Easy Homemade Lasagna

If you are looking for an Easy Lasagna Recipe you have just found it! This recipe for lasagna takes a few shortcuts to result in a delicious version of lasagna that can be made on the busiest of days!

Pair lasagna with Homemade Garlic Bread and Greek Salad for a delicious family meal.

Easy Lasagna

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite recipes.

However, Lasagna has the reputation of being complicated and time-consuming. It is not thought of as an easy, weeknight meal.

But this simple recipe for Lasagna changes that conception!

Made with minimal prep, this recipe is PERFECT for busy nights. So give up what YOU thought about homemade lasagna and try out this simple recipe--cheesy comfort food does not need to be complicated!

Key Ingredients for Lasagna

• Regular Lasagna Noodles: You do NOT need no-boil noodles for this recipe, making this recipe that much easier. Either whole wheat or regular noodles work.
• Spaghetti Sauce:  I love to use my homemade spaghetti sauce, but your favorite jarred sauce works.  Just remember the better the flavor of the sauce, the better your lasagna will taste.
• Cottage Cheese: I know this is NOT traditional, but I personally love the tang and texture of cottage cheese in lasagna. Feel free to use ricotta in place of cottage cheese.
• Cheese: I use a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan for the best combination of flavor and melting factor.
• Meat: For this lasagna, you can use ground beef, ground sausage, ground turkey, or even Pepperoni! I know it sounds crazy to use pepperoni in lasagna. BUT, it is a super great way to add zing to this Easy Lasagna. The added bonus of using pepperoni is that it allows you to skip the step of browning meat, making the prep time of this lasagna only about 5 minutes!

How to Make Lasagna

• If using ground meat, you want to start this recipe by browning the meat. Whether using sausage, beef, pork, or turkey, be sure to brown the meat fully and break up into small pieces so there will be no large clumps of meat in the lasagna. If preparing a meatless lasagna OR using pepperoni, skip this step.

• To the ground beef add in the spaghetti sauce and water. The key to making this lasagna using regular noodles that do not need par-cooked is adding water to the spaghetti sauce. That extra moisture is needed for the noodles to cook fully. If you aren't adding meat, simply mix the spaghetti sauce with water.

• Next, mix together the cottage cheese with herbs, spices, cheese, and an egg. The egg will help the cheese filling to set up and the spices and herbs add a punch of authentic Italian flavor. I love to add fresh parsley for freshness and dried oregano for a true punch of flavor. I also add in red pepper flakes for a kick of heat. You can certainly use dried parsley or fresh oregano if desired, and omit the red pepper flakes for a more mild filling.

• To layer the lasagna, be sure to start by brushing a 9x13 pan with olive oil. This will help the lasagna come out of the pan easily.
• Spread a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan and then add a layer of noodles. One thing to remember is to not overlap the lasagna noodles when layering, t ensure the noodles cook evenly. Feel free to break up the noodles if needed to fit in the pan.
• Top with half the cottage cheese mixture spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the filling. Repeat the layers by adding another layer of noodles, cottage cheese mixture, and meat sauce.

• Finish with an additional layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and finish with a covering of shredded cheese.

• Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. In order for the noodles to cook through, the lasagna must be covered with foil for the first 45 minutes of bake time. This will let the noodles steam and soften perfectly. Then remove the foil for excess moisture to evaporate and the cheese to brown to perfection!

• Allow the lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into, to allow everything to set up. It will still be plenty warm.

Preparing in Advance

One of my biggest time-saving tips is to make two lasagnas at once. That way your family can eat one for dinner and you can freeze one to have on hand for busy nights.

Because the noodles are not precooked in this easy lasagna recipe, you need to BAKE the lasagna BEFORE freezing.

To freeze this lasagna, bake as directed in a freezer-safe pan or disposable foil pan. Let the lasagna cool completely. Wrap tightly in 2 layers of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To cook from frozen, From the freezer, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.

Substitutions

This recipe for lasagna has been tested, tried, and true. However, I want to give you options to make this lasagna work for you and your family. This is the best way to save money and satisfy your family's taste buds!

• Meatless: To make a Meatless Lasagna, omit the meat or use your favorite veggie crumbles.
• Too Much Cheese: If your stomach is a little sensitive to cheese or you are watching your calories, just omit the cheese from the filling and top with minimal cheese on top.
• Cottage Cheese: I know cottage cheese is controversial in lasagna recipes. So if you don't have cottage cheese--or you think it is a sin to use cottage cheese in lasagna, use ricotta cheese in place of cottage cheese.  Even tofu, Greek yogurt, or cream cheese works in this easy lasagna recipe.
• Pepperoni: As I mentioned earlier, to skip the step of browning meat, use sliced pepperoni in the layers of the lasagna in place of ground meat being added to the sauce. The pepperoni will add a hearty, meaty taste--minus the work!

More Lasagna Recipes

• Pierogi Lasagna
• Ravioli Lasagna
• Mexican Lasagna
• Lasagna Roll Ups
• Instant Pot Lasagna
• Vegan Lasagna from Nora Cooks

If you enjoyed this easy version of lasagna, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.