Master this simple lasagna recipe in just 20 minutes of prep time. Four layers of easy meat sauce, no-boil noodles, and 4 cheeses make this a family favorite!
After decades of making family-style lasagna at home, this recipe has been in our family's meal rotation for many years. It's my kids' top 5 favorite dinner.
While this lasagna does need about 1.5 hours in the oven (some things just can't be rushed), the prep work is surprisingly quick (only 20 minutes!). Instead of spending hours stirring sauce and boiling noodles, we're taking a smarter approach.
Using quality ingredients makes a difference. The good news is, you don't need anything fancy or hard to find. Your regular grocery store will have everything you need (if it has a good cheese section). Be sure to use good quality marinara sauce, whole milk cottage cheese, fresh herbs, and real Italian Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses.
Whether you're cooking for a family dinner, meal prepping for the week, or hosting a dinner party, this lasagna fits the bill.
Grab your stretchy pants, because we've cracked the code. Perfect to serve with easy garlic bread and a salad.
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2 Things Make This Lasagna Unique
- The use of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. This aged sheep's milk cheese brings a subtle saltiness and complex, slightly funky flavor that elevates the entire dish. It adds that unami profile that will have everyone wondering about your secret ingredient.
- Traditional lasagna recipes often start with making a complex meat sauce that needs to simmer. We're taking a different approach. Instead of pre-mixing the meat and tomato sauce, we're layering them separately right in the baking dish! They come together beautifully in the oven. Plus, it means less prep work.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The sauce ratio is just right – enough to cook the noodles and keep everything moist, but not so much that it becomes soupy.
- The cottage cheese creates a creamy, rich layer that stays moist throughout baking.
- The Pecorino Romano cheese adds just the right amount of salty, complex flavor.
- The no-boil noodles save time and fewer dishes to wash without sacrificing texture.
Basic Ingredients for Lasagna
Here are the ingredients needed to make this easy lasagna.
- Ground Meat: You can use ground beef, pork, or turkey. If you really want to use Italian sausage, check out the Substitutions & Variations section below.
- Marinara Sauce: This is a simple, bright-tasting sauce consisting of olive oil, crushed tomatoes, garlic, crushed red pepper, and maybe salt. Avoid the brands that have added sugar. My favorite brand is Lidia's, followed by Rao's. If you have an extra 20 minutes of time, you can make a large batch of my San Marzano Marinara Sauce and freeze what is not used in this lasagna.
- No-Boil Noodles: No-boil, oven-ready lasagna noodles aren't just a convenience; they're a revelation. They cook perfectly in the sauce, saving you time and cleanup. My favorite brand is Barilla.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese: A hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is made in Italy and regulated and protected by the European Union laws (PDO). I purchase this cheese at Costco.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: This is a hard-grating cheese made from cow's milk. It's manufactured according to specific guidelines in a limited area of Italy and also a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the European Union. I find this cheese at Costco.
- Cottage Cheese: Yes, most Italians would criticize the use of cottage cheese in lasagna because the traditional cheese used in lasagna is ricotta. I'm going to make this bold opinion: ditching ricotta for cottage cheese makes for a better lasagna. I suggest using 4% milk-fat cottage cheese. Small curd or large curd size...either one works.
- Fresh, Flat Leaf Italian Parsley: Italian parsley helps bring a herby brightness to the cheese mixture. Please don't use dried parsley.
- Mozzarella Cheese: You can use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese to save time or grate your own.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Sprinkle this herb on top of the dish just before serving. Wait to chop it until just before using as it will bruise the leaves if you cut it too soon.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Time-Saving Tip
Save time and money by buying the Italian Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in bulk then grate them with a food processor. Store the grated cheese in the freezer for up to 4 months. You can also freeze the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds to add to homemade tomato sauce or soups.
Substitutions & Variations
- Italian Sausage - Sometimes, replacing the ground meat with 100% Italian sausage is just too strong and overpowering from the dried herbs. I recommend substituting ½ a pound of ground meat and ½ a pound of Italian Sausage. But if you really like Italian sausage, use a whole pound of it.
- Omit the ground meat - You can always remove the meat entirely and make this dish a vegetarian-friendly version.
This recipe has not been tested with additional variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make A Lasagna
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Brown the meat in a skillet then turn off the burner. Combine the cottage cheese, egg, and Italian parsley in a bowl. Spread 4 ounces or ½ cup of marinara sauce to the casserole dish that has been treated with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Arrange 3 lasagna noodle sheets next to each other on the bottom of the pan over the sauce. Spoon ¼ of the cottage cheese mixture over the pasta sheets. Hand sprinkle ¼ of the Pecorino and Parmigiano cheeses over the cottage cheese.
Step 3: Spoon ¼ of the cooked, crumbled meat over the cottage cheese and grated cheese layer.
Step 4: Pour about 11 ounces or ½ of your marinara jar over the crumbled ground meat. Spread 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese package over the marinara sauce. This completes the first layer. Repeat the layer 3 more times starting with the lasagna sheets for a total of 4 layers.
Step 5: Save the empty jar. Add ¼ cup of water to one of the marinara sauce jars and shake it for 10 seconds to get the remaining sauce loose. Pour this water into the 2nd marinara jar and shake it up. Now, pour this tomato water around the lasagna casserole.
Step 6: All 4 layers are complete.
Step 7: Line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the casserole dish on top of the cookie sheet to catch the drips. Spray non-stick oil on one side of a second sheet of aluminum foil and cover the casserole dish tightly. Bake covered in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the aluminum foil from the casserole dish and bake uncovered 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes. It needs this resting period to allow the lasagna to thicken up and make it easier to serve individual portions.
Step 9: Sprinkle chopped or hand-torn fresh basil over the lasagna before serving.
Make Ahead Instructions
Refrigerator
You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, making it perfect for entertaining or preparing for a busy day ahead. Add 15-20 more minutes to the cooking time.
Freezing
Prepare the lasagna and wrap it tightly in foil. Freeze the dish for up to 3 months. Before cooking the lasagna, allow it to defrost in your refrigerator for 2 days before serving. Add up to 15-20 minutes more cooking time to fully cook this dish since it is chilled rather than at room temperature.
FAQ
Yes, the no-boil noodles cook perfectly in the sauce. Just make sure they're completely covered with sauce to ensure even cooking.
Ricotta cheese is the traditional Italian ingredient. Sometimes, whole milk ricotta is hard to find, and it has a slightly dry and grainy texture compared to creamy cottage cheese. This is why I use cottage cheese, but you can use either one.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Individual portions can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F or microwave until heated through.
Garlic Bread
Serve lasagna with fresh homemade garlic bread!
Want To Save $?
Replace the store-bought jars of marinara sauce with this easy homemade marinara.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Simple Four Cheese Lasagna (No Boil Noodles)
Equipment
- 9 inch x 13 inch x 2 inch oven proof casserole dish
- 18 inch x 13 inch x 1 inch cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
- 50 ounces marinara sauce (2 jars of your favorite brand)
- 12 sheets no boil, oven-ready lasagna sheets
- 3 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese (1 cup by volume)
- 3 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (1 cup by volume)
- 12 ounces cottage cheese (4% milkfat is my preference)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Brown and crumble the meat in a skillet. Remove from heat when done.
- Spray your sheet pan with non stick spray.
- Combine the cottage cheese, egg, and Italian parsley in a bowl.
- To start the layers, spread 4 ounces of marinara sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Arrange 3 lasagna noodle sheets next to each other on the bottom of the pan over the sauce.
- Spoon ¼ of the cottage cheese mixture over the pasta sheets. Just use the spoon to try to layer it as even as you can. It does not have to be exact because it will melt together in the oven.
- Hand sprinkle ¼ of the Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses over the cottage cheese.
- Spoon ¼ of the cooked, crumbled meat over the cottage cheese and grated cheese layer.
- Pour about 11 ounces or ½ of your jar of marinara sauce over the crumbled ground meat. Save the empty jar.
- Spread 1 cup or ½ of a shredded mozzarella cheese package over the marinara sauce. This completes the first layer.
- Repeat the layer 3 more times starting with the lasagna sheets for a total of 4 layers.
- Add ¼ cup of water to one of the empty marinara sauce jars and shake it for 10 seconds to get the remaining sauce loose. Pour this water into the 2nd marinara jar and shake it up. Next, pour this tomato water around the lasagna casserole.
- Line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place the casserole dish on top of the cookie sheet to catch the drips. Spray non-stick oil on one side of a second sheet of aluminum foil and cover the casserole dish tightly.
- Bake covered in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Remove the alumimun foil from the casserole dish and bake uncovered 15 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh basil over the lasagna before serving.
Notes
Refrigerator
You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge, making it perfect for entertaining or preparing for a busy day ahead. Add 15-20 more minutes to the cooking time.Freezing
Prepare the lasagna and wrap it tightly in foil. Freeze the dish for up to 3 months. Before cooking the lasagna, allow it to defrost in your refrigerator for 2 days before serving. Add up to 15-20 minutes more cooking time to fully cook this dish since it is chilled rather than at room temperature.Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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