Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Lasagna
A thick square of lasagna with bubbling cheese is a welcoming dinner to set down in front of someone. The meaty tomato sauce and soft cheese layers give each forkful plenty of flavor. Let the dish settle after baking, then bring it to the table for generous slices.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 70 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Original yield
- Serves 12
- Ingredients
- 15 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American · Italian
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Drain excess grease
Brown the beef and sausage with the onion first. If there is plenty of grease, drain it before adding garlic and seasoning.
2. Let the sauce simmer
Give the meat sauce its simmer after adding marinara and water, then take it off the heat to cool slightly.
3. Test the noodles
Check that the noodles are tender before uncovering for cheese. Some brands need as long as an hour in the covered stage.
Get to know the ingredients
Italian sausage
Mild and spicy ground Italian sausage are both listed. It browns together with the ground beef and chopped onion.
Squeezed spinach
Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze it dry before mixing the ricotta filling, so it is ready to combine with the cheeses.
Divided mozzarella
Mix one cup of mozzarella into the ricotta filling. Keep the remaining two cups for the top after the covered bake.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 12. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 11 steps completeMake room for Easy Lasagna
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Wait before slicing
Let the baked lasagna rest for ten to fifteen minutes. The liquid around the edges settles before you cut the slices.
A little more help as you go
A thin sauce base
Spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the greased dish before adding the first noodles, so they have sauce underneath.
Grease the cover
Lightly grease the foil or oven-safe lid before covering the assembled lasagna for the first baking stage.
A few questions you might have
Do I boil the lasagna noodles first?
The recipe uses oven-ready noodles, layered straight into the dish and baked under a tight cover until they are tender.
What goes over the final noodles?
Spread only the remaining meat sauce over the top layer of noodles. The ricotta mixture belongs between the earlier layers.
When should I add the top mozzarella?
Uncover the lasagna once the noodles are tender, then sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and bake until it melts.
Can I brown the cheese topping?
After melting the mozzarella, broil for the optional two minutes if you want a browned top on the lasagna.
Is a juicy casserole during baking a problem?
The directions allow it to look juicy when the noodles first become tender. The final rest helps the liquid settle.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: thereciperebel.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
