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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Great recipe and easy to follow. I added some chopped celery, mushrooms and red wine to mine.
Came out of oven like a masterpiece. Everyone loved it and I’ll definitely use this recipe again. Simple and very tasty.
This was soooo good!! We all loved it!! My husband and mom thought is was so yummy. I substituted the meat sauce with my own homemade lasagna/spaghetti sauce. Best lasagna I ever made. Thank you!!
I made this last night and used the recommendation of one other commenter and added onion soup mix during the ground beef browning. So good!
When I made it it seemed short on sauce and salt but otherwise very good!
Made this last night. It looked amazing and was easy to make, but my husband and I both agreed it was a little bland. If I make it again, I will let the sauce simmer for longer and add a bay leaf like my mom used to do. I will also add s&p to the ricotta mix as well as chopped parsley.
Haven’t tried but looks pretty good!
Question/ clarification around step 5:
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.*
If I read this (now probably 5x) … I’m stuck with 3 extra noodles on top.
Meat > 3 noodles > 1/2 ricotta > mozz > meat > 3 noodles > remaining ricotta > mozz > 3 noodles on top??
What’s happening w my interpretation & layering?
Thx!
1st layer: 1cup meat sauce>noodles>1st half ricotta mix>1cup mozz
2nd layer: 1cup meat sauce>noodles>2nd half ricotta mix>1cup mozz
3rd layer: noodles>rest of the meat sauce>1 cup mozz>Parmesan
Delicious! I will add more meat next time and make more sauce. Also didn’t have ricotta but used queso fresco cheese from Costco and we liked it way better than ricotta!
This is truly the best thing I’ve ever made. I used Italian sausage but otherwise followed this recipe to a T. Amazing!
Can I substitute a can of crushed tomatoes for a can of pasta sauce?
Fantastic work, Chungah! This is almost exactly how I make it, but I do like a bechamel.
Good recipe when I don’t have three hours to simmer my sauce. If you use two, or better three, eggs in the ricotta it is easier to work with and tastes better–no complaints from the ones who usually don’t like the ricotta. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve made this lasagna every year for our family Christmas get together. It is amazing!! I’ve made a few adjustments to the sauce to suit my family, but this is an awesome recipe as is.
Made this tonight. I highly recommend it. It is easy and it turned out great. I used ground sirloin for the meat. As far as noodles I used delallo no boil whole wheat lasagna noodles as I try to make it a little healthier. Otherwise followed the recipe to a T. I tend to use little or no salt and use canned ingredients with low sodium or no salt added di i used extra pepper and some garlic powder to compensate. Will definitely make again.
First successful lasagna! WOO HOO!! I added one tablespoon of tomato paste and a beef stock cube and can confirm it was truly delicious, enjoyed by all at the dinner table. Thank you.
Use onion soup mix when cooking the beef it makes the beef taste so good you can just put it over rice or with noodles and you have an extra meal idea
Looks amazing! Can this be frozen before step 6? (Before baking it at all?)
Yes! 🙂
*TO FREEZE: Cover lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
I’m looking forward to making this for Easter Sunday. If I put it together the day before, do I cook it then refrigerate til the next day and reheat? Or do I wait until the next day to cook it?
You can make this ahead of time by covering the lasagna tightly with plastic wrap (prior to baking). Refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Hope that helps, Theresa!
This is an amazing recipe – but it is far from ‘easiest’. Prep time takes me about 45 minutes. But I will keep on making it, because it has great flavour. The whole family loves it! Thank-you!
I’ve made this probably 5 or 6 times in the last few years. It never disappoints. I usually add 2-3 Italian sausages to the ground beef to add a little flavour – but it’s also great on its own.
Great recipe! I have made it three times already! Each time though, I can’t seem to get two ricotta cheese layers. I can only get one ricotta layer. Am I spreading the ricotta too thick? Thanks!
Possibly! But then again, you can never have enough ricotta, right?
First, divide your ricotta mixture in two so you see how much you have to work with per layer. Rather than trying to spread it, just drop teaspoons full of it at intervals on each layer. It’s almost impossible to spread. I add some quickly sauteed/steamed fresh spinach to my ricotta to try to stretch it a bit, while adding flavor and color, too. But just give up spreading your ricotta and drop it on in dribs and drabs. You can also add another egg to make it a bit more liquidy.
thanks for this feedback! going to try this recipe this week
I’m going to try this recipe out so I’ll foreward with that. Never made it yet. But I’m scrolling through the comments, reading them as always because often, previous readers that have tried recipes published online, have great tips and tricks for making the recipe prep, taste and cook it’s best + easiest.. Never in life have I seen as many people COMPLAIN about the most petty, small on a SINGLE recipe? Wasn’t the “easiest recipe in the world?” Wow. That’s definitely open to interpretation… Just a lot of trolls here. I feel embarrassed for the author who put this up to try and share something with people… Ugh.. Such gross behavior..
I’ve made this so many times and love it! Super easy. And it’s amazig left over!
I’m planning to make it for a large crowd. Do you think it will bake well if I increase the recipe by 50%? I have a very large lasagna pan that should fit everything, I just worried it might not bake as well. Have you ever tried increasing the recipe?
I actually have not. Sorry!
My first lasagna ever and my husband and children had NO complaints. Which is truly remarkable!