This quick and easy lasagna with ricotta is made with homemade meat sauce then layered with no-boil lasagna noodles. Perfect for a big family dinner, and entertaining.
Table of Content
We all love Italian-style lasagna in our home. However, once upon a time, making homemade lasagna use to be a big project for me.
Why? Well, I would make everything from scratch! I'd make homemade lasagna sheets, homemade meat sauce, and homemade béchamel sauce. In fact, I still do that often. But over the years, I've made a few simpler variations, including my penne lasagna and skillet one pot lasagna.
And the truth is we love them all. Lasagna is delicious whether you layer it with ricotta cheese or bechamel sauce. And it is amazing with both no-boil pasta or homemade sheets. Isn't it?
Why make this lasagna?
- The recipe is very simple and easy to make with classic lasagna ingredients.
- I am making the lasagna meat sauce from scratch, but you can also use the ready-made marinara sauce with ground meat.
- And while the meat sauce can take about 40 minutes to make, the cheese sauce and noodles need no cooking at all!
- In addition, you can make everything on the day or plan ahead and make some of the components ahead of time like the meat sauce.
How to make lasagna
The timeline and process for this lasagna recipe is very simple. There are just three components to this recipe:
- The meat sauce is my classic bolognese sauce that takes about 40 minutes. We make this with beef and sausage (you can also use all beef), veggies, and tomatoes. Also, it can be made a few days ahead of time. In fact, it freezes well and one that is always in my freezer.
- Cheese layer - Takes just 5 minutes. I am using the perfect combination, which is three kinds of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan (a match made in heaven).
- Lasagna noodles - I am using the quick and easy no-boil lasagna noodles but you can also boil and drain them in just 12 minutes.
After that, all we have to do is layer the lasagna and bake it until it's golden and bubbling for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Meat - I am using lean ground beef with sausage meat. But, you can also use all ground beef.
- Tomato sauce - I am using three different varieties or cans of tomatoes. This adds a nice flavor as well as texture to the sauce.
- Tomato paste - Adds a nice thickness, color, and depth of flavor to the sauce without too much liquid.
- Noodles - I prefer to use the no-boil Barilla lasagna noodles but you can use any. I will leave instructions for the other noodles below.
- Ricotta - You want to use thick rich ricotta that is not too low in fat. Low-fat ricotta has too much water in it, which gives a very soggy lasagna that's not very appetizing.
- Egg - is used in the ricotta sauce to stabilize it and bind the ingredients together. That way it does not break apart when cut later. If you can't use egg you can use 2 tablespoon of flour as well.
Step by step instructions
Lasagna meat sauce
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan, add olive oil. Saute garlic, carrots, celery, and onions until translucent.
Pro tip - I like to start with a cold pan with oil and garlic, to get more flavor from the garlic before I add the rest of the veggies (see video). - Then, add the ground beef and pork. Break apart the beef into smaller pieces. Saute until the meat is no longer pink.
Pro tip - It is important to break the meat apart now or the sauce will be very lumpy when layering the lasagna. - Add the Italian seasoning, thyme, brown sugar, and bouillon. Followed by the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
Pro tip - Alternatively, you can use 4 cups of ready-made marinara sauce instead.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the water, whole basil sprigs, and chopped parsley.
Pro tip - Depending on the type of canned tomatoes you may need a little less or more water for the sauce. - Cover and cook for an hour on low stirring every 15 minutes until you have a thick delicious meat sauce.
Pro tip - Add a little water if necessary to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, take the lid off to help evaporate excess moisture. - Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the basil sprigs and discard. Set aside to cool completely before using.
Pro tip - I find cool tomato sauce works better when layering the lasagna.
Ricotta sauce
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Pro tip - You can combine the grated mozzarella and parmesan with the ricotta to make just one mixture but I like to sprinkle these separately.
Layering the lasagna
- Preheat the oven at 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar
- Spread one cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
- Top with 3 or 4 lasagna sheets ( I like a little more sauce on my noodles).
- Spread about ½ cup ricotta cheese with an offset spatula.
- Sprinkle on some parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the process 3 more times until you have used up all the meat sauce and ricotta.
Pro tip - It is important to first plan the amount you will use so you have even layers. Otherwise, the cut lasagna slices will slide with uneven filings.
- After the last layer, sprinkle any remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
Pro tip - Place the baking dish on a baking tray for easy clean-up just in case of any spillover.
Bake
- Bake for 30 minutes covered, remove the aluminum foil and cook another 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
Pro tip - Covering with the foil will help the noodles cook in the steam created in the pan. Baking uncovered will ensure you have a nice golden top that looks appetizing and delicious. - Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This will give you nicer slices that won't fall apart when cut.
Delicious sides with lasagna
- Baked eggplant slices or Parmesan roasted asparagus
- Oven-baked carrots or butternut squash
- Rosemary Focaccia or parmesan garlic rolls
- No-knead olive bread or no-knead beer bread
- Avocado salad or tomato mozzarella salad
Frequently asked questions
How long will this lasagna keep?
Lasagna is best served when freshly baked. Leftover lasagna will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to a month.
How to layer a lasagna?
Ideally, the best combination is three layers of
Sauce followed by noodles then cheese
Sauce - noodles - cheese
and more sauce - noodles - cheese
all remaining sauce and cheese. I prefer to add more sauce to my noodles so you will see in the video I have
sauce, noodles, sauce, cheese, and repeat.
How to freeze lasagna?
Freezing unbaked lasagna - I like to layer my lasagna in freeze safe aluminum tray. Then wrap well with aluminum and plastic wrap. Once frozen you can remove the lasagna block from the aluminum tray and freeze it for up to a month. Remove from the freeze and place in a baking dish. Thaw overnight then bake as directed
Freezing baked lasagna - layer and bake the lasagna in a freezer-safe aluminum tray. Once baked cool completely in the fridge then into the freezer. Once frozen you can remove it from the aluminum tray and wrap it in aluminum or plastic wrap. To thaw, place in the baking dish and in the fridge overnight.
How long to bake lasagna?
I like to bake the lasagna covered for 30 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and cook another 20 to 25 minutes.
Covering with the foil will help the noodles cook in the steam created in the pan, which gives soft melt-in-your-mouth noodles. Also, baking uncovered will ensure you have a nice golden top that looks appetizing and delicious.
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Printable Recipe
Best Lasagna with Ricotta
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save Grow Coooking Temperature: 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 381kcal
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings
Description
This quick and easy lasagna with ricotta is made with homemade meat sauce then layered with no-boil lasagna noodles. Perfect for a big family meal and entertaining guests.
Video
Ingredients
Lasagna meat sauce
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- ½ cup Onions (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup Carrots (finely chopped)
- ¼ cup Celery (finely chopped)
- 1 lb (500 g) Ground beef
- 4 oz (100 g) Ground pork (or pancetta)
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar ((optional))
- 2 cans (30 oz) Tomatoes ((15 x 2 oz or 4 cups) crushed)
- 4 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Dried thyme (Or 1 tablespoon fresh )
- ½ cup (120 ml) Water
- 1 tablespoon Bouillion (chicken or beef)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2 sprigs Basil (fresh)
- 2 tablespoon Parsley (finely chopped)
Ricotta sauce
- 2 cup (500 g) Ricotta
- 1 Egg (large)
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Plus
- 1 lb (500 g) No-boil lasagna noodles
- 2 cup (225 g) Mozarella cheese (grated)
- ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese (grated)
Instructions
Lasagna meat sauce
- In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan, add olive oil. Saute garlic, carrots, celery, and onions until translucent. Pro tip - I like to start with a cold pan with oil and garlic, to get more flavor from the garlic before I add the rest of the veggies (see video).
- Then, add the ground beef and pork. Break apart the beef into smaller pieces. Saute until the meat is no longer pink.Pro tip - It is important to break the meat apart now or the sauce will be very lumpy when layering the lasagna.
- Add the Italian seasoning, thyme, and bouillon. Followed by the canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can use 4 cups of ready-made marinara sauce instead.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the water, whole basil sprigs, and chopped parsley.Pro tip - Depending on the type of canned tomatoes you may need a little less or more water for the sauce.
- Cover and cook for an hour on low stirring every 15 minutes until you have a thick delicious meat sauce. Pro tip - Add a little water if necessary to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, take the lid off to help evaporate excess moisture.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the basil sprigs and discard them. Set aside to cool completely before using. Pro tip - I find cool tomato sauce works better when layering the lasagna.
Cheese layer
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Pro tip - you can combine the grated mozzarella and Parmesan with the ricotta to make just one mixture but I like to sprinkle these over separately.
Layering the lasagna
- Preheat the oven at 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
- In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar - Spread one cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan- Top with 3 or 4 lasagna noodles - Spread about ½ cup ricotta cheese with an offset spatula - Sprinkle on some paremsan and mozzarella cheeseRepeat the process 3 more times until you have used up the meat sauce and ricotta. Pro tip - It is important to plan the amount of each component you will use ahead of time. Otherwise, you will have uneven layers in your lasagna.
- After the last layer, sprinkle any remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Pro tip - Place the baking dish on a baking sheet for easy clean up just incase of any spilover.
Bake the lasagna
- Bake for 30 minutes covered, remove the aluminum foil and cook another 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Pro tip - Covering with the foil will help the noodles cook in the steam created in the pan. Baking uncovered will ensure you have a nice golden top, which looks appetizing and delicious.
- Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This will give you nicer slices that won't fall apart when sliced.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Use a Dutch oven or deep soup pot when making tomato-based sauces as tomato spatters while cooking
- Don't make haste, give every step the time it needs to saute, sweat, and stew.
- Cook the carrots, celery, and onions until they are soft and translucent so later they will almost disappear in an effort to thicken the sauce.
- Use a variety of canned tomatoes - different types of tomatoes bring different flavors and sweetness
- The sauce is very delicious, make extra and save some in the freezer for later.
- Lasagna noodles - I am using no-boil lasagna noodles but you can also use boiled and drained noodles. Simply follow the package directions for boiling the pasta in salted water until al dante. It is better to undercook than over-cook as these will continue to cook when baked in the layers. Drain and leave in cold water to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.
- How to layer lasagna - Ideally the best combination is three layers of
- Sauce followed by noodles then cheese
- Sauce - noodles - cheese
- and more sauce - noodles - cheese
- all remaining sauce and cheese
- Spinach lasagna - thaw and drain well the frozen spinach. Then add them to the lasagna over the ricotta layer along with the cheese.
- Freezing unbaked lasagna - I like to layer my lasagna in freeze safe aluminum tray. Then wrap well with more aluminum and plastic wrap. Once frozen you can remove the lasagna block from the aluminum tray and freeze it for up to a month. Remove from the freeze and place in a baking dish. Let thaw overnight then bake the next day.
- Freezing baked lasagna - layer and bake the lasagna in a freezer-safe aluminum tray. Once baked cool completely in the fridge then into the freezer. Once frozen you can remove it from the aluminum tray and wrap it well in more aluminum foil or plastic wrap. To thaw, place in the baking dish and let thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheating lasagna - my kids reheat their lasagna in the microwave. Place the slice of lasagna on a plate and cover it with a wet paper towel. Then heat on high for a minute or more until hot. The steam created by the wet paper towel will hydrate the noodles making them soft as freshly made lasagna.
Alternatively, you can reheat leftover lasagna in the oven. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 for about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 381- kcalCarbohydrates: 11- gProtein: 28- gFat: 24- gSaturated Fat: 11- gTrans Fat: 1- gCholesterol: 107- mgSodium: 796- mgPotassium: 416- mgFiber: 2- gSugar: 4- gVitamin A: 1207- IUVitamin C: 5- mgCalcium: 423- mgIron: 4- mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
This lasagna sounds so quick and delicious to make and perfect for the family - fulfilling and comforting.
Dannii
Lasagna is total comfort food for me. Ricotta adds so much extra flavour too.
Jeannette
Using ricotta makes such a difference! Love the flavour it adds with beef. Such a perfect meal to enjoy with the family!
Cyndy
This was delicious and I appreciated all the step by step instructions. I didn't realize that I should be covering the lasagna in the beginning so that it would steam and cook more evenly. Great tip!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Cyndy. I am so happy your family enjoyed this.