Easy Lazy Lasagna Recipe
This Lazy Lasagna Recipe is the ultimate shortcut meal, using fresh ravioli to skip the hassle of boiling noodles or mixing ricotta. It’s a cheesy, family-approved dinner that delivers all the classic comfort of traditional lasagna with half the effort!
Equipment
- 13x9 casserole dish (well greased) deep dish preferred
- large rimmed cookie sheet, lined with foil (to place under pan while cooking to catch any spatter)
- large saucepan
- meat chopper
- measuring cups & spoons
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Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 45-48 oz pasta sauce, pizza sauce, or marinara sauce
- 20 oz fresh ravioli I use 2 (10 oz) bags Rana 4-cheese; do not cook before using in the recipe; if using frozen ravioli, do not defrost or cook ahead
- 16 oz mozzarella I use 8 oz fresh mozzarella & 8 oz shredded
- freshly grated parmesan optional topping
- fresh parsley or basil optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook beef with garlic powder and Italian seasoning until no longer pink; drain.
- On a cool burner, stir in sauce to make ragu (beef and sauce).
- Spread ⅓ ragu onto bottom of greased casserole dish. Top with ½ of the ravioli (pasta should be arranged neatly in rows and not overlapping).
- Top the ravioli with ½ of the mozzarella cheese (this is the layer where I use the fresh mozzarella, but shredded can be used here instead).
- Spread ⅓ ragu on top of the mozzarella, followed by the remaining ravioli, arranged again neatly in rows.
- Spread the remaining ragu on top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella (this is where I use shredded). Optional to also add grated parmesan.
- Loosely cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is slightly browned on top (towards the end of baking time, you can broil the dish for 3 minutes to expedite this).
- Let stand 10-15 minutes for sauce to thicken before slicing and serving. Optional to garnish servings with fresh parsley or basil.
Notes
Let lazy lasagna rest on the counter for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This standing time allows the layers to firm up and the cheese to set, ensuring you get beautiful, clean squares rather than a messy pile on the plate.
For the best results, I highly recommend using refrigerated ravioli over the frozen variety. Fresh, refrigerated pasta generally offers a more authentic flavor and has a lower water content, which helps prevent your sauce from becoming too thin. If you choose to use frozen, it will still be delicious, but you might notice a bit more liquid in the pan. Regardless of which type you choose, do not cook the ravioli first; simply layer them directly into the dish and let the sauce work its magic in the oven!
Store any leftover lasagna in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh and flavorful for 3 to 5 days. Can also be frozen for up to 3 months. See "Storage" in above post for more info.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 37gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 1586mgPotassium: 721mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1078IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 332mgIron: 11mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!