Easy Lasagna Recipe
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The best of both worlds is yours!! Yes, you can have all the cheesy, gooey, warm layers of a lasagna, without all the tedious work. Give this easy lasagna recipe a try next time you're craving the perfect comfort food.
Add this to your must-try lasagna list, and then give this one-pot skillet lasagna a go!
Lasagna sits at the top of the comfort food list, especially as the weather turns crisp and cool. It's the perfect family meal, makes excellent leftovers, and will leave you feeling all warm and gooey inside (much like the lasagna itself!)
The beauty of this easy lasagna recipe is just how easy it is ā it's right there in the title. It's broken down into two steps: making the tomato sauce, full of hearty ground beef. And a white sauce, where all three cheeses live! Who knew you could have a classic lasagna recipe that's truly easy to assemble and even easier to eat!
Ingredients to make an easy lasagna recipe
The most intensive part of this lasagna recipe is the ingredient list, however, once you have everything on hand and ready to go it all comes together quickly and seamlessly!
Here's what to add to your grocery list to make this lasagna recipe easy as can be:
- Dried lasagna noodles: you can find dried lasagna noodles in the pasta aisle of your grocery store. It doesn't matter if you pick up pre-boiled or not, since you'll give the noodles a quick boil before assembling your lasagna anyway.
- Shredded mozzarella: you'll need 4 cups of shredded mozzarella for this recipe! Cheese lovers unite! Half will go into the white sauce (see below), and the other half will be used to sprinkle and melt on top of the lasagna.
For the tomato sauce:
- Ground beef: For this recipe, extra lean ground beef is a good call. It will be added to the tomato sauce for a meaty, rich flavor.
- Onion and garlic:Ā Mince both your onion and garlic to enhance the taste of the tomato sauce.
- Italian seasoning: This is a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. It's the perfect spice blend for a lasagna.
- Crushed tomatoes: You'll need a large, 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes for a smooth, silky sauce. Diced tomatoes will be too chunky.
- Tomato paste: This might be one of the few recipes where you will need more than a tablespoon of tomato paste! For this recipe, you'll need a whopping Ā¼ cup to enhance the tomato flavor of the sauce.
- Grated parmesan cheese: Ā¼ cup of grated parmesan goes into the tomato base for a tangy, sharp taste.
- Salt and pepper: Include for seasoning.
For the white sauce:
- Ricotta cheese:Ā This cheese has such a smooth texture and a nice mild flavor. It's a great choice for the white sauce of any lasagna.
- Shredded mozzarella: This cheese will melt and bake in the oven giving that beautiful stringy, stretchy, classic mozzarella component to your lasagna
- Parmesan cheese: Ā½ cup of parm will do! It adds more flavor than the ricotta or mozzarella.
- Parsley: using this herb just cuts through and balances the richness of this sauce. You'll need Ā¼ cup, minced.
- Salt and pepper: Ā½ teaspoon each is all you need to enhance the other flavors.
- LargeĀ egg: Adding an egg will help keep the sauce from separating. It acts like a binding agent.
Layering a classic lasagna
To ensure your lasagna-making experience is super easy and efficient, here's a quick Q&A about layering a traditional lasagna:
How many layers of lasagna do I make?
This easy lasagna recipe will create 10 layers of lasagna altogether.
Which layer starts on the bottom of the lasagna?
Tomato sauce always starts on the bottom. This way your ingredients, like the noodles, are less likely to stick to the bottom of the dish.
What's the correct order for layering lasagna?
There are different ways to layer a lasagna, and all would technically be ācorrectā. What you want to do is alternate tomato-based sauce, lasagna noodles, and white/cheese/cream sauce so that you have a nice stack of flavors in every bite.
For this easy lasagna recipe, you will layer in this order: after adding an initial layer of tomato sauce to the bottom, you will continue layering noodles, tomato sauce, then cheese sauce until you run out of sauces or reach the top of the baking dish.
What to serve with traditional lasagna
You could eat this lasagna on its own and be totally satisfied, however, if you're serving a complete meal here are some ideas of what to serve with it:
Bread: There's nothing better than sopping up all that sauce with a nice piece of bread. Garlic bread is a great option, or try making this whole wheat Irish soda bread or this cheesy no yeast bread.
Greens: You probably noticed there are not many vegetables in this recipe and a whole lot of cheese. It's absolutely incredible, BUT, perhaps you want to balance things out with something fresh. Try this crispy kale salad, this asparagus salad, or this simple spring mix salad.
Recipe FAQs
Should I cover the lasagna while baking?
Yes, cover your lasagna dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
How long does lasagna last?
If you transfer your lasagna to a container with a tight-fitting lid, it will last for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze lasagna?
You can freeze lasagna. It won't be as good when reheated as it is freshly made, however, as far as leftovers go ā it's still fantastic!
Can I add vegetables to this easy lasagna recipe?
Yes, you can! Since veggies hold a lot of water content, you may want to consider lightly roasting your vegetables first before including them in the lasagna assembly. If you're going with frozen veg, like frozen spinach, make sure you thaw and remove any access water before incorporating it. Other great options to include are chopped mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant. You can also saute your favorite vegetables along with the onion and garlic when you're making the tomato sauce!
More easy pasta recipes
Easy Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 dried lasagna noodles
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Tomato Sauce
- 1 lb extra lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Ā¼ cup tomato paste
- Ā¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
White Sauce
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (can be light)
- 2 cup shredded mozzarella
- Ā½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Ā¼ cup minced parsley
- Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then cook the lasagna noodles for 1 minute less than the package directions. Drain and then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.12 dried lasagna noodles
- While the noodles cook, add the ground beef to a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon as cooks, until it is mostly brown. Add the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is translucent. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, drain it off.1 lb extra lean ground beef, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and bring the pot to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue to simmer while you prep the white sauce. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper before using.1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, Ā¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, Salt and pepper, Ā¼ cup tomato paste
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and egg.2 cups ricotta cheese, 2 cup shredded mozzarella, Ā½ cup grated parmesan cheese, Ā¼ cup minced parsley, Ā½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 1 large egg
- To assemble the lasagna. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9Ć13 inch casserole dish. Add 3 lasagna noodles, Ā¼ of the tomato sauce, and Ā¼ of the white sauce. Continue layering the noodles, tomato sauce, and white three more times.
- Finish with a layer of mozzarella cheese and then cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the lasagna is hot and bubbling.2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Optional step: Remove the foil and turn your oven to broil. Broil the lasagna for a few minutes, until the cheese is golden brown in many spots. IMPORTANT: Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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