This Super Easy Lasagna Recipe delivers rich, satisfying layers with a simple meat sauce, three kinds of cheese, and tender lasagna noodles. Whether you’re cooking for Sunday dinner or meal prepping for the week, lasagna is the perfect meal idea!
Simple Lasagna (and Why You Should Make It!)
Hey friends, what’s for dinner?
Today we are having our Super Easy Lasagna! We’re definitely not Italians over here, but we are Mennonites who love a good dish of comfort food. And homemade lasagna is just that. 🙂 Also, I love dinners with tomato sauce, such as Simple Spaghetti, Pizza Casserole, and even good old-fashioned tomato soup. So this is perfect.😊
I love this recipe because (the title literally gives it away) it is super easy! No pre-cooking those big noodles, and we’ll just crack open a jar of homemade pizza sauce to use instead of making a homemade pasta sauce. (Bought is fine too!) I do recommend grating your own cheese though instead of taking the easy route with pre-shredded cheese; the freshly grated cheese is the best!
And here’s a few more of my favorite things about this recipe. It makes a large pan full (enough to have leftovers for dinner the next day)! You can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it for a day or two before baking (or even freeze it). And of course, it’s delish!
Supplies You’ll Need (and what we used!)
- A spatula or two – I used a little rubber spatula to do the spreading
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A skillet – to cook the meat
- A baking dish – something in the 9×13-inch pan range; I used my glass Pyrex pan, like usual. 🙂
- Nonstick cooking spray – I like to give that baking dish (and the under side of the foil) a spray of olive oil, just to make sure the lasagna doesn’t stick fast while baking.
- Aluminum foil – or an oven-safe lid of some kind
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Ingredients
- Ground beef – any ground beef (we prefer the stuff with a higher fat content!). Or you can also use half ground beef and half sausage for the meat sauce.
- Onion & garlic – I prefer using fresh, but dried will work, too!
- Lasagna noodles – any. Either oven ready or regular (see the section on noodles below)
- Pasta sauce – I use my own homemade, home canned pizza sauce for this recipe, but a good quality pasta sauce like (this Italian Herb stuff) from the store is great, too.
- Cottage cheese – yes, I use cottage cheese (no, I’m not Italian) but if you’d rather you can always swap with ricotta cheese or do half and half.
- Italian seasoning – if I remember, I like to add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning to each cottage cheese layer.
- Mozzarella & Parmesan cheese – preferably both freshly grated.
Find the full recipe (ingredient list + instructions) on a printable recipe card below!
How I make this Super Easy Lasagna Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Dice the onion, then cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic together in a pan. Add a sprinkle of salt, to taste. Once the beef is fully cooked, add the pasta sauce and stir, then remove from the heat. This is your meat sauce!
Meanwhile, grate the cheese. Then spray a 9×13 baking dish (or a casserole dish similar in size) with cooking spray. Spread about a cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles, then half the cottage cheese, followed by a third of the shredded mozzarella and a third of the parmesan cheese. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, if you wish. Then spread about a cup of the meat mixture on top of the cheese mixture.
Repeat Step 4, by adding a second layer of noodles, cheeses and meat sauce.
Add the third and final layer of noodles, followed by any remaining meat sauce. Top with the rest of the shredded cheeses.
Cover and bake for about one hour. Option: remove the pan cover for the last ten minutes of baking, so the cheese turns slightly golden brown! (Check for done-ness by inserting a knife or spoon to see if the noodles are soft.) Let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
A Little Tip:
Let that lasagna rest after baking! Annoying, I know, but the rest time gives it a chance solidify a little, so you can cut neat pieces of lasagna, instead of having the sauce and noodles sliding all apart.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Lasagna
Any leftover lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or frozen for several months.
When you’re ready to reheat lasagna, my favorite way is to use the oven: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, place the lasagna in a baking dish (sometimes I add a little splash of water), cover and bake for 30 minutes or so, until the lasagna is nice and hot.
Oven Ready vs. Regular Lasagna Noodles
Yes, there’s a difference. Oven ready lasagna noodles have been par-boiled before drying, so they can easily finish cooking in the oven with the pasta sauce. Regular lasagna noodles are a little thicker, and most folks recommend cooking them al dente prior to layering in the pan.
So, oven-ready noodles tend to soak up more sauce as the lasagna cooks. Regular lasagna noodles don’t soak up as much liquid if they’re freshly pre-cooked before layering in the lasagna, since they’re already hydrated. Also, the oven ready noodles may not need to be baked quite as long. (You can always take a spoon or knife and cut into the lasagna to check the noodles, just to make sure.)
Ok, there are the pros and cons. And all that to say, it’s up to you! You can really use either option in this recipe. In my experience, the oven ready noodles are maybe a little more tender and soft, while the regular ones stay a little more firm and chewy, with the one hour bake time in this recipe. Anyway, I find it a pain to cook those big awkward noodles or make sure to purchase the special oven-ready ones, so yes. I just use whatever noodles I have (and often times they’re not oven ready) and it works just fine!
Tips, Tricks + Notes
- I only use three lasagna noodles per layer. You could squeeze another noodle in there, but they tend to expand a little during baking (if they’re not pre-cooked), so I prefer leaving a little space!
- Before placing the lid (or aluminum foil) on the pan for baking, give it a coat of cooking spray, so all that lovely cheese doesn’t try to stick fast!
- Let the lasagna rest before serving. (You can let it covered and everything, so it keeps its heat.) It’ll hold its shape while cutting so much better if you do.
More pasta dinners you might like:
Share this Super Easy Classic Lasagna Recipe
Easy Lasagna
This Super Easy Lasagna Recipe delivers rich, satisfying layers with a simple meat sauce, three types of cheese, and tender pasta. Whether you're cooking for Sunday dinner or meal prepping for the week, lasagna is the perfect meal idea!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves. minced
- Salt
- 1 quart (4 cups) pasta sauce
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1 (24 oz.) container cottage cheese
- 2-3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese*
- Italian seasoning, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Dice the onion, then cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic together in a pan. Add a sprinkle of salt, to taste. Once the beef is fully cooked, add the pasta sauce and stir, then remove from the heat.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish (or a pan similar in size) with cooking spray, then spread about a cup of meat mixture in the bottom of the pan.
- Add a layer of lasagna noodles, then half the cottage cheese, followed by a third of the shredded mozzarella and a third of the parmesan cheese. Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, if you wish. Then spread about a cup of the meat sauce on top of the cheeses.
- Repeat Step 4, by adding a second layer of noodles, cheeses and meat sauce.
- Add the third and final layer of noodles, followed by any remaining meat sauce and topped with the rest of the shredded cheeses.
- Cover and bake for about one hour. (Check for done-ness by inserting a knife or spoon to see if the noodles are soft!) Let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
* If using the parmesan cheese from the can, I would not use 2 whole cups, but just add a sprinkle on each layer instead.
- Any leftover lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or frozen for several months.
- I only use three lasagna noodles per layer. You could squeeze another noodle in there, but they tend to expand a little during baking, so I prefer leaving a little space!
- Before placing the lid (or aluminum foil) on the pan for baking, give it a coat of cooking spray, so all that lovely cheese doesn't try to stick fast!
- Let the lasagna rest before serving. (You can let it covered and everything, so it keeps its heat.) It'll hold its shape while cutting so much better if you do!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1358Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 15gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1324mgCarbohydrates: 186gFiber: 11gSugar: 5gProtein: 68g
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
As always…
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’til next time,
We love you and we’ll be praying for you,
Julie
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