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This simple, cheesy, Lazy Lasagna is an easy recipe the entire family will love. It has all the great flavor of regular lasagna but is made in just 30 minutes. Featuring layers of delicious meat sauce, cheese, and pasta, this will be a family favorite in no time!
What Makes This Lazy Lasagna Recipe Great
If you've ever made a traditional lasagna, you know that it requires a little bit of work. While it yields an amazing, delicious result, I just don't have time to prepare lengthy recipes like that with 3 kids, tons of activities, and work. Introducing, Lazy Lasagna!
This amazing recipe features all of the beloved ingredients, flavors, and tastes of classic lasagna, without all of the work! My lazy version comes together in just 30 minutes (perfect for a busy night!), is easy to prep ahead of time, and stores well for meal prep!
All you need are simple ingredients to make this recipe come to life. It's easy to customize with your favorite store-bought sauce, type of pasta, and any extra veggies you see fit. Plus, there are 43 grams of protein per serving making this a protein-packed, kid-friendly dinner to have on rotation all year long!
Ingredient Notes
- gluten-free pasta: I like the Jovial Foods or Bionaturae brand of gluten-free pasta. I used rigatoni, but you can use any short pasta (like rigatoni, fusilli, or bowtie pasta) for this recipe.
- olive oil
- ground beef: I used lean ground beef for this pasta dish, but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage if desired.
- salt
- marinara sauce: Use your favorite tomato sauce. I like Rao's.
- cottage cheese
- ricotta cheese
- egg
- minced garlic cloves
- Italian seasoning
- grated parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it al dente. Drain. Brown the ground beef and drain any fat. Pour in the marinara sauce.
Step 2
Stir to combine.
Step 3
Add the cooked pasta and stir.
Step 4
In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, the remaining ½ tsp salt, and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese. Mix until smooth.
Step 5
Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with avocado oil. Add ½ the pasta with meat sauce to the bottom of the pan.
Step 6
Next, spread all of the cottage cheese mixture on top to form the middle layer.
Step 7
Add the remaining pasta and meat sauce on top, followed by torn pieces of mozzarella or shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup parmesan over the top of the mozzarella.
Step 8
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted. Cover with aluminum foil if browning too much. Serve topped with fresh chopped basil or parsley. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- This is a standard meat lasagna, so you won't find a ton of additional veggies besides the pasta sauce. Feel free to add cooked spinach, zucchini, onion, peppers, or additional vegetables as desired. Keep in mind they should be fully cooked so their water content does not make the lasagna too watery.
- Serve this lazy lasagna on its own or with a side salad, gluten-free garlic bread, or another side of veggies.
- I used ground beef for this recipe, but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage if desired.
- Instead of traditional lasagna noodles, I used gluten-free rigatoni pasta. I like the Bionaturae or Jovial Foods brand. You can use any short pasta for this recipe. I made this version gluten-free, but you can use regular pasta instead if that fits into your diet and lifestyle.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in the microwave or place the baking dish back in the oven and reheat until heated through.
To freeze, let the lasagna cool completely, then cover and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.
More High Protein Gluten Free Recipes
High Protein Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Easy Cheesy Lazy Lasagna Recipe (Gluten-Free Option)
Equipment
- strainer
Ingredients
- 12 oz gluten free pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it al dente. Drain.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and add ground beef and ½ tsp salt. Cook 5-7 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any fat, then add in the marinara sauce and stir. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, the remaining ½ tsp salt, and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese. Mix until smooth.
- Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the skillet with the meat sauce. Toss to combine.
- Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with avocado oil.
- Add ½ the pasta with meat sauce. Spread all of the cottage cheese mixture on top to form the middle layer. Add the remaining pasta and meat sauce on top, followed by torn pieces of mozzarella. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup parmesan over the top of the mozzarella.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
- This is a standard meat lasagna, so you won't find a ton of additional veggies besides the pasta sauce. Feel free to add cooked spinach, zucchini, onion, peppers, or additional vegetables as desired. Keep in mind they should be fully cooked so their water content does not make the lasagna too watery.
- Serve this lazy lasagna on its own or with a side salad, gluten-free garlic bread, or another side of veggies.
- I used ground beef for this recipe, but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage if desired.
- Instead of traditional lasagna noodles, I used gluten-free penne pasta. I like the Jovial Foods brand. You can use any short pasta for this recipe. I made this version gluten-free, but you can use regular pasta instead if that fits into your diet and lifestyle.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Gently reheat in the microwave or place the baking dish back in the oven and reheat until heated through. To freeze, let the lasagna cool completely, then cover and store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
Another great recipe. I doubled everything except the noodles. Made it a bigger pan too. Had enough for the seven of us and some leftover for lunches tomorrow.
My family loved it, thank you!! I had so much leftover ricotta so would love any ideas for how to use that!!
Question: You mention it “is easy to prep ahead of time, and stores well for meal prep!” How can I prep ahead of time? Night before – do it all and put pan in fridge? That’s what I would love to try but I will wait for your advice! I use regular noodles. Thank you!
This recipe was delicious! Thanks for the modification notes; I added zucchini and spinach, which I wouldn’t have been confident to do unless I saw the tips about cooking and draining it first. The whole family loved this, including our toddlers!
I wouldn’t say this was less work than lasagna, but it was absolutely less messy for children, and easier to serve any size portion you want. I’d make this again over traditional lasagna, every time! This is a new favorite in our household!
Love this! Just made it. Could you tell me what you consider a serving size for your nutrition facts?
So easy, so tasty! A staple in our menu rotation. I recently mixed ground turkey and ground beef to make an extra batch to freeze – still delicious!
My family loved this! We’ve made it 4 times now. I used a little extra cottage cheese, but otherwise stuck to the recipe.
thanks Emily!
Love this recipe, sooo good. Even my picky 14 year loved it!!!
Thanks Mary Ann!
Family favorite!
So glad you love it, Mollie!
Made this twice in the last two weeks. Love it, thanks.
ubaTaeCJ
This worked exactly as written, thanks! My family loved!
Thanks Lauren!