comforting, perfect for a day when you need something yummy, but less effortful.
Healthy Lasagna Ingredients
- Turkey: Ground turkey is my choice of protein here. I used 99% ground turkey since there is more dietary fat from cheese in this recipe.
- Veggies: I used white onions and garlic to build that flavorful, savory base, some zucchini and mushrooms to bulk up the dish, and fresh spinach to make this low calorie lasagna more nutritious. Kale or collard greens work well in place of the spinach and you can use spaghetti squash or eggplant for the zucchini or mushrooms.
- Marinara sauce: Choose any jarred marinara sauce you like. Homemade marinara sauce works well too.
- Balsamic vinegar: Just a dash, for that savory, umami flavor.
- Cheese: I used a mix of low fat cottage cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and some Parmesan cheese.
- Seasonings: To season, I used some salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Fresh basil is added for serving for a splash of color and fresh flavor.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Vegetarian: To make a vegetarian version of this healthy lasagna recipe, substitute tempeh or tofu for the ground meat. If you are vegan, see the dairy-free recommendations and make those adjustments as well.
- Meat swap: You can also use another ground meat like lean ground beef or ground chicken if you want to. Fish such as salmon, cod or shrimp can also be a delicious addition to this dish!
- Dairy free: To make the dish dairy-free, substitute the cottage cheese with a high protein plant-based yogurt. For the cheese, you can substitute with nutritional yeast or dairy free cheese.
- Low fat: If you need to reduce the fat for a specific health reason, the majority of the fat is from the cheese. You can swap the cheese for low fat or nonfat versions, reduce the portions more than I have or just omit the cheese altogether.
How to Make Healthy Lasagna Without Noodles
Ready to make this easy lasagna with cottage cheese? Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Step 1: Saute the meat: Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the ground meat, spinach, Italian seasoning and basil. Cook the meat and break it up while cooking.
Step 2: Add veggies: Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini with a touch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Step 3: Add sauce and cheese: Stir in the marinara sauce and balsamic vinegar. Then drop spoonfuls of the cottage cheese into the pan. Reduce, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
Step 4: Finish up and serve: Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil and red pepper flakes and serve!
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store the leftover skillet lasagna in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Prepare the recipe up to the point of adding the cottage cheese then freeze it for up to 3 months. Freezing will create more moisture from the zucchini so the results will be slightly different, but it can be done. I would not recommend freezing this meal after cooking it.
- Reheating: Leftovers can be reheated on the stove, in the microwave or a toaster oven, or in the oven in an oven safe dish. If you’re reheating it from frozen, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and then cook based on the remaining steps.
Serving Suggestions
- The beauty of this high protein lasagna recipe is that it is a complete meal, all by itself. You can pair it with some garlic bread on your favorite gluten-free bread, low carb cauliflower bread, or these healthy zucchini biscuits. They're all great for scooping up extra sauce.
- I personally love making my roasted broccoli, this healthier copycat Olive Garden salad, or a salad with my healthy Italian dressing for some extra veggies if I have a few extra minutes.
- For an Italian feast, enjoy with this Italian chopped salad, a bowl of high protein minestrone soup, and finish the meal with this healthy protein cheesecake.
Skillet Lasagna Recipe Tips
- Use the right skillet: Choose a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet for this recipe, ideally one that is large and wide. This will help you cook everything easily and the sauce won’t end up burning too.
- Make ahead: Follow the recipe up to steps 1 and 2, allow the mixture to cool down and refrigerate for a day. Then, when you’re ready, go ahead with steps 3 and 4 and finish the dish.
More Healthy One Pot Meals
If you tried this healthy lasagna recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Healthy Skillet Lasagna Without Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Turkey 99%
- 2 Zucchinis sliced into 1/4" slices then halved
- 1 cup White Onion diced
- 2 cups Mushrooms sliced (canned or fresh)
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 cups Spinach
- 24 ounces Marinara Sauce
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese low fat
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dried Basil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Fresh Basil and Red Pepper Flakes for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large deep skillet to medium heat. Add the ground turkey, spinach, Italian seasoning, and dried basil. Break up the meat with a spoon and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara and balsamic vinegar. Then drop spoonfuls of the cottage cheese randomly in the pan. Reduce the temperature to a low simmer and cook uncovered for 8 minutes.
- Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese then cook until the cheese has melted. You can also place the pan under a broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Top with fresh basil and red pepper flakes and serve!
Notes
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my weight loss clients.
- Choose a heavy bottomed skillet or pan to cook this lasagna to ensure even distribution of heat and prevent the sauce from burning.
- If you want to make this ahead of time, follow the recipe up to steps 1 and 2, allow the mixture to cool down and refrigerate for a day. Then, when you’re ready, go ahead with steps 3 and 4 and finish the dish.
Nutrition
This was really tasty, even my picky husband thought it was fantastic! Did not even miss the noodles!
Recommend serving size?
The recipe makes 4 servings. 1/4th of the recipe is one serving. If you want the EXACT serving size, then you would weigh the entire dish baked on a food scale in grams then divide by the number of servings (4). The number of grams per serving is equal to what one serving is.
Could this be made into a casserole?
Probably - I have not done it myself. You would still have to do steps 1, 2 and 3 on the skillet then step 4 you would bake in the oven. I would try 350 F for 8-10 minutes. I'm not sure you really save time doing it that way though.
Can you use fat free for the cheeses?
Yep!
Hey, love your recipes. Can you tell me what skillet you are using in this recipe (skillet lasagna)
Thank you!!
Yes, it's this one! https://amzn.to/3K0nxg7
So yummy and simple! I am planning to save this one. Our family really liked it.
This was surprisingly easy and delicious too! Will be definitely making this again. Thank you for the recipe.