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Lazy Lasagna

Lazy lasagna made with short mafalda pasta tossed in a beef marinara sauce, layered loosely with herbed ricotta and baked under melted mozzarella in a 9x13 dish.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy lasagna, lazy lasagna, lazy lasagna casserole, lazy lasagna with ricotta
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 pound ground beef 85/15
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 32 ounces marinara sauce 1 jar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Ricotta Layer

  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Pasta and Topping

  • 12 ounces mafalda corte pasta or radiatori
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the pasta water
  • 2 cups low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded from a block
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce

  • Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes, until soft.
  • Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains. Stir in the garlic for the last minute and spoon off excess fat.
  • Stir in the marinara, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Cook the Pasta and Mix the Ricotta

  • Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain well without rinsing.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, salt and pepper until smooth.

Assemble and Bake

  • Add the drained pasta to the skillet of meat sauce and stir until coated. The mixture should look slightly saucy.
  • Spread half of the sauced pasta in the baking dish. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over it and gently flatten the dollops.
  • Top with the remaining pasta and the remaining ricotta. Sprinkle the 2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over the top.
  • Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray, sprayed side down. Bake 20 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until bubbling and golden in spots. Broil 1 to 2 minutes for extra browning if desired, watching closely.
  • Rest 10 minutes, sprinkle with parsley and cut into 8 squares.

Notes

  • Pasta swaps: Radiatori, rigatoni, ziti or regular lasagna noodles broken into 2-inch pieces all work. Cook them 2 minutes short of the package time.
  • Keep it saucy: The pasta absorbs liquid in the oven, so the mixture should look slightly too saucy before baking.
  • Make ahead: Assemble, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake.
  • Freeze: Freeze unbaked up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
  • Leftovers: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water in the microwave or covered at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.