Prepare the meat sauce. Layer. Bake. That’s it. That’s all you need to worry about with Perfectly Easy Lasagna. No muss, no fuss; just a hearty, savory, rich beef and tomato sauce layered between tangy ricotta cheese and tender noodles. With that melty cheese topping, Perfectly Easy Lasagna is not just easy to make… it’s even easier to love!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 (14-ounce) cans chopped or diced tomatoes
- 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (8-ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, plus 6 slices fresh mozzarella
- 1 cup ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- parsley, optional, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 8×12-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil.
Step 4 –Add the ground beef to the hot oil and cook, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 5 –Drain the fat from the skillet.
Step 6 –Add the tomatoes and their juices, the tomato paste, the Italian seasoning, the salt, the black pepper, the red pepper flakes, and the garlic powder to the beef and stir to combine.
Step 7 –Simmer the beef mixture until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 8 –Add 1/2 of the lasagna noodles to the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping them along the longer edges.
Step 9 –Spoon 1/3 of the meat mixture over the noodle layer in the baking dish.
Step 10 –Add 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella, 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1/2 of the parmesan over the meat layer in the baking dish.
Step 11 –Repeat the layers once.
Step 12 –Spoon the remaining meat mixture over the top of the lasagna.
Step 13 –Top the lasagna with the remaining sliced mozzarella.
Step 14 –Cover the baking dish with foil.
Step 15 –Bake until the noodles are cooked through, about 35-45 minutes.
Step 16 –Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes.
Step 17 –Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes.
Step 18 –Serve garnished with the parsley.
