This Noodle-less Ratatouille Lasagna is a high-protein, gluten-free vegetarian dinner made with summer vegetables and cottage cheese, with over 39g protein per serving.
Noodle-less Ratatouille Lasagna
When I was working on the vegetarian chapter of Skinnytaste High Protein, I quickly realized how challenging it can be for vegetarians to get enough protein without relying on highly processed ingredients. This Noodle-less Ratatouille Lasagna was inspired by that challenge. I use half of the traditional ratatouille vegetables as the “noodles” and the other half in the sauce, creating a dish that’s reminiscent of my zucchini lasagna, and my eggplant parmesan, but with all the flavors of ratatouille. I also swap the ricotta for cottage cheese to boost the protein, making this a satisfying vegetarian main dish with over 39 grams of protein per serving. It’s a delicious way to make the most of fresh summer produce while enjoying all the comfort of lasagna in a lighter, veggie-packed form.
Why This Ratatouille Lasagna Recipe Works
I love that this recipe transforms classic ratatouille into a hearty vegetarian dinner that’s naturally gluten-free and packed with protein. Here’s why it works:
- High in protein: Cottage cheese and mozzarella pack in over 39 grams of protein per serving, making this a satisfying vegetarian main dish.
- A lighter take on lasagna: Thin slices of eggplant and zucchini replace traditional noodles, adding extra vegetables while keeping it lower in carbs.
- Naturally gluten-free: By replacing traditional lasagna noodles with layers of eggplant and zucchini, this dish is naturally gluten-free without sacrificing comfort or flavor.
- High in fiber: Eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions add plenty of fiber to help keep you full and make this a well-balanced meal.
- Big ratatouille flavor: Using classic summer vegetables in both the layers and sauce creates deep, rich flavor in every bite.
- Great for meal prep: You can prepare it a day early and then bake. Plus, you can freeze it for later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need lots of vegetables, cheese, and herbs, plus a few kitchen staples, to make this healthy noodle-less ratatouille lasagna recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Cheese filling
- Cheese: Part-skim cottage cheese and mozzarella, grated parmesan
- Egg prevents the cheese from running out when baked.
- Salt and pepper for flavor
Vegetables
- Ratatouille vegetables: Diced onion, minced garlic, and yellow and red bell peppers
- Canned crushed tomatoes are the base of the ratatouille. I like Tuttorosso.
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
- Herbs: Bay leaf, fresh thyme, fresh basil
- Vegetable Lasagna Noodles: Sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant
How to Make Noodle-less Ratatouille Lasagna
To make thin, evenly sliced vegetable “noodles,” use a mandolin with adjustable thickness settings to cut them 1/8-inch thick. Mandolins can be dangerous, so I like to wear this cut-proof glove to be extra safe. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Drain the cottage cheese in a mesh sieve (aka colander) while you cut the vegetables.
- Make the ratatouille: Sauté the onion and garlic, then add the salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, herbs, and bell peppers. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Cook the lasagna noodles (zucchini, squash, and eggplant) in a grill pan for a few minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess moisture.
- Prepare the cheese filling by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Assemble the lasagna: Spread tomato sauce in the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Then start layering: eggplant, half of the cheese, sauce, zucchini, sauce, remaining cheese, yellow squash, and remaining squash. Cover with foil.
- Bake the vegetable lasagna at 375°F for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes until there’s no more liquid and the veggie noodles are soft. Top with the remaining mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes until melted.
- Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Variations
- Vegetable noodles: Feel free to use more of only one or two vegetables if you don’t want to use all three.
- Cheese: Swap cottage cheese for ricotta.
- Egg allergy? Skip the egg. The cheese mixture might be a little runnier, but it’ll still work.
- Herbs: Substitute parsley or rosemary for basil or thyme.
- Make it spicier: Add more crushed red pepper.
- Increase the protein: Brown ground turkey or Italian turkey sausage with the aromatics.
- Feeding a larger crowd? You can easily double this recipe to make 8 servings in a 9-x-12 baking dish.
More Ways To Use Cottage Cheese
If you have extra cottage cheese in the fridge, be sure to check out my collection of healthy cottage cheese recipes for even more ways to use it.
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 /4th
Veggies and Sauce:
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, I love Tuttorosso
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, about 7 ounces, sliced ⅛th inch thick lengthwise
- 1 small yellow squash, about 7 ounces, sliced ⅛th inch thick lengthwise
- 1 medium eggplant, sliced ¼ inch thick lengthwise, 9 ounces total
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Drain the cottage cheese in a mesh sieve while preparing the vegetables.
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In a large non-stick skillet add olive oil and sauté onions and garlic over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, thyme, half of the basil, red and yellow bell pepper and cook another 8 to 10 minutes, partially covered on medium-low heat.
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Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick grill pan with oil and grill the zucchini, squash and eggplant 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Set aside on paper towels.
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In a medium bowl, mix the drained cottage cheese, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, remaining basil and egg until thoroughly combined, then season with the ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
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Assemble the dish: Spread ½ cup of the sauce to the bottom of a glass 11 x 7 ½ x 3 inch casserole dish. Layer the eggplant, overlapping as needed to make the first layer, coming up a little on the sides. Top with half of the cheese mixture, 1 cup sauce then add the layer of zucchini. Top with another cup of sauce, the remaining cheese mixture, then the yellow squash. Finish with the remaining sauce and cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes until the vegetables start to get tender. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more until the liquid dries up and the vegetables are tender. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake 10 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
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Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. Slice into 4 pieces.
Last Step:
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Serving: 1 /4th, Calories: 415 kcal, Carbohydrates: 37 g, Protein: 39 g, Fat: 16.5 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 95 mg, Sodium: 1500 mg, Fiber: 12 g, Sugar: 20 g
Storage
- Refrigerate the leftovers for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Store individual servings in smaller glass containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave or oven until warm.
FAQ
A common mistake in veggie lasagna is not removing excess moisture from the vegetables. To prevent a watery lasagna, grill the eggplant, zucchini, and squash planks before layering them. Additionally, drain the cottage cheese and bake the lasagna uncovered for part of the cooking time to further reduce liquid. While this may take a bit longer, the extra effort is worth it in the end.
To make ahead, assemble the entire dish, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove it from the fridge while you preheat the oven, then bake as instructed.
It’s better to freeze this vegetarian lasagna uncooked. Assemble it in a freezer-safe dish, cover with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. To bake, thaw in the fridge the day before and bake as directed.
More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love
Check out these five healthy lasagna recipes, plus my zucchini recipes for more inspiration!
