Lazy Lasagna is an easy twist on an Italian favorite! It requires 6 simple ingredients and in one 1 hour, you'll be in comfort-food heaven! It's great for a busy weeknight and also the best make ahead pasta recipe to freeze for a later date.
There's something so satisfying about a warm, cheesy homemade lasagna, but let's be honest—sometimes, the thought of layering and baking can feel daunting. Enter Lazy Lasagna! This recipe delivers all the rich, comforting flavors you love with a fraction of the effort. Ready in no time and using basic ingredients, it's a perfect dish to enjoy on a cozy evening with minimal fuss.
Filled with seasoned hearty ground beef, flavorful marinara sauce, tender noodles, and ooey gooey melted cheese, Lazy Lasagna is sure to become one the whole family will love. It's perfect for meal prepping for the week and excellent to freeze for a dinner in the future. It's also the ideal recipe to share it with a neighbor or friend!
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If you love an easy pasta recipe, we have some other fan favorites for you! Baked Sheet Pan Ravioli Recipe (Sheet pan), Crock Pot Pizza Casserole, and Creamy Bolognese are more popular Italian-inspired pasta variations you will love!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Like this Recipe
- Quick and Easy Recipe: Perfect for busy weeknights when you want a homemade meal without the fuss.
- Comforting and Flavorful: All the comforting flavors of regular lasagna in a simpler, quicker format. Just what you want on a busy night!
- Family-Friendly: A hit with picky eaters, this lazy lasagna casserole recipe a great go-to meal for any night of the week for both kids and adults!
- Freezer-Friendly: This easy lasagna recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use. It's also an excellent homemade freezer meal gift to give! You'll get rave reviews!
Laura Ashley's Tip: We use ground beef in this recipe but feel free to swap for ground chicken, pork, or turkey. You can even use finely chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Full Recipe Card Below
- Lean Ground Beef: Provides a hearty and flavorful base for the dish. You can also use ground turkey or chicken as a leaner option.
- Garlic Powder: Gives that punch of garlic infusion in the sauce.
- Italian Seasoning: A blend of herbs that brings the classic Italian flavor to the dish.
- Seasoning Salt: Enhances the overall flavor of the dish, ensuring it's well-seasoned.
- Marinara Sauce: The heart of the dish, providing rich tomato flavor and binding all the ingredients together. Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce.
- Egg Noodles: A quicker alternative to traditional lasagna noodles, they cook up fast and soak up all the delicious sauce. You can also opt for pasta noodles.
- Mozzarella Cheese: The final layer, it melts beautifully over the top, adding a gooey, cheesy finish to the dish.
- Optional Toppings (grated or shredded parmesan cheese, sliced fresh basil, snipped fresh parsley): Parmesan adds that extra cheesy goodness and herbs adds a pops of color and freshness!
Tools You'll Need
- Large Skillet or Cast Iron Skillet
- Meat Chopper
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 13"x9" Baking Dish
- Cheese Grater
How to Make Lazy Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook noodles in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (tender) pasta. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, crumble and cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease in a colander or with a paper towel.
- Stir in seasonings, marinara sauce, and cooked pasta until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan or two 9 x 9-inch pans.
- Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is browned and mixture bubbling.
- Serve topped with parmesan cheese, sliced fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Sauce Amount: The amount of moisture noodles or pasta will absorb depends on the brand and amount used. You can start with 50 ounces sauce and add more if desired. If freezing or making ahead of time, opt for more. You can also serve additional marinara sauce on the side.
- Par-cook the pasta. You will want to cook your noodles 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. The noodles will continue cooking in the oven until they are perfect.
- Mozzarella Varieties. Most pre-shredded bags of mozzarella have a coating on it that prevents the cheese from melting as nicely. Ideally, shred a fresh block of mozzarella. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-shredded bag of cheese.
- Meat Options: We love the heartiness and simplicity of lean ground beefing this recipe. However, you can opt for ground chicken or turkey for a leaner alternative. You can also substitute some of the beef with Italian sausage!
- Cheese Options: Feel free to add as much cheese as you'd like, or even experiment with different types of cheese like ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, cheddar, provolone, or a blend of Italian cheeses.
- Vegetables: Incorporate extra veggies like spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini for added nutrition and flavor.
- Extra Flavor: Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat, minced garlic cloves, onion powder, or fresh herbs for a burst of freshness.
What to Serve with Lazy Lasagna
This Italian-inspired dish is a filling and flavorful dish on its own, but pairing it with the right side dishes can elevate your meal even further. It's excellent served with a simple House Salad, Garlic Broccoli and Mushrooms, and Crispy Garlic Green Beans. Don't forget the garlic bread! You won't be able to stop at one slice!
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Instructions
This easy lazy lasagna recipe is an excellent make ahead dish! It's great to divide into two 9 x 9-inch pans, bake one for dinner, and freeze the other for later.
If freezing the casserole unbaked, leave the mozzarella cheese off before freezing. When ready to cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, add the cheese, and bake according to directions. If baking straight from the refrigerator, add 5 minutes to the bake time.
Store any baked lasagna leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
You can freeze baked lasagna for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or oven before serving. Serve additional marinara sauce on the side if the noodles soak up more sauce than desired.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use any short pasta like penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or bowtie pasta. Just adjust the cooking time according to the pasta's package instructions.
Absolutely! Simply omit the ground beef and add more vegetables or use a plant-based meat substitute.
Use gluten-free pasta and ensure your pasta sauce is gluten-free.
Yes, you can assemble the dish ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake. Just add a few extra minutes to the baking time if it's coming straight from the fridge.
Cook the noodles 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (slightly firm) then rinse with cool water. This will prevent them from becoming too soft during baking
Lazy Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- seasoning salt or salt and black pepper amount as desired
- 50-60 ounces marinara sauce see note
- 10-12 ounces egg noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional Toppings: parmesan cheese and fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cook noodles in boiling salted water 2-3 minutes less than the package calls for al dente (tender) pasta. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, crumble and cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain any excess grease in a colander or with a paper towel.
- Stir in seasonings, marinara sauce, and cooked pasta until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 13”x9” pan or 2 9”x9” pans.
- Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is browned and mixture bubbling.
- Serve topped with parmesan cheese, sliced fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
-
- Sauce Amount: The amount of moisture noodles or pasta will absorb depends on the brand and amount used. You can start with 50 ounces sauce and add more if desired. If freezing or making ahead of time, opt for more. You can also serve additional marinara sauce on the side.
-
- Par-cook the pasta. You will want to cook your noodles 2 to 3 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. The noodles will continue cooking in the oven until they are perfect.
-
- Mozzarella Varieties. Most pre-shredded bags of mozzarella have a coating on it that prevents the cheese from melting as nicely. Ideally, shred a fresh block of mozzarella. Alternatively, use a high-quality pre-shredded bag of cheese.
-
- Meat Options: We love the heartiness and simplicity of lean ground beefing this recipe. However, you can opt for ground chicken or turkey for a leaner alternative. You can also substitute some of the beef with Italian sausage!
-
- Cheese Options: Feel free to add as much cheese as you'd like, or even experiment with different types of cheese like ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, cheddar, provolone, or a blend of Italian cheeses.
-
- Vegetables: Incorporate extra veggies like spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini for added nutrition and flavor.
-
- Extra Flavor: Adjust the seasonings to your taste. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat, minced garlic cloves, onion powder, or fresh herbs for a burst of freshness.
Emily Williams
I can't wait to try this! I had a recipe similar to this years ago that I loved and misplaced. I've been looking for another recipe since then!
Laura Ashley
YAY!! I'm so happy you're going to make it! I hope you LOVE it too!
Diane Woods
I love, love this recipe! So easy to assemble. I also love that you show the ingredients. Having that visual of the items is so helpful when I go to the grocery store! Thank you 🙂
Laura Ashley
You're so sweet! THANK YOU so much for your kindness and support! It means a lot to me!
Libda
Just made this tonight for my dad, who is 91and just got home from the hospital. He loved it and my husband and I did too. Very easy and very good!
Laura Ashley
You're so sweet! Thank you SO much!! 🙂 I'm so happy you and your family liked it so much! I hope you dad is feeling better too. So precious that he loved it!