Chef notes

Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, but the reality is that I only make it a few times a year. It’s one of those dishes that it seems everyone loves — and always wants seconds of. But, I rarely have the time to spend the entire day making all the elements that go into this beloved baked pasta, and I’m guessing that might be the case for you, too.

Enter: this easy lasagna recipe. It’s got all the same flavors as the classic, but significantly cuts down on time — and effort — in the kitchen. The sauce is made with a combination of ground beef and hot Italian sausage, which does the heavy lifting in terms of adding flavor. Rather than canned tomatoes and paste, I’ve opted for premade marinara sauce. I like Rao’s, but use whatever your favorite brand is. While I love layering in a classic bechamel, I don’t love the amount of time it takes to make. Instead, I use a mixture of ricotta and pre-shredded mozzarella, which offers the same luxurious layers of cheese throughout the lasagna.

The best part of this recipe? There’s no boiling of noodles required. I’ve found that boiling the noodles can render a lasagna that toes the line of soggy. Similarly, I also steer clear of no-boil noodles, which don’t always texturally hold up. Instead, simply layer regular dried noodles in the lasagna. As long as they’re submerged in sauce, the noodles will cook through perfectly by the time the lasagna is out of the oven.

Technique Tip: For a crispier, cheesy topping, remove the foil from the lasagna after baking and broil it for 3 minutes.

Swap Option: I like the combination of ground beef and sausage, but you can make this with one or the other. If you want to add even more flavor to the cheese layer, add 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the ricotta and mozzarella mixture.

Ingredients

cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed, crumbled
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (32-ounce) jar marinara sauce
16 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided (4 cups)
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg, beaten
12 dried lasagna noodles

Fulfilled by

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the ground beef and sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and continue cooking until the onion has softened and the meat has cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine, cooking until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine, cooking until warmed through, about 3 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups of mozzarella, ricotta and egg.

Add 1½ cups of sauce to the bottom of the greased baking pan. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Layer with another 1½ cups of sauce. Spread half the cheese mixture over the sauce. Repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce and cheese. Add the final layer of lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella.

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake until the cheese has melted and the noodles have cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.