Easiest Lasagna Ever
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Nothing beats classic lasagna. And this is the easiest recipe you will ever make. It can be made ahead and it’s freezer-friendly too!
Featured Comment
I don’t even know what it is about this recipe. It isn’t complicated, featuring an assorted variety of meats and cheeses, yet the taste and flavor are fantastic.
I feel that I can either make it the same, again and again, or occasionally tweak it for a change of pace.
why i love this recipe
- A classic dish. With such simple ingredients using pantry staples – we’re talking homemade meat sauce layered with a mixture of ricotta and mozzarella cheese with tender lasagna noodles – this cozy, comforting classic delivers on all levels every single time.
- Makes for a great gift. Lasagna is very easy to double (making two pans), freeze and gift to a new mom or neighbor. What’s the best way to gift lasagna? Assembled and uncooked.
- Reheats very well. Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors of the meat sauce and cheese continue to meld together.
tips and tricks for success
- Use no-boil lasagna noodles. To cut down on prep time even more, use no-boil lasagna noodles, making sure the noodles are completely covered in sauce.
- Mix it up. This recipe uses ground beef for budget-friendly convenience but a mixture of lean ground beef and sweet Italian sausage should work very well here.
- Let it rest. Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes. This will prevent the layers from sliding off, and will also make it easier to serve with less mess.
- Make ahead of time. Lasagna is a great dish to make ahead of time. Prep and assemble 1-2 days before, covered with aluminum foil and stored in the fridge.
- Freeze before baking. This will preserve the texture and prevent sogginess. Always use a freezer-safe baking dish, label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
freezing and storage
Prep
To make ahead, cover lasagna tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, let the lasagna sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 15-30 minutes.
Freeze before baking
Cover the lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed, adding a few more minutes of cook time as needed.
Freeze after baking
Let the lasagna cool completely; cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Label, date and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 1 hour.
Easiest Lasagna Ever: Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! No-boil lasagna noodles are a convenient shortcut to cut down prep time even more. They just need to be completely covered in sauce to cook through properly.
Not at all! Italian pork sausage or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
Feel free to use your favorite store-bought tomato sauce (we love Rao’s Roasted Garlic) in place of the crushed tomatoes and omitting the Italian seasoning.
The egg serves as a binding agent for the ricotta cheese mixture. You can certainly skip the egg if needed, leaving the ricotta a little runnier, but it should not compromise taste.
Yes! For the best results, we recommend assembling, freezing, then baking to help prevent any sogginess. But if you’ve already baked your lasagna, no worries at all – it can still be frozen!
Easiest Lasagna Ever
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) package whole milk ricotta
- 3 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion and cook until beef has browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomatoes and Italian seasoning until well combined.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and egg; set aside.
- Spread 1 cup tomato mixture onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat with a second layer. Top with remaining noodles, tomato mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan.*
- Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbling. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top is browned in spots. Let cool 15 minutes.
- Serve, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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Love this recipe! For a less heavy dairy version of the ricotta sauce I susbistuted half the ricotta for 1 and half avocados and and it came out beautifully!
I also didn’t cook the pasta before assembly and it was totally fine!
Cant wait to make it again <3
Really is the easiest ever! All the ingredient quantities were perfectly 1 package, can or container! I hardly measured anything!
Simple and yummy! Made exactly by the recipe and it was gobbled up! Damn delicious!
Damn delicious lasagna:) this was perfect! Made as directed except added spinach to the cheese mix.
Great directions and absolutely delicious!
Easy to make. Very filling. Kids really enjoyed it. All round a good recipe. No hassle with making white sauce which was nice.
Only changes I made was to add a bunch of garlic to the onion stage and tomato purée with the chopped tomato stage. And I didn’t bother boiling the lasagna sheets beforehand. Didn’t make much a difference.
Made a double batch for leftovers
This just became my favorite lasagna recipe. I made it last night, and it turned out the best ever. I only liked this dish in the past, but I now love it.
I don’t even know what it is about this recipe. It isn’t complicated, featuring an assorted variety of meats and cheeses, yet the taste and flavor are fantastic.
I feel that I can either make it the same, again and again, or occasionally tweak it for a change of pace.
I have made this lasagna at least once in the past. Last time I made it with turkey but I have a vegetarian now (2022) and I tried it with 1/2 beyond beef and 1/2 beyond beef sausage and it turned out great. I like the idea of trying it with just veggies and maybe using meaty mushrooms for my next attempt. 🙂 I made an extra one to freeze.
The updated photos are beautiful! I’ve been making this for a couple years, we love it! Everyone I share it with loves it too. Simplicity is best when it comes to lasagna!
I added some garlic to the meat and ricotta along with some parsley to the ricotta. Superb! Super easy super delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight….it was sooo easy and super delicious! I did add a clove of garlic to the ground beef and onion mix and a few more pinches of basil and oregano. Used regular noodles and the dish was in the oven for 37 minutes.
So tasty; my husband went back for seconds!
Really easy and good. I used “no – boil ” noodles and they worked perfectly, cutting down some time. You do need to follow baking instructions on the back of the box. I also, took a recommendation from another reviewer and added fresh basil / parsley to the ricotta cheese mixture. It was delicious.
It cuts down time but it soaks up all the sauce to make up for the time savings.
Thank you for your comment. I was going to use the no-boil, and your comment lit a light bulb. Last time my lasagna was dry, and I didn’t even think it was caused by the noodles soaking up the sauce; I thought I overcooked it or didn’t add enough of something. Duh! The no-boil noodles soaked up all the sauce, which equaled a dry lasagna.
Chungah, I made this lasagna recipe today. Absolutely fabulous! I didn’t have to place it under the broiler, it was perfectly browned on the top. Thank you so much for an excellent recipe!
I’ve made this before as is and it has turned out great. Today, I made the sauce using fresh tomatoes and subbed/added fresh basil and parsley. I also didn’t have quite the same amount of mozzarella, so I mixed in some asiago and pecorino. It turned out beautifully!
For anyone wondering on the layers… it’s
1. 1/3 of the tomato/meat mixture
2. 3 lasagna noodles
3. 1/2 of the ricotta mixture (this is where I added fresh basil and parsley)
4. 1/3 of the mozzarella (or cheese mix in my case)
5. 1/3 of the tomato/meat mixture
6. 3 lasagna noodles
7. 1/2 (the rest) of the ricotta mixture
8. 1/3 of the mozzarella
9. 3 lasagna noodles
10. 1/3 (the rest) of the tomato/meat mixture
11. 1/3 (the rest) of the mozzarella
12. parmesan
As advertised! Easy and wonderful! I have tried a few other lasagna recipes, and they didn’t turn out as tasty as this one. Also, it’s faster than a lot of recipes I’ve tried. Bravo! A couple of things – it looks like a lot of onion, but it’s not. And maybe you want to add a couple (or 5!) of minced cloves of garlic with the onions and meat.
Thank you for such a great recipe!
This was delicious and easy! My only change next time will be to add some fresh garlic to the pan when I sautee the onions and ground beef.
This was super easy and my whole family enjoyed it! I used oven ready noodles, but next time I will boil my own.
Tip for preparing the lasagna noodles, make this Step1: Add pasta in 9×13” dish with deep sides, criss-crossing a bit, not stacking. Pour boiling water over to cover. Continue remaining preparations. When time to add, the noodles will be ready!
This recipe is so simple and so delicious. I have always bought frozen lasagna and after making this recipe hubby only wants this now, no more frozen.. I’ve made this twice already it’s a KEEPER!!
We tried this lasagna tonight and it was absolutely delicious! For the sauce we used a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. We will definitely make this again.