Description
A simple and comforting lasagna recipe featuring layers of seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella cheeses, assembled with no-boil noodles for easy preparation and baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 (24 to 26-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup water
Lasagna Layers
- 1 (12-ounce) package no-boil, oven ready lasagna noodles
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F and lightly spray an 11×7-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Prepare Meat Sauce: Brown the lean ground beef over medium-high heat in a skillet until fully cooked, then drain any excess grease. Return the meat to the skillet on medium-low heat and stir in the marinara sauce and 1 cup of water. Heat the mixture until warm and combined.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread about one-quarter of the meat sauce evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer a portion of the no-boil lasagna noodles over the sauce. Dollop and spread half of the ricotta cheese evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle one-third of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the ricotta. Add another quarter of the meat sauce, then layer more noodles, the remaining ricotta cheese, and an additional one-third of mozzarella. Repeat by adding another quarter of sauce and noodles. Finally, top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake: Cover the assembled lasagna tightly with aluminum foil to retain moisture and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the noodles are tender and the dish is heated through.
- Rest and Serve: Once baked, remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the layers to set for easier slicing.
Notes
- Using no-boil lasagna noodles saves time and effort by eliminating the need to pre-cook pasta.
- Ensure the baking dish is well-covered with foil to prevent the top from drying out during baking.
- Letting the lasagna rest before serving helps achieve cleaner slices and better texture.
- For a richer flavor, you can substitute part of the ground beef with Italian sausage.
