This is the BEST no boil lasagna recipe around. This oven ready lasagna recipe is made with tons of cheese, beef and sausage, plenty of tomatoes, and ricotta cheese all baked into a delicious dinner your kids will love. Gluten-free instructions are included.
Our lasagna with oven ready noodles simplifies things by taking all the flavors of homemade lasagna and eliminates the hassle of boiling noodles. It will quickly become a go-to recipe whether you are feeding a small group or large crowd.
We’ve included a variety of quick meal ideas as well to take the thinking out of planning dinner. As busy parents, it’s recipes like these that help us run in many directions while also being able to get dinner on the table during the week.
This recipe is a blend between my mom’s lasagna recipe I grew up with and a recipe from Allrecipes, World’s Best Lasagna. This recipe definitely takes the best from both and shortens the time using no-boil noodles!
Start things off by gathering the equipment and ingredients. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using regular pork sausage instead of the sweet Italian sausage and swapping the noodles for gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage use regular pork sausage for gluten free
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28-ounce crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6) ounce tomato paste
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 15 ounce reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounce oven ready lasagna noodles or use gluten free
- 16 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Table of Contents
How To Make Lasagna With Oven Ready Noodles
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Sauté onions and garlic and brown the meat
Add olive oil to an extra-large skillet. Once heated, add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the pork sausage and ground beef. Cook until browned.
Pro Tip: Drain the meat if there is a lot of grease in the skillet before you add additional ingredients.
Add the tomatoes and spices
To the browned meat, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir well and let simmer.
Pro Tip: Best flavor is you simmer the sauce for at least an hour. Simply keep it at a low simmer and stir occasionally. If you are in a rush, simmer for just 30 minutes.
Blend ricotta cheese and eggs
In a medium-sized bowl, blend together the ricotta cheese, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
Ingredient Swap: If desired, swap the ricotta cheese with 15oz of cottage cheese.
Assemble the lasagna
Start by spreading 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4-5 no-bake noodles over the meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 1 1/2 cups meat sauce, no-bake noodles, the rest of the ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Finish with the rest of the meat sauce, the rest of the mozzarella cheese along with the parmesan cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake
Cover the lasagna with a piece of tin foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook lasagna for 25 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Pro Tip: Spraying the tin foil with nonstick cooking spray before covering will help keep the cheese from sticking to the foil.
What to serve with homemade meat lasagna?
A tossed salad is our go-to side to pair with lasagna. Steamed vegetables and garlic bread are also great options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you will want to cover the baking dish with aluminum foil as this helps to soften the noodles.
The cooking time for lasagna typically ranges from 30 to 45 minutes when baked in a preheated oven. Cooked noodles may require a shorter cooking time, around 30 minutes, while uncooked noodles may need closer to 45 minutes. It’s essential to periodically check for doneness by testing the tenderness of the noodles with a toothpick or fork.
No, you typically do not need to boil oven-ready lasagna noodles. These noodles are designed to be used directly in your lasagna recipe without pre-boiling. They will soften and cook as the lasagna bakes in the oven, absorbing moisture from the sauce and other ingredients. Follow the instructions on the package and your lasagna recipe for the best results.
Can you freeze leftover lasagna?
You sure can! We recommend freezing individual slices of lasagna by wrapping each portion in parchment paper then tin foil before placing in a freezer bag with a Meal Label and in the freezer. Frozen lasagna can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat leftover lasagna?
You can reheat in the oven at 375°F covered with foil for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Quick Dinner Ideas For Families
- Easy Swedish Meatballs (Crockpot)
- Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Sheet Pan Pizza
- Nacho Fries Bell Grande
- Taco Quesadilla
- Easy Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
No Boil Lasagna
Equipment
- tin foil and nonstick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage ✅ use regular pork sausage for gluten free
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6) ounce tomato paste
- 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 15 ounce reduced fat ricotta cheese ✅
- 2 large eggs
- 8 ounce oven ready lasagna noodles or use gluten free✅
- 16 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese ✅
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese ✅
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- ⭐️Saute onions and garlic and brown the meat. Add olive oil to an extra large skillet. Once heated, add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the pork sausage and ground beef. Cook until browned. Drain if there is a lot of grease.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 small onion, minced, 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 pound lean ground beef
- ⭐️Add the tomatoes and spices. To the browned meat, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir well. Let simmer for 1 hour (or at least 30 minutes).28 ounce crushed tomatoes, 2 (6) ounce tomato paste, 15 ounce tomato sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon sugar
- Blend ricotta cheese and eggs. In a medium sized bowl, blend together the ricotta cheese, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.15 ounce reduced fat ricotta cheese, 2 large eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- Assemble the lasagna. Start by spreading 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Place 4-5 no-bake noodles over the meat sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add another 1 1/2 cups meat sauce, no-bake noodles, the rest of the ricotta, and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Finish with the rest of the meat sauce, the rest of the mozzarella cheese along with the parmesan cheese.8 ounce oven ready lasagna noodles, 16 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ⭐️Cover with tin foil and bake. Cover the lasagna with a piece of tin foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. This helps keep the cheese from sticking to the foil. Bake for 25 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Video
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with a tossed salad, steamed vegetables and/or garlic bread.Freezing Instructions
We recommend freezing individual slices of lasagna by wrapping each portion in parchment paper then tin foil before placing in a freezer bag with a Meal Label and in the freezer. Lasagna can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.Reheating Instructions
Reheat in the oven at 375°F covered with foil for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. CCK Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination. The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.Nutrition
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Mary says
i haven’t boiled noodles in years. i use regular uncooked noodles to layer, then pour a small can of V8 or tomato juice over top before covering with foil…it’s perfect every time! great recipe!!!
Jane says
Thank you Mary! I just spent extra on “no boil” noodles for the last time. Would never have thought to use regular noodles with extra liquid.
Deb says
I assume you put the tbl. of sugar in with the meat? I couldn’t seem to find it in the instructions.
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Deb! Yes, you are correct. Thank you for catching this, I’ll update the instructions!
Maria says
Can you freeze prepared no bake lasagna without cooking? To cook later ?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried freezing a lasagna with no-boil noodles prior to cooking so I’m honestly not sure. I will need to test that out to see how it works. I’d love to hear if you do try it!
Ileana says
I make this lasagna all the time. Usually, I make extra, and freeze it. I am making the sauce now and I am going to make the lasagna. Everyone should try to make it, is amazing. (No problem freezing some of it)
Sue says
I have no foil what can I do?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Sue! You have a few options. You could set a baking sheet on top of the pan to cover it or you can turn the heat down a little and bake it without foil. The cheese will get browned, but it will still be tasty!
Kari says
Very good recipe, my daughter said it’s the best lasagna I’ve made. Leftovers are even better. Followed it exactly.
Amy says
Can i make the night before, refrigerate, then bake the next day?
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Amy, I would imagine that would work but I have not tried it myself. If you do try it I’d love to hear how it worked!
Amy says
I made it for Christmas dinner today & made it up the night before then baked it today. It worked great! Plus I got a lot of compliments on how good it was. Definitely a winner!!
Ronda Modras says
Can you make ahead and put in fridge before baking for dinner? And if so, recommendation on how long. I can do this with boiled but never tried no boil noodles. Having this as a dish at Christmas and anything that can be made ahead is awesome!
Jodi Danen, RDN says
Hi Ronda, If you are just refrigerating it for a couple of hours you should be just fine. I hope you enjoy it!
Claire Justine says
This looks so tasty 🙂 Yes, please.