Cottage cheese lasagna is a delicious twist on one of the world’s most beloved pasta dishes. While traditional lasagna is typically made with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, béchamel, and cheese, this version replaces the savoury filling with creamy cottage cheese and sweet jam. The result is a light, comforting dessert that can be served as a special weekend breakfast, an afternoon treat, or an elegant homemade dessert.
What Is Cottage Cheese Lasagna and Where Did the Idea Come From?
Traditional Italian lasagna is often prepared with ricotta cheese, which has a mild, creamy flavour. Cottage cheese is one of the closest and most widely available alternatives. Although slightly tangier and more distinctive in taste, it creates a wonderfully rich filling that works beautifully in both savoury and sweet recipes.
Cottage cheese lasagna is especially popular in Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, where cottage cheese has long been a staple ingredient in home cooking. One of its greatest advantages is its versatility—it can be made either savoury or sweet, with each version offering a completely different yet equally satisfying meal.
A Few Tips Before You Start
For the best results, choose cottage cheese that is not too dry. Cottage cheese with around 9% fat content is ideal, as it contains enough moisture to create soft, creamy layers without releasing excessive liquid during baking. If your cottage cheese seems dry, simply stir in a spoonful of sour cream or double cream before using it.
There’s usually no need to pre-cook lasagna sheets if the package states they are oven-ready. These sheets absorb moisture from the filling and soften while baking. However, if your filling is relatively thick, soaking the pasta sheets in hot water for a minute or two beforehand can help ensure they cook evenly.
Finally, once the lasagna comes out of the oven, let it rest for at least 10–15 minutes. This allows the layers to firm up, the filling to settle, and makes slicing much easier.
Sweet Cottage Cheese Lasagna with Jam: Ingredients
This sweet cottage cheese lasagna is assembled layer by layer and can be served as a special weekend breakfast or, once cooled, as a delicious dessert.
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
For the cottage cheese filling:
- 500 g cottage cheese (9% fat)
- 2 eggs
- 5–6 tbsp sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
- A pinch of salt
For the layers:
- 200–250 g lasagna sheets
- 200 ml double cream (30–35% fat)
- 150–200 g jam (cherry, strawberry, or apricot work particularly well)
- 50 g butter, for greasing the dish and topping
How to Make Sweet Cottage Cheese Lasagna with Jam
- In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, citrus zest, and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth and creamy. If the cottage cheese is particularly lumpy, press it through a sieve or blend it briefly for a smoother texture.
- Grease a baking dish (approximately 20 × 30 cm / 8 × 12 inches) with butter. Pour a thin layer of cream over the bottom to prevent the pasta sheets from sticking.
- Arrange the first layer of lasagna sheets. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over them, then spoon small amounts of jam across the surface. There’s no need to spread it evenly—it will melt and distribute naturally as the lasagna bakes.
- Add another layer of lasagna sheets, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture and a little more jam. Finish with a final layer of lasagna sheets.
- Pour the remaining cream evenly over the top. Dot with small cubes of butter and drizzle with the remaining jam. As it bakes, the jam will caramelise slightly and give the top a beautiful glossy finish.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 10–15 minutes before serving. It is delicious both warm and chilled.
Serving Suggestion
Sweet cottage cheese lasagna pairs wonderfully with a cup of fresh mint tea or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. It also tastes fantastic the next day—simply cut it into portions and reheat gently in a frying pan with a little butter for an even richer flavour.