Easy Lasagna Casserole
Full of hearty ground beef, Italian seasoning, and tender pasta, lasagna casserole is perfect for quick and easy meals! Plus it’s kid approved!
When it comes to making dinner on very busy nights, I look for an easy casserole recipe that my family will enjoy and that won’t take a lot of time to make.
My family will usually ask for lasagna, but I need a way to make it quicker than my usual one.
It’s a take on my traditional lasagna recipe but without all the fuss of making the layers.
More hearty, budget friendly dinners? Check out my meatball dump casserole, this meatball sub casserole, skillet lasagna, extra cheesy spaghetti bake recipe.
Don’t forget about the kids! They love this crock pot pizza casserole which is great for a busy weeknight!
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Lean ground beef – Substitute with ground pork or ground turkey in lasagna casserole with no difference in taste in my opinion.
- Italian seasoning – If all the grocery stores are out of this seasoning, make a homemade Italian seasoning.
- Red pepper flakes – No red pepper flakes? Try using a tiny bit of cayenne pepper or paprika instead. Or leave out all together if you don’t want the extra spice.
- Pasta – I recommend Campanelle, Rotini, or Fusilli, but Penne pasta and Mafalda pasta are also commonly used. Use your favorite kind of pasta!
- Crushed tomatoes – You can switch this out for a jar of pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce of your choice if you prefer.
- Ricotta cheese – Ricotta can be replaced with cottage cheese or sour cream.
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How To Make Lasagna Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large pot over medium heat, boil water and cook pasta noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Add onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is soft and garlic is fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes and stir with wooden spoon.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Toss with the pasta. Spread pasta mixture and cheese mixture into baking dish.
- Top the pasta and cheese mixture with the meat sauce/tomato sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley or fresh basil and serve warm.
For the full recipe and detailed cooking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Serving Suggestions
I personally love to serve this lasagna casserole with a large salad like this Italian chopped salad and some hearty garlic knots.
They both fit with the classic Italian flavors of this meal. Tired of red sauce? Check out this creamy lemon garlic pasta that the kids will love too!
You can also serve it with a side of Italian sausage or a small bowl of Caprese salad. Made of tomatoes with mozzarella balls, and drizzled with olive oil, it’s the perfect pairing.
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and place in the fridge. It will last for up to 3 days if you don’t eat it all first. Reheat in the microwave in 1 minutes intervals until warmed through. You can also reheat large portions of it in the oven. Bake at 350F, covered, until hot in the middle.
You sure can. Just prep the casserole as you normally do. Just leave off the cheese on the top. Cover with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you’re ready to cook it, take out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start to take the chill off. Top with cheese and bake as the recipe card says. You can also do this and then freeze it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and an extra layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before you bake it. You can bake it from frozen but it will take a lot longer!
Tips for the Best Casserole
- Pro tip – for the perfect al dente lasagna noodles, make sure to cook your pasta for a little bit less than the package directions recommend, usually around 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add a little bit of your pasta water to your meat mixture to help add a little more flavor to your casserole and thicken the sauce.
- I recommend using a deep skillet because there are so many ingredients and a deeper skillet makes it easy to stir everything together without having to use a separate bowl.
- Freeze single portions of lasagne casserole for a quick and easy lunch in the future.
- To make sure you get plenty of cheese on top, try adding parmesan cheese on top of your casserole after you’ve completed your ricotta mixture and meat layers.
My first thought when I tried this delicious lazy lasagna recipe for the first time was that I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you. Just like this crock pot lasagna dip!
Not only does it have all the flavors of lasagne that I love, but it’s a great easy dinner idea for a busy day when you want something homemade but don’t have a ton of free time.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!
Full of flavor and yummy ingredients like ground beef, Italian seasoning, and tender pasta, this Lasagna Casserole is perfect for an easy lasagna dinner on a busy weeknight.
Lasagna Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces pasta Campanelle or Rotini or Fusilli
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes not drained – sub pasta sauce if desired
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese sub cottage cheese if desired
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Drain.
- Add the onion, garlic, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Add the ground beef back in and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, and the beaten egg.
- Add in the pasta and stir to combine.
- Spread the cheese and pasta mixture in the pan.
- Top with the meat and tomato mixture.
- Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Remove and let sit 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Pro tip – for the perfect al dente lasagna noodles, make sure to cook your pasta for a little bit less than the package directions recommend, usually around 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add a little bit of your pasta water to your meat mixture to help add a little more flavor to your casserole.
- For this recipe, I recommend using a deep skillet because there are so many ingredients to combine in one place.
- Save easy portions of lasagne casserole in the freezer by placing each serving into a freezer bag, before sealing and storing.
- To make sure you get plenty of cheese on top, try adding parmesan cheese on top of your casserole after you’ve completed your ricotta mixture and meat layers.
Nutrition
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