Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion – finely chopped
• 6 cloves / 30 grams Garlic – minced
• 9-10 pieces / 30 grams fresh Red Chilies (such as Thai Bird’s Eye, optional, to taste – note 1*) – finely chopped
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1 pound / 454 grams Lean Ground Chicken
• 1/2 TSP Kosher Salt (to season the chicken)
• 25.5 ounce jar / 722 grams Tomato Pasta Sauce (or marinara sauce, I used Muir Glen Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce with No Sugar Added)
• 2 cups / 500ml Water (or low sodium chicken broth)
• 3/4 – 1 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
• 1/2 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
• 1 TSP Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 TSP Dried Oregano
• 1/2 – 1.5 TSP ground Cayenne, to taste (note 1)
• 1/2 – 1.5 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 1)
• 1 TSP Smoked Paprika (hot or sweet – I used hot)
• 9 ounces / 255 grams (12 pieces) Lasagna Noodles (use gluten-free lasagna noodles if needed) – broken into three pieces each
• 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach
• 3/4 cup / 200 grams Low Fat Cottage Cheese
• 3/4 cup / 84 grams shredded Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese (I used Tillamook Farmstyle Shreds)
• 1/4 cup / 25 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
• To Serve: Chopped fresh Basil Leaves or Parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Prep: ---

2. 2

   Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the yellow onion, garlic and red chilies (if using) as indicated in the ingredients section. Break each lasagna noodle sheet into three pieces each. Grate the

3. 3

   --- Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese ---

4. 4

   Sauté aromatics: Sauté onion in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the garlic and chilies and sauté for another minute until fragrant.

5. 5

   Cook the ground chicken: Add the ground chicken and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking the clumps with your spatula until just cooked through.

6. 6

   Build the sauce: Add the pasta sauce, water, and all the seasonings – remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, ground cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.

7. 7

   Add the lasagna noodles: Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir to combine, making sure to spread them out evenly and submerge in the sauce.

8. 8

   Simmer: Bring the sauce up to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 16-18 minutes, uncovering to stir every 5 minutes (this is important) to prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking to the pan, until the lasagna is al-dente and tender.

9. 9

   Add baby spinach: Add the baby spinach and mix until just wilted – 1 minute.

10. 10

    Add cottage cheese: Add the cottage cheese and stir until evenly combined – about 1 minute.

11. 11

    Top with cheeses: Scatter the mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese evenly over everything. Switch off the heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt. Alternatively, if you’d like the cheese to brown a little and become bubbly, broil for 3-4 minutes in the oven.

12. 12

    Serve: Let the lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil and serve.