Lazy Lasagna

Layered pasta with beef, sauce and melted cheese in a baking dish.

5 from 1 vote

Craving lasagna but not the layering? Lazy Lasagna brings all the cozy, cheesy, saucy goodness of the classic dish—no noodle stacking required. Here's another pasta recipe you might enjoy, Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel! It's also a family-favorite!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Resting Time10

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 646kcal

Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

Ingredients

12 ounces dried pasta, Penne
2 teaspoons salt divided
¼ cup pasta water ladle this from the pasta while it cooks, before draining and set aside
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon pepper
5 cups marinara sauce, divided Reserve 1 cup of sauce for spooning on each serving. (Optional)
15 ounces ricotta cheese 1, small container
1 egg
1 cup parmesan cheese grated and divided
3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning optional, but boosts the flavor of the ricotta cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 13” x 9” baking pan with cooking spray (Pam) or grease with shortening. Set aside.
In a large pot on the stove, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the pasta and cook until al dente - still a little firm. About 2 minutes less than the package directions.
12 ounces, 2 teaspoons salt
While the pasta cooks, place the olive oil in a large skillet or 4-quart saucepan and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the beef on a plate lined with paper towels and return it to the pan.
2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 pound ground beef
Pour the marinara sauce on the cooked beef, add a teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
1 teaspoon pepper, 5 cups marinara sauce, divided
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning (optional), ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and egg.
15 ounces ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Toss it in the pan with the beef and marinara and stir until all of the pasta is coated. Add the reserved pasta water and stir again.
¼ cup pasta water
Spread half of the pasta/beef/marinara mixture in the baking pan.
Top the pasta with all of the ricotta cheese mixture and spread it across the pasta layer to cover it evenly.
Top with half the mozzarella cheese. Reserve the rest for the topping.
3 cups mozzarella cheese
Add the remaining pasta/beef/marinara on top of the cheese and ricotta layer.
Top with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese.
Lightly spray the side of the foil that will be touching the top of the pasta with cooking spray.
Cover the baking dish with the foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and the dish is bubbling around the edges.
Heat the extra 1 cup of marinara sauce either in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and cover it lightly with foil, let it sit for 10 minutes. Spoon the extra marinara sauce on each serving.

Notes

Adding the pasta water to the cooked pasta and the marinara sauce is a little trick that boosts the flavor and helps the cooked pasta cling to the marinara sauce. If you forgot to scoop up the water before draining the pasta, which is easy to do, you can skip that step. There's no need to add plain water.

Nutrition