Protein Lasagna

This high-protein lasagna is the kind of comfort food that no one will guess is hitting your macros. It’s layered with a rich, herby bolognese, a creamy high-protein cheese mix, and pasta sheets of your choice (I like spelt or lentil for extra protein). Whether you're feeding a crowd or prepping meals for the week, it’s satisfying, simple, and seriously delicious.

Serve it with: a side of green salad, roasted veg, or just enjoy it as-is. It's filling enough to stand alone.

Ingredients

For the bolognese

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, 1 large carrot, and 2 celery stalks diced or 1 500g (about 1 lb) bag of frozen sofrito mix
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 500g (roughly 1 lb) pack of lean minced or ground chicken, turkey or beef (I used 5% fat chicken mince)
• 1 700g jar passata (or about 24 oz tomato puree)
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• ¼-1 tbsp red chili flakes (optional, to taste)
• 1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 15g instant beef bone broth powder or 250ml (1 cup) liquid beef bone broth (cook a bit longer to reduce liquid)

For the cheese mixture

• 525g fat-free cottage cheese (just under 2¼ cups)
• 125g lighter mozzarella ball (roughly 4.5 oz)
• 150g fat-free Greek yogurt (like Fage) (just over ½ cup)
• 60g grated parmesan (about ½ cup)

For the lasagna

• 165g (about 6 oz) no-boil lasagna sheets – regular, spelt or lentil (I used spelt for macros below)
• Dash of nutmeg (optional)
• A 30x20cm glass roasting dish (roughly 12x8 inches)

Instructions

1. Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sofrito (or diced onion, carrot, and celery) and sauté until soft.
2. Add minced garlic, stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add ground/minced meat and cook until lightly browned.
4. Pour in the passata, dried herbs, salt, pepper, and bone broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes until it thickens to a rich bolognese consistency.
5. Meanwhile, prep the cheese mix. Tear the mozzarella into small pieces and mix with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and parmesan in a bowl. Set aside.
6. Time to layer:
   • Spread a small amount of bolognese in the bottom of your baking dish.
   • Add a layer of lasagna sheets.Top with ⅓ of the sauce and ⅓ of the cheese mixture.
   • Repeat until you have 3 layers, finishing with the cheese on top. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg if using.
7. Bake at 180°C fan / 200°C regular / 400°F for 30–35 minutes, then switch to grill/broil for 5 minutes to brown the top.

Nutrition Info (Per Serving)

This recipe makes 6 servings. Per serving:

• Calories: 436 kcal
• Protein: 43g (40%)
• Carbohydrates: 38g (35%)
• Fat: 12g (25%)
  

Make it 40/30/30

To hit a 40% protein / 30% carbs / 30% fat split:

It’s already pretty close! Add about two more tsp of olive oil to the recipe at the beginning to increase the fat if you want to get even closer.

Make it 30/50/20

To hit a 30% protein / 50% carbs / 20% fat split:

Enjoy half a cup of fat free sorbet or a banana for dessert. 

Notes

• This lasagna keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes well.
• Reheats beautifully, I put it in the oven for 20 minutes. You can also warm it in the microwave.
• Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt bring the creamy texture with a protein punch and the parmesan adds a lot of flavour!
• Bone broth adds a bit more protein and a beefy taste if you’re opting to use chicken or turkey mince.

You can make this vegetarian by swapping meat for plant-based mince or lentils — adjust the macros accordingly.