Easy No Boil Lasagna Recipe | Classic Oven Ready Noodle Pasta Bake
This easy no-boil lasagna layers dry oven-ready noodles with a rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melty cheeses for a classic, bubbly bake without pre-cooking. It assembles quickly and bakes up sliceable and comforting every time.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef or Italian sausage (or a 50/50 mix)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 ounces (680g) marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for topping if desired
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella
- 9–12 oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles
- Olive oil or cooking spray for the pan
- Foil for covering during baking
Instructions
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium and cook the ground beef or sausage, breaking it up, until browned and no longer pink, 6–8 minutes, then drain excess fat if needed.
- Add the diced onion and cook until softened, 3–4 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in marinara sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then simmer 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened with a spoonable, saucy consistency.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Heat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Spread about 3/4 cup sauce over the bottom of the dish.
- Arrange a layer of no-boil noodles to cover the bottom, breaking pieces to fit as needed.
- Dollop and gently spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
- Scatter 1 cup mozzarella over the ricotta.
- Spoon 1 to 1 1/4 cups sauce over the cheese and spread evenly.
- Repeat the layers two more times: noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce.
- Finish with a final layer of noodles, a generous layer of sauce, and the remaining mozzarella, adding extra Parmesan if desired.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, tenting so it does not touch the cheese.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 15–20 minutes more until the top is melted, bubbling, and golden in spots.
- Let the lasagna rest 10–15 minutes before slicing to set for clean cuts.
Notes
Keep the sauce slightly looser than jarred sauce so the no-boil noodles hydrate properly; thin with a splash of water if needed. Spread sauce all the way to the edges to prevent dry corners, avoid overloading any single layer, and rest 10–15 minutes before slicing. Make-ahead: assemble up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate, then bake covered for about 30 minutes and uncovered 15–20 minutes, adding a few minutes if very cold. Serves about 8. Variations include vegetable, white three-cheese, spicy arrabbiata, pesto swirl, gluten-free noodles, or extra-cheesy tops.