Lazy Lasagna
This Lazy Lasagna has all the saucy, cheesy goodness of classic lasagna with a fraction of the work! It’s made with ground beef, sausage, pasta, ricotta, and plenty of mozzarella, then baked until hot and bubbly.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 494kcal
Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese Mixture
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese 2 cups
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Meat Sauce & Pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- Salt/pepper
- ¾ lb. ground beef
- ¾ lb. ground Italian sausage hot or mild
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 40 oz. marinara sauce see notes
- ¾ lb. Radiatori pasta see notes
Topping
- 2 ¼ cups mozzarella cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the ricotta cheese mixture in a medium bowl and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning. Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onions. Let them soften for 10 minutes.
- Lightly season the ground beef with salt/pepper. Add the beef and sausage and increase heat to medium-high. Cook and crumble the meat for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Add garlic during the last minute. Drain excess grease.
- Add the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the tomato paste, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Add the marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and let the sauce simmer gently.
- Meanwhile, boil the pasta for 1 minute less than the al dente cooking time on the package. Important: Set a timer to avoid overcooking. Drain once cooked.
- Add the drained pasta to the meat sauce and stir gently to combine.
- Spread half of the pasta/meat sauce mixture in an even layer in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Add half of the ricotta mixture in dollops over the pasta, then gently spread it over the top with a silicone spatula.
- Top with the remaining pasta/meat sauce mixture, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture. Sprinkle 2 ¼ cups of mozzarella evenly over the top.
- Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray and place it spray-side-down on top of the baking dish to prevent the cheese from sticking to it.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes. If desired, broil briefly at the end to brown the top more. Watch it carefully during this time.
- Remove and garnish with fresh parsley. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Notes
Pro Tips:
Storage:
Make Ahead Method: Option 1:
- Pasta: I use Radiatori pasta for this recipe. Mafalde Corte would be the next best option, followed by Campanelle, Rigatoni, Ziti, and Rotini.
- Flavor Enhancers: The hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce are flavor enhancers and can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce won’t make it hot/spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce.
- Marinara Sauce: I recommend using Rao’s marinara sauce for this recipe, it’s very high quality, this is a dish that deserves quality ingredients. Carbone is another excellent choice.
- Walmart typically carries 40 oz. jars. Two 28 oz. jars may also be used for this recipe.
- Cheese: Shred and grate the cheese from a block, avoid using packaged shredded/grated cheese for this recipe. Low moisture, whole milk mozzarella cheese melts the best. I use Galbani whole milk Italian-style mozzarella, Belgioioso Parmesan, and Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta.
- Love Lasagna? Be sure to try my classic Lasagna Recipe, Ravioli Lasagna, Lasagna Roll Ups, and Lasagna Soup!
- Casserole Dish: If your lasagna is very close to the top of your casserole dish, place a baking sheet underneath the casserole dish to catch any splatters of sauce, as it gets hot and bubbly toward the end. A Deep Casserole Dish is helpful.
- This pairs well with Garlic Bread with Cheese or my Olive Oil Bread Dip with No Knead Bread!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze well!
- To Reheat: Place refrigerated/thawed leftovers it in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Larger portions may require additional time.
Make Ahead Method: Option 1:
- Prepare the meat sauce and ricotta mixture the day before, let those flavors meld in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, boil pasta, assemble, and bake! (This is my preferred method.)
- Assemble fully as outlined but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely before baking.
- Let chilled casserole sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes, or until the center is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end if desired.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 12 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1228mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 931IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 365mg | Iron: 3mg
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