Description
This easy cheesy lasagna bake is the kind of dinner that makes everyone think you worked a lot harder than you actually did. It is rich, saucy, bubbly, and loaded with layers of pasta, seasoned beef, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella. Whether you need an easy dinner, cozy comfort food, family dinner idea, baked pasta recipe, or simple weeknight meal, this crowd-pleasing dish delivers big flavor with very little stress.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
24 ounces marinara sauce
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 large egg
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan until smooth.
6. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
7. Add 3 cooked lasagna noodles, then spread part of the ricotta mixture over them, followed by more meat sauce.
8. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the remaining meat sauce on top.
9. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan evenly over the top.
10. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
11. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.
12. Let the lasagna bake rest for 10 minutes, then garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
Let the lasagna rest before slicing so the layers stay neat and hold together better.
For even more flavor, use a blend of mozzarella and provolone on the top layer.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: easy dinner, easy lasagna bake, baked pasta recipe, cheesy lasagna, family dinner, comfort food, weeknight dinner, food ideas, dinner ideas, easy recipe