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Lazy Lasagna is a deconstructed lasagna bake, made with store-bought sauce, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, and whatever pasta you have on hand. It’s easy and comforting without a ton of ingredients, and only 15 minutes of prep. This is also a great lasagna without eggs and one of my most popular recipes!
This recipe for lazy lasagna is actually inspired by my grandma. It never failed that when we visited, this was on the menu one night, paired with a simple butter lettuce salad with her famous celery seed dressing.
My grandma was a great baker and always had a good nut roll or spritz cookies in the freezer, but she wasn’t big on cooking. Would she ever slave away over a pot of long-simmered tomato sauce that was passed down from ancestor to ancestor? NO! She didn’t have time for that! She had 6 kids! Her recipes had to be easy and quick.
This easy recipe has become a reader favorite like my Boursin pasta and mascarpone pasta. I promise you’ll love it!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Some days you have more time and energy to make a homemade sauce, like this chicken Alfredo lasagna, and other days you just want simple. That’s where this lazy lasagna recipe comes in. You’ll love it because:
- Family favorite – Great for kids and adults. Who doesn’t like lasagna?
- Easy – Using store-bought sauce and cooked ground beef makes this an easier and faster recipe.
- Great as a gift – I prepped this lazy lasagna for each of my pregnancies because it freezes great. I also love to give it to friends in need.
- Freezer-friendly – This recipe freezes and reheats well.
Since this is an egg-free lasagna and it doesn’t have parmesan cheese, this recipe can easily fit a few different diets, like low sodium. It’s gluten free friendly as well.
Ingredients
- Pasta – Any type of pasta will work except smaller ones like macaroni. I went with penne here but sometimes I mix and match whatever is leftover. Rigatoni, ziti, fusilli, farfalle would all be great.
- Ground Beef – I just use a 90/10 or 85/15 mixture, but you can also leave this out for a vegetarian lasagna.
- Marinara Sauce – Whatever your favorite is will work! If you’re onion sensitive, I recommend Cucina Antica Garlic Marinara, Rao’s Sensitive Marinara, Fody Marinara, and Sprouts Sensitive Marinara.
- Ricotta – Choose a good quality brand. If you find ricotta to be gritty, it’s because of the brand you’re using. A good ricotta is luscious and super creamy. I used Liuzzi in this, but Calabro and BelGiosio are also great. One without gums will work best in this recipe (and ricottas without gums are best for baking overall).
- Mozzarella – Fresh is best. I buy a big ball of it and grate it at home using a cheese grater, or just pull it apart in big pieces.
Full ingredients are posted in the recipe card below.
A lasagna without eggs? I’ve made this by leaving the egg out and putting an egg in. The egg does help to bind the cheese mixture a little bit more and coat the pasta, but it’s truly not necessary. In this case, I think one less ingredient is nice and leaving it out doesn’t change the flavor.
Variations
- Vegetarian – Leave out the meat and just cook the pasta! Layer the marinara pasta and the ricotta mixture the same way.
- Add extra vegetables – Add about 1 cup of spinach to the beef mixture while cooking so it wilts down.
- Gluten free – Use your favorite gluten free pasta.
- Chicken sausage – Use ground fresh Italian chicken sausage instead of ground beef.
How to Make Lazy Lasagna
Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and greasing a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Step 1: Start by browning the ground beef and boiling the pasta (Picture 1). Add the marinara sauce to the ground beef. Then mix in the al dente pasta with the ground beef marinara mixture.
- Step 2: Use the package directions to cook the pasta “al dente”, which means it’s softened, but with a firmer bite to it. About 1-2 minutes less than the recommended time.
- Step 3: Mix together the ricotta cheese, garlic, basil, and oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 4: In an oiled 9×13 inch pan, add 1/2 the pasta mixture. Then spread the ricotta mix over top. Add the rest of the pasta on top of the ricotta, and place torn mozzarella on top. Cover with foil. If freezing for later, stop here.
Step 5: Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes, then take the foil off and bake another 10 minutes till light brown on top.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this lazy lasagna when I need a great, easy comfort food. Here are some ideas that will make this meal even more satisfying.
- Green salad – I recommend a simple salad with ranch dressing from scratch or a apple fennel salad, which can cut the richness of the cheese.
- Roasted vegetables – Honey roasted carrots and parsnips or bang bang brussels sprouts would be a great way to add additional vegetables.
- Serve with a great drink like this pomegranate mocktail.
If you have additional ricotta cheese leftover, don’t miss this whipped ricotta dip, ricotta chicken, or butternut squash stuffed shells.
Storage Information
This easy recipe is ideal for meal prepping. All you have to do is pre-cook the pasta, meat (if using), and layer the dish. Here are a few of my freezer tips.
- Prepare the pan – Cover the bottom of your baking dish with tin foil so you can easily lift the casserole out of the pan, once frozen, and transfer it to a bag or different storage container if needed.
- Freezer instructions – If you’ll consume fairly quickly, you can place saran wrap directly over the top of the casserole so it’s touching the pasta. Then cover that with press and seal and freeze for up to 1 month.
- Baking from frozen – Use the same baking times and temperatures as a base. Then add an additional 10-15 minutes.
How to prep – The lasagna can be prepped ahead, unbaked, and placed in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking.
Lazy Lasagna FAQ
One thing that helps with the texture is to cook the pasta slightly al dente. And if you haven’t heard of this before, it’s really easy to do. Just pull out your pasta about 1-2 minutes before the “final time” posted on the package. The pasta should be a little firm, but still soft enough to chew.
Fresh herbs can help increase the flavor of your lasagna. Feel free to add more garlic if you’re a garlic lover, play around with your store-bought marinara (this recipe works with so many different types) or add additional herbs.
A few tips can help make your lasagna bake less watery. 1. Drain the meat well, and you can even blot with a paper towel. 2. Use GOOD ricotta cheese, like the brands mentioned above. This will help a ton. 3. Fully drain the pasta before adding to the sauce.
That’s what makes this recipe lazy! It works with several different kinds of pasta, making it perfect to make with whatever you have on hand. While traditional lasagna uses lasagna noodles, this lazy lasagna is great with penne, rigatoni, and fusilli. I just don’t recommend smaller noodles or thin noodles, like macaroni or spaghetti.
Baked Pasta Recipes
Pasta
Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Pasta
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna with Boursin
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Lazy Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried pasta (I used penne)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 25 oz marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, torn or shredded
- parsley for garnish
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃) and prep a 9×13 inch pan, rubbing with a little bit of olive oil to coat it. Meanwhile boil water and cook pasta just 1-2 minutes short of package directions until al dente (firm, but cooked through). At the same time, brown ground beef in a large saute pan until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes, and drain if there is a lot of excess moisture. Season the beef with kosher salt and black pepper, then add marinara sauce.
- In a separate bowl, combine the basil, garlic, oregano with ricotta cheese until well mixed.
- Drain pasta and toss with the marinara/beef mixture till coated. Layer 1/2 the pasta in the bottom of the pan. Then top with all of the ricotta/garlic/basil mixture. Spread the rest of the pasta over the top of the ricotta mixture, then dot with mozzarella tears all over the top (save 2 or 3 slices for a snack!!).
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375℉ for 20-25 minutes until warmed through and bubbling. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until lightly browned on top. (If you want yours a little more brown like mine, you may have to broil for 1-2 minutes on high)
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with a side salad!
Video
Notes
- Pastas that would work well here -Rigatoni, Penne. Fusilli, Cavatappi, Ziti. Gluten free pasta also works.
- Use a high quality ricotta for best results. This won’t be grainy. BelGiosio, Calabro, or Liuzzi are my recommendations.
- Marinara sauce – I like to use Rao’s or Carbone’s, but feel free to sub any one that works for your needs. This recipe works with all types!
- To prep ahead – Make the lazy lasagna up to baking, then cover and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. Or you can freeze like this for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is an excellent recipe but you don’t mention what you do with the salt & pepper in the ingredients list. Thanks!
Thanks for that! I always use it throughout, but mostly seasoning the beef with salt and pepper and then a little bit in the ricotta mix too. You can taste and adjust along the way to your liking.
I loved this recipe! It was very simple and delicious! I love lasagna, but it takes a while, and the big lasagna noodles can be hard to work with. I added mushrooms and spinach when I made this. While the circles of mozzarella look really good, I think I’ll go with shredded mozzarella next time because you can really cover every inch of the dish that way (and my husband and I love cheese).
Will absolutely be making this again!
Easy and delicious. Made per recipe and it turned out great. Next time I may add a little sautéed red pepper And spinach just to up my veggie intake. I used Yo Mama’s Pasta sauce and organic ricotta to really lower the overall sodium.
Will definitely make again and was thinking this is the perfect meal to bring to a friend or neighbor in need.