Easy lasagna layers no boil noodles with beef-and-sausage tomato sauce, ricotta filling, and a mozzarella topping. A covered bake gives the dry noodles time to soften in the sauce before the cheese browns.
The nine-by-thirteen-inch dish makes eight generous portions. Plan for one hour and forty-five minutes, including browning the meat, baking, and resting before slicing.
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Why This Recipe Works
Oven-ready noodles absorb moisture from the sauce, so complete coverage matters more than a separate boiling step. Eggs help the ricotta filling set, while the covered first bake holds moisture inside the dish. A short uncovered finish colors the top, and resting gives the layers time to settle rather than slide apart.
Ingredients
Use twelve oven-ready lasagna noodles and check the package for any brand-specific liquid guidance. Mix two cups mozzarella and half a cup Parmesan into the ricotta; reserve one cup mozzarella and a quarter cup Parmesan for the top. The measured quarter-cup water loosens the sauce, with another quarter-cup available if it is unusually thick.
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Neutral oil, as needed for lean meat
- Additional water, up to 1/4 cup if sauce is very thick
Filling and Layers
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
How to Make Easy Lasagna
1. Cook a spoonable meat sauce. Heat the oven to 350°F. Brown the beef and sweet Italian pork sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for eight to ten minutes, breaking up clumps and checking for 160°F. Use a little neutral oil if the meat is very lean and sticks. Drain excess fat, briefly stir in the garlic, then add the jarred sauce, water, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for five minutes; the sauce should spread easily over the noodles.
2. Mix and allocate the filling. Blend ricotta, eggs, dried parsley, two cups mozzarella, and half a cup Parmesan in a bowl. Spread three-quarter cup meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Divide the remaining sauce into four equal portions, and the ricotta mixture into three portions. This allocation leaves enough sauce for every noodle layer, including the top.
3. Build four noodle layers. Lay three noodles over the base sauce, breaking an edge if needed to fit without heavy overlaps. Add one-third of the ricotta mixture and one of the four sauce portions. Repeat that noodle-filling-sauce pattern twice more. Place the final three noodles on top, cover with the last sauce portion, and scatter the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan over the surface.
4. Bake covered, then rest. Cover the dish tightly with foil, tenting it slightly above the cheese, and bake for fifty minutes. Remove the foil and continue for about ten minutes until the top melts and the center reaches 165°F. A knife should slide through the middle noodles without a hard ridge. If they are still firm, cover again and bake longer. Rest for ten minutes before cutting a two-by-four grid.
How to Serve
Serve one of the eight large rectangles with a green salad or roasted vegetables. A wide spatula supports the layers better than a narrow spoon. Smaller slices can stretch the dish further when it is part of a larger meal, but the recipe card is based on eight portions.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate portions within two hours and use within three to four days. Warm refrigerated slices under a cover and verify 165°F in the middle. An assembled unbaked dish can be refrigerated for up to one day; it will need extra baking time from cold. Freeze baked portions for up to three months and thaw in the refrigerator. See federal cold-storage guidance for refrigerated foods.
Tips and Variations
- Use noodles specifically labeled oven-ready or no boil.
- Keep the sauce fluid enough to spread, especially around noodle edges.
- Reserve the stated cheese amounts before mixing the filling.
- Test noodle tenderness before removing the dish for its rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular lasagna noodles?
Cook them according to their package directions first. They do not behave like dry oven-ready noodles in this method.
Can I replace the sausage?
More ground beef works, but removes the sausage seasoning. Adjust the flavor after the meat sauce has cooked.
Can I substitute cottage cheese?
Yes, well-drained cottage cheese can replace ricotta. Blend it first if you prefer a smoother filling.
Why are the noodle edges hard?
They may have been exposed above the sauce or the foil may have leaked steam. Cover those areas with sauce and continue baking covered.
Can I prepare it the night before?
Yes, cover and refrigerate it promptly. Allow additional oven time and check the middle rather than using the warm-dish schedule.
More Recipe Ideas
Easy Lasagna Recipe (No Boil Noodles)
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage casings removed
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 48 ounces spaghetti sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Neutral oil as needed for lean meat
- Additional water up to 1/4 cup if sauce is very thick
Filling and Layers
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
Instructions
Sauce and Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook beef and pork sausage over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes until crumbled and at least 160°F, using neutral oil if needed; drain excess fat.
- Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add spaghetti sauce, 1/4 cup water, salt, and pepper; simmer 5 minutes, adding up to another 1/4 cup water if the sauce is very thick.
- Combine ricotta, eggs, dried parsley, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Reserve the other 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Layer and Bake
- Spread 3/4 cup meat sauce in a 9×13-inch dish. Divide remaining sauce into 4 equal portions and ricotta filling into 3 equal portions.
- Add 3 noodles, 1 portion ricotta filling, and 1 portion sauce; repeat twice. Add the last 3 noodles, the final sauce portion, and both reserved topping cheeses.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more until noodles are tender and the center reaches 165°F.
- Rest 10 minutes before cutting into 8 equal portions.
Notes
- Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days.
- Reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F.
- Freeze baked portions up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator.
