For birthday celebrations and back-to-school dinners, this is our go-to family meal. It’s a creamy, rich lasagna without much effort or mess. That’s why we call it “weeknight lasagna.” You can make it even faster (and meatless) by eliminating the sausage. Then just pop open a jar of store-bought tomato sauce, open a box of no-cook noodles and 15 minutes later you’re ready to pop this in the oven.
There’s really only one extra step to this recipe: Egg and milk is added to the ricotta, which makes it easier to spread. I sometimes use a simple, homemade tomato sauce, such as Marcella Hazan’s recipe. Or you can use store bought Rao’s Homemade Marina as a super easy alternative.
I prefer lasagna noodles that are completely flat, without ruffled edges. Use gluten-free lasagna sheets if you’d like — I recommend Cappellos brand.
To top it off, grate your own mozzarella for a creamier texture and better flavor. Pre-grated cheese is coated with powder that prevents the cheese from sticking together (and also melting well).
While that fantastic smelling lasagna is tucked in the oven, toss up a salad and pour yourself a glass of wine. Dinner is done, and you didn’t even break a sweat.
Weeknight Lasagna with Parmesan-Ricotta and Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage
- 1 15- ounce container part-skim ricotta
- ¼ cup milk skim, low-fat or whole will work
- 1 egg
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan reserve ¼ cup
- 5 cups tomato-basil sauce I prefer Rao’s Homemade Marina Sauce
- 1 pound lasagna noodles regular, whole wheat or gluten-free
- 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella grated or sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until browned. Drain any fat from the pan and set aside.
- In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, milk, egg and ¾ cup parmesan.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, spread 1 cup tomato sauce. Cover with a single layer of noodles without overlapping them. Spread on a third of the ricotta mixture, another cup of the sauce and top with a third of the sautéed sausage. Add two more layers of noodles, ricotta, sauce and sausage. Top with a final layer of noodles, remaining sauce, the mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Be sure the top layer of noodles is fully covered with sauce (if any edges are peeking out uncovered, they will be crispy instead of soft).
- Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes in the middle of the oven, until bubbly and golden brown on the edges. If the cheese starts to get too brown, cover the pan with foil during baking. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
- Note: Lasagna can be assembled and frozen before baking. Place in refrigerator the night before you plan to bake.
Just made this tonight and it was a big hit with the family! I loved how easy it was to put together.
Just made this tonight and it was a big hit with the family! I loved how easy it was to put together.
I am making this yummy dish right now for tonight. Thanks for your inspiration Marcia! Hope all is well with you & the fam. Miss you! XO
Made this and loved it! Huge hit at my house. So much easier than other lasagna recipes.
I have finally found a lasagna recipe that the ENTIRE family enjoys! My young boys can be picky eaters and hardly ever like the same thing. I was thrilled when they {and my husband} inhaled this dish and went back for seconds! So excited to have a go-to comfort food dish to serve throughout the year.
This looks yummy! We love Capellos GF Pastas!
If I froze it & it didn’t fully dethaw… what do I do? Please advise!!!
It will totally work, you just might have to cook it for 20-30 minutes longer. Is it completely frozen, or just in the middle?
You used cooked lasagna noodles correct?
No need to cook the lasagna noodles! That’s the beauty of the recipe! Just make sure all the noodles are covered in sauce.
Hi! Do I need to use no-boil noodles? Or can I use the regular kind?
You can use regular noodles and boil them first — just slightly under cook them so they’re al dente. Or use regular noodles without cooking them first and add an extra 1/2 cup sauce and cover with foil before baking.
Best Lasagna ever and the easiest and the most pure ingredients and yummy!! I use 1/2 spicy italian and 1/2 mild and my family loves!! Im not a good cook and this one makes me look good .
Yay! So glad you made this!