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Lazy lasagna is an easy way to make lasagna fast! It’s made with frozen cheese ravioli , mozzarella, parmesan cheese, ricotta and parsley and last but not least, an out of this world delicious homemade meat sauce.
The ingredients are layered into a pan and topped with mozzarella cheese then baked to bubbly cheese perfection. It’s has become my new go to! Perfect for a easy weeknight meal!
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LAZY LASAGNA
Lazy lasagna, cuts out all the painful parts of making your traditional lasagna recipe. Just think of all effort it takes to make lasagna. Alternating layers of sauce, noodles, veggies, cheese, and meatand there are so many components!
You need a pot big enough to boil the giant lasagna strips, and then work quickly and accurately to lay them flat before they stick to each other (really though, I’ve burnt my fingertips so many times doing this).
Aaannd THEN you need to have your cheese mixture, your pasta sauce, and your meat filling already made! EXHAUSTING I’ll tell ya!
WHY THIS LAZY LASAGNA RECIPE WORKS:
With this lazy lasagna, you’ll no longer have to worry about creating an amazing, tasty filling yourself – the cheese filled ravioli takes care of that part. We love ricotta so I just had to add it, but feel free to omit it.
Secondly, you won’t have to worry about burning your fingertips because the ravioli is frozen and easy to pick up.
The sauce is delicious, yet simple to make but feel free to use a good store brand marinara sauce if you like.
Make any variation of this dish by experimenting with different kinds of ravioli pasta just as long as it’s frozen.
The end result is an amazing and flavorful dish that’s fancier than plain old pasta with sauce, but is way less troublesome than lasagna.
THE INGREDIENTS
This lazy lasagnaonly requires a handful of ingredients as well. Of course, you need to start with a good ravioli base.
Get creative and let me know your favorites in the comments.Personally, I plan on trying this with a couple types of butternut squash ravioli sometime just to see how it goes.
Other ingredients you’ll need to make this are, of course ravioli, ground beef, mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta cheeses, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, salt.
Traditional Italian herbs such as oregano, parsley and majorman as well. Or you can add in some of your favorite herbs.
The meat sauce is also an area you can definitely experiment with! Make my easy homemade meat sauce or your secret family sauce, or go the easier route and buy your favorite from the store.
HOW TO MAKE LAZY LASAGNA
To make lazy lasagna, simply sauté onions and garlic in a large skillet. Add the beef. Cook until brown. In a small bowl combine the Ricotta cheese and parsley.
Season with a pinch of salt. ( Pic 1-3)
Add all of the ravioli sauce ingredients to the skillet and mix until completely combined with the beef.( Pic 4)
In a greased 9×13 baking dish create the following layers:
First layer – Add the ravioli to a lightly greased baking dish.( Pic 5)
Second layer – Add the beef tomato sauce.( Pic 6)
Third layer -top with shredded cheese.( Pic 7)
Repeat layers – Top with ricotta cheese then end with remaining cheese.( Pic 8)
Bake – Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes. To get the cheese bubbling, remove the foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Serve with
- Rustic crust bread like Italian bread
- Dinner rolls
- A simple side salad
- Focaccia bread
- Green beans
- Asparagus
COOKING TIPS
- Vegetables – To make this lazy lasagna vegetarian you can sub the ground beef in the meat sauce for mushrooms. Just make sure to dice them. Spinach is great with mushrooms too!
- Sausages – Omit the ground beef and use sausages, just make sure to remove the casing first. Alternatively, feel free to use ground Italian sausage.
- Marinara Sauce: Feel free to use a good store brand sauce or this homemade meat sauce. Rao’s is a very good brand. I use all the time when I’m feeling a bit lazy. You can also get creative and use a white sauce if you want to use mushrooms and spinach.
- Baking: Don’t skip out on baking this uncovered. Browning the cheese is great for flavor and texture. Browning is actual a chemical change in the cheese that brings out new, deeper delicious flavors! The browning is a combination of caramelization that brings out a nutty aromas and flavors, and the Maillard reaction which can bring out bold new flavor aspect that differ with each cheese.
- Ravioli: You can use any ravioli pasta that you like but it’s best to use frozen ravioli. If not your casserole may become mushy.
- Make ahead: You can absolutely make this lazy lasagna ahead of time and reheat later. To store, cover your baking pan tightly with foil. Refrigerate for at least 8-24 hours. Bake as directed. For easier cutting let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Freezer Option: To store in the freezer rather than the refrigerator, the ravioli lasagna in plastic wrap, then cover with foil. Label it if you like and freeze for up to 3 months.Let it thaw in the refrigerator. Bake on 375 F for about an hour or until cooked through. FYI, it may take an additional 20-30 minutes to cook.Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.
I’ve always loved the idea of lazy lasagna. It’s a speedier way to get all the flavors of lasagna faster.
Plus there are so many ways you can put your own twist on it, whether it’s with your ravioli flavor, the types of cheese you use, or the pasta sauce you choose to use!
It’s extra convenient since you can make a big batch at once and it reheats wonderfully, allowing you to make a few days’ worth of dinner at a time or feed a crowd.
Lazy Lasagana
April Boller Wright
This yummy lazy lasagna is almost like lasagna except its so much easier and cheesier!
5 from 17 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 people
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 29 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cup onions diced
- 1 lb ground beef 80/20
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp dry basil
- 1 tsp fennel
- 1 tsp majoram
- 2 1/2 dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- onion powder a pinch or two
- garlic powder a pinch or two
- salt and pepper for taste
- 1-2 tsp sugar *Optional but it helps to balance out the tomato sauce
Pasta
- 24 oz cheese ravioli frozen
- 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1-2 tsp dry parsley Use fresh parsley if you like
- salt and pepper for taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F.In a small bowl. Add ricotta cheese and the parsley and a tiny pinch of salt for taste. In another bowl add Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Mix to combine.
In a skillet over medium high heat with oil, saute the onions until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook until fragrant about 10-15 seconds.
Add the ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain. Add all of the sauce ingredients to the skillet. Mix to combine. Season to taste more if you like. Alternatively, you can use your favorite marinara sauce
In a small bowl combine the Ricotta cheese and parsley.
Season with a pinch of salt.Add all of the ravioli sauce ingredients to the skillet and mix until completely combined with the beef.
In a greased 9x13 baking dish create the following layers:
First layer - Add the ravioli to a lightly greased baking dish.
Second layer - Add the beef tomato sauce.
Third layer -top with shredded cheese.
Repeat layers - Top with ricotta cheese then end with remaining cheese.
Cover and bake for 30-40 minutes. To get the cheese bubbling, remove the foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. *See notes*
Notes
Tips to make this lazy lasagna
- Vegetables - To make this vegetarian you can sub the ground beef in the meat sauce for mushrooms. Just make sure to dice them. Spinach is great with mushrooms too!
- Sausages - Omit the ground beef and use sausages just make sure to remove the casing first. Alternatively, feel free to use ground Italian sausage.
- Marinara Sauce: Feel free to use a good store brand sauce or my homemade meat sauce. You can also get creative and use a white sauce if you want to use mushrooms and spinach. I suggest using 2 jars of sauce of your choice.
- Baking: Don't skip out on baking this uncovered. Browning the cheese is great for flavor and texture. Browning is actual a chemical change in the cheese that brings out new, deeper delicious flavors!The browning is a combination of caramelization that brings out a nutty aromas and flavors, and the Maillard reaction which can bring out bold new flavor aspect that differ with each cheese.
- Ravioli: You can use any ravioli pasta that you like but it's best to use frozen ravioli. If not your casserole may become mushy.
- Make ahead: You can absolutely make this ahead of time and reheat later. To store, cover your baking pan tightly with foil. Refrigerate for at least 8-24 hours. Bake as directed. For easier cutting let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Freezer Option: To store in the freezer rather than the refrigerator, the ravioli lasagna in plastic wrap, then cover with foil. Label it if you like and freeze for up to 3 months.
Let it thaw in the refrigerator. Bake on 375 F for about an hour or until cooked through. FYI, it may take an additional 20-30 minutes to cook. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Recommended tools:
Keyword baked ravioli, lasagna, ravioli lasagana
Like this? Leave a comment below!Let us know how it was!
If you like this lazy lasagna, I’d love to know!
You may also like these great pasta recipes!
Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole
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Looking for something else with meat and sauce? Check out my Viral meatloaf recipe with rave reviews!
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