Traditional lasagna is a once-a-year project for me. I love it deeply, but it’s rare that I can carve out time for it. When it does happen, it’s in the dead of winter when I have absolutely nothing else to do but spend the entire day in the kitchen.
While it’s impossible to beat the classic version—with a homemade bolognese sauce and, when I can manage it, homemade pasta—I’m all about an easier version that makes lasagna a much more frequent occurrence. This recipe is exactly that. This lasagna is about as low-lift as you can get while still achieving cheesy, crowd-pleasing results. Here’s how to make it.
Why You’ll Love it
- This recipe uses store-bought sauce (make sure you get one you love). There are just three components that make a lasagna great: the pasta, the cheese, and the sauce.
- The lasagna noodles cook right in the sauce. Since the noodles aren’t pre-boiled, they’ll cook from the heat and steam in the oven. It’s important that they’re completely covered in the sauce so they cook evenly.
Key Ingredients in Lasagna
- Ground beef: You’ll need 1 pound of lean ground beef.
- Marinara sauce: Since this recipe starts with a jar of marinara for ease, make sure it’s one that tastes great. My favorite brand is Rao’s, but choose your personal favorite.
- Cheese: Use two types of cheese—shredded low-moisture mozzarella and whole-milk ricotta.
- Regular lasagna noodles: While classic dry lasagna noodles are typically boiled before they’re layered, there’s no real reason why you have to cook them ahead of time—they can actually be layered in with the sauce and cheese as is. And yes, this is just regular lasagna noodles!
Helpful Tips
- Why I don’t call for no-boil noodles. No-boil lasagna noodles are a modern convenience, but honestly I’m not a huge fan of them—I find they almost always get overcooked in the casserole. Regular sturdy lasagna noodles take longer to cook than no-boil noodles, but as long as they’re completely covered in sauce and the lasagna is tightly covered with aluminum foil, they cook perfectly right in the oven and never get overcooked.
- The lasagna can (and should) rest before eating. Like all lasagnas, this one is great made ahead, and actually will be better made a little ahead of eating. Yes it’s tempting to cut into the lasagna right when you pull it from the oven, but let it rest on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes. This will help firm up all the layers and make it much easier to slice a square. And of course you can make it a day ahead or in the morning then reheat.
Make-ahead and Storage Tips
- Make ahead: The lasagna can be assembled and refrigerated up to two days in advance, or frozen for up to one month. Thaw the frozen lasagna for 2 days in the refrigerator before baking.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to three days.
What to Serve With Lasagna
Easy Lasagna
Serves 8 to 10- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (24- to 25-ounce) jar marinara sauce (3 cups), such as Rao’s or Newman’s Own
- 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided
- 15 dry lasagna noodles (not no-boil, about 2/3 of a 1-pound box), divided
- 15 to 16 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 2 cups), divided
