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The Best Easy Lasagna recipe is made with no boil lasagna noodles, store-bought sauce, cottage cheese, Italian sausage and lots of mozzarella cheese! This easy, minimal-prep lasagna recipe offers layer upon layer of cheesy, delicious goodness!
This is the easiest lasagna recipe! Lasagna is a classic comfort food featuring delicious layers of pasta, meat sauce and cheese! The traditional version can take quite a bit of work and prep-time to make. I made this recipe with no-boil lasagna noodles and store-bought sauce to offer an easy, more simplistic version of lasagna that savors all of the traditional flavors.
Lasagna Ingredients:
The full written recipe with ingredient amounts can be found below. Let’s talk about the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe.
- Onions and garlic – this dynamic duo is often the start of every great recipe!
- Ground Italian sausage – Italian sausage is generally pork sausage seasoned with Italian spices. Alternatives include ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey. If your grocery store does not have bulk Italian sausage, you can use Italian Sausage links, then simply remove the meat from the casing.
- Sauce – to simplify this recipe, use your favorite store bought sauce. My preference is Rao’s. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of sauce for assembly!
- Seasonings – oregano, basil, and dried parsley season this perfectly!
- Cheese mixture – every good lasagna needs a good cheese mixture! You’ll need cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and two eggs. Be sure to reserve 1-2 cups of mozzarella cheese for the top of the lasagna.
- No-boil lasagna noodles – the invention of no-boil lasagna noodles has revolutionized the way we make this classic dish. They eliminate the hassle of boiling a pot of water and cooking the noodles ahead of time.
Yes. You can choose to make traditional noodles by following the package instructions. When using traditional lasagna noodles, the bake time is reduced to 40-45 minutes.
How to assemble:
- Prepare the meat sauce – cook the onions and garlic. Add in Italian sausage and break apart. When the meat is fully cooked, drain any excess fat. Add in seasonings, then tomato sauce and simmer.
- Prepare the cheese mixture – In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, cream cheese and eggs. Stir well. Sometimes I like to add in a teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the cheese mixture.
- Assemble: Spread reserved pasta sauce on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. You will need a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Spray it with non-stick spray. Place a layer of no-boil noodles on top of the sauce, then top with ⅓ of the meat sauce and ½ of the cheese mixture. Add a second layer of no-boil lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the meat sauce and the other half of the cheese mixture. Add a third layer of noodles, remaining sauce, then top with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil – I like to spray the foil with non-stick spray so that it doesn’t stick to the cheese.
- Bake
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Pin It NowHow long do I bake lasagna with uncooked noodles?
Oven-ready noodles save on prep time and hassle! Do keep in mind that no-boil noodles require that the lasagna bake a bit longer in the oven so that the noodles have time to fully cook. Allow the lasagna made with uncooked noodles to cook for a full 60 minutes. It will be covered with foil for the first 45 minutes, then uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes. Your oven will be set to 375 degrees F.
What to serve with lasagna:
This satisfying dinner idea pairs well with a variety of side dishes. Here are my personal favorites.
- Garlic Bread – specifically this recipe for Perfect Cheesy Garlic Bread or Cheesy Stuffed Garlic Breadsticks.
- Salad – I love a good Caesar salad! Here’s my guide for how to make a restaurant style Caesar salad at home with homemade Caesar dressing!
- Roasted vegetables – roasted broccoli or asparagus would be delicious!
- Minestrone soup
How to re-heat lasagna
Lasagna is a great option to make ahead and it always tastes delicious whether it’s made fresh or reheated.
- Oven – to reheat in the oven, place the lasagna in a covered oven-safe dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.
- Microwave – it will work best to reheat it in the microwave one serving at a time. Place a slice on a microwave safe plate, cover and heat for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze instructions:
The Kitchen has a great guide for how-to freeze lasagna. You can find that here!
I hope you enjoy this recipe for The Best Easy Lasagna! If you make this recipe, and I hope that you do, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! Enjoy!
The Best Easy Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion – medium sized, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 32 oz pasta sauce
- 16 oz cottage cheese, full-fat, small curd
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese, divded
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 large eggs
- 9-12 lasagna noodles, no-boil
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F and prepare a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish by spraying it with non-stick spray.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add onion to the pan and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent.
- Stir in minced garlic and allow it to cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Add in ground Italian sausage. Break it up into bite sized pieces. When fully cooked, drain excess grease.
- To the ground meat, onion and garlic mixture, stir in basil, parsley and oregano.
- Reserve 8 ounces of pasta sauce for assembling the lasagna, then add the remaining 24 ounces of pasta sauce to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer the meat sauce for 8-10 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, prepare the cheese mixture. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese,10-12 ounces of mozzarella cheese (be sure to reserve 4-6 ounces of mozzarella cheese for the top of the lasagna- a heaping cup full), finely grated parmesan cheese, softened cream cheese and 2 eggs. Mix to combine.
- To assemble the lasagna: pour 1 cup of reserved pasta sauce in the bottom of the prepared 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and spread it evenly.
- Add a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles. It should take about 3-4 noodles. Leave room between the noodles so that there is space for them to expand as they cook.
- Top the noodles with ⅓ of the meat sauce and ½ of the cheese mixture..
- Add a second layer of noodles with ⅓ of the meat sauce and the remaining cheese mixture.
- Add a third layer of noodles and top with the remaining meat sauce. Top with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the lasagna with tinfoil then bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil after 45 minutes then continue baking uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted and the no-boil lasagna noodles are tender.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
