Craving lasagna without the layers? Lazy Lasagna delivers all the cozy, cheesy goodness of classic lasagna without the time-consuming prep. Made with penne pasta, ground beef, creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella, this no-layer lasagna recipe is easy to assemble and bakes up bubbly and satisfying.
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⭐ Why Melinda Loves Lazy Lasagna
Just like Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel, it's a classic pasta recipe that combines tender pasta with sauce and cheese.
It tastes like homemade lasagna but with just enough shortcuts to trim the total time. In the mood for a unique spin on lasagna? Hop over to my recipe for Sweet Potato Lasagna.
This is make-ahead-friendly!
Note: Some of the links in this recipe post are Amazon affiliate links, which means I make a small commission from Amazon if you link to and purchase the item. The affiliate process never affects your cost and I only link to products that I use and highly recommend.
🍅 Ingredients to Have on Hand
Tender penne pasta, savory ground beef, creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella combine in this easy recipe that skips the fuss. Like my recipe for Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole, it's pure comfort food. Here's all you need to make it!
Store-Bought Marinara Sauce: I switch it up all the time and use whatever brand I have on hand. I'm a big fan of (affiliate links) Rao's and Muir Glenn sauces with Lazy Lasagna; it's all about keeping things easy.
Pasta: Penne pasta is my all-time favorite shape, but you can use any sturdy, compact-sized pasta, even gluten-free pasta. Scroll to the Substitutions section for specifics on which pasta shapes work best.
Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk ricotta cheese is ideal, since it has a higher fat content than part-skim ricotta. It provides a richer, creamier layer between the cooked pasta and meat sauce. Part-skim ricotta works well too, but is has a drier consistency after baking. If you buy a big container of ricotta, keep it on hand to make Savory Cheesecake!
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the ground beef and add the marinara sauce. In a separate pan, boil the pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
Place the drained pasta and reserved pasta water in the pan with the cooked beef and sauce.
Step 2: Blend all the ingredients to combine and coat all of the pasta with the meat and marinara sauce.
⭐ Pro Tip
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then stir in the marinara and let it simmer for a few minutes. Be sure to use a pan big enough to hold the pasta, too. You'll be mixing everything together right in the same skillet before it heads into the baking dish.
Step 3: In a small bowl, blend the ricotta cheese with egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning.
Step 4: Place half the pasta, meat and sauce in a 9" x 13" baking dish.
Step 5: Spoon the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the pasta in the baking dish.
Step 6: Carefully spread the ricotta evenly across all of the pasta layer.
Step 7: Top the ricotta cheese with half the mozzarella cheese.
Step 8: Spread the remaining pasta and meat sauce on top, then sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella cheese.
Step 9: Spread the remaining Parmesan cheese on top. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes.
Step 10: Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Serve with extra marinara sauce for each serving.
💭 Recipe FAQs
If you forgot to scoop up the water before draining the pasta, which is easy to do, you can skip this step. The pasta water is just a little trick that boosts the flavor and helps the cooked pasta cling to the marinara sauce. There's no need to add plain water.
Ground pepper adds a hint of warmth to the sauce and balances the natural sweetness of tomatoes in the marinara.
Yes, you can swap the ricotta for the same amount of cottage cheese. It has a heavier, lumpier texture and the flavor is more tangy, but it's a good substitute for ricotta. For the very best results, consider draining the cottage cheese to remove some of the excess moisture.
⭐ Pro Tip
To create a thick "Bolognese" style sauce, use an (affiliate link) immersion blender to blend the cooked ground beef with the marinara sauce before adding the cooked pasta. Delicious!
📖 Substitutions
Pasta: This meaty sauce is rich, hearty, and full of flavor, just the way we love it! To hold up to all that goodness, you'll want a pasta shape that's sturdy and satisfying. Penne is my go-to, but ziti, rigatoni, rotini, farfalle (those cute bow ties), or even large elbow macaroni all work beautifully.
Marinara Sauce: No need to fuss with a homemade sauce, this is Lazy Lasagna, after all! Just grab your favorite jars of spaghetti sauce and you're set. If you planned ahead and have a jar of Sunday Gravy (Spaghetti Sauce) on hand, by all means, use it.
🥘 What to Serve with Lazy Lasagna
Crunchy Salad: It's a classic combo for sure, but fresh, crisp greens topped with a salad dressing like Blue Cheese Vinaigrette is a pure winner alongside Lazy Lasagna. For a non-traditional route, serve a chilled Crunchy Cole Slaw.
Homemade Dinner Rolls: Warm bread goes hand-in-hand with lasagna and warm No-Knead Potato Rolls are a great option. Serve them with plenty of Homemade Honey Butter or Bread Dipping Oil for a restaurant-style touch!
Italian-Inspired Dessert: Don't forget dessert. Since this recipe leans into classic Italian flavors, Tiramisu Cake makes the perfect sweet ending. It's everything we love about traditional tiramisu, but in a family-friendly version-with no alcohol and an easy cake mix shortcut.
🌡️ Leftovers and Storage
Store Lazy Lasagna in a covered container in the refrigerator and enjoy leftovers within four days.
To reheat, warm it up covered, in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave until it reaches a proper serving temperature and is heated through.
To freeze, wrap the baked and cooled lasagna and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before heating in the oven.
🍽 Other Tasty Dinner Recipes
Dinner recipes that are quick to fix are always welcome on a busy weeknight! Here are more of my favorite recipes that come together in minutes.
If you make Lazy Lasagna, I'd love to hear how it turned out and if you enjoyed it. Please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and a comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Recipe
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
(From Melinda) This has become a family-favorite recipe. It's a great way to enjoy lasagna much quicker than usual! Maybe I should call it "shortcut lasagna!"