Simplest Beef Lasagna with Ricotta

Cut the noodles in half if they’re too long. Brown the beef. Dump in sauce and water. Layer it. Bake. That’s the whole thing.

Why You’ll Love This Beef Lasagna

Takes 90 minutes total — 25 minutes of actual work, then the oven does the rest. Tastes like you spent three hours on it. You didn’t. No-boil noodles work, but regular ones cook right in the sauce — saves a step, saves a pot. Comfort food that fills the house. The kind people ask for again. Ricotta, mozzarella, provolone mixed in. Just enough cheese without it being too much. Leftovers are actually better the next day. Not a lie.

What You Need for Ground Beef Pasta Lasagna

A pound of ground beef. Brown it first — that matters. Drain it well or blot it. Fat makes it greasy.

Two and a quarter cups marinara sauce. Jarred works fine. Don’t overthink it.

Water. A quarter cup more than you’d think. Uncooked noodles soak it up. That’s the whole trick right here.

Lasagna noodles. Twelve pieces. No-boil if you want less thinking. Regular noodles work the same — they soften in the liquid.

Ricotta. A pound and a half. Or cottage cheese. Or soft tofu if you’re doing that. Spreads the same, tastes slightly different.

Mozzarella and provolone. Cup and a half of mozzarella, half cup provolone. Mix them together. One cheese alone tastes flat.

Oil or nonstick spray for the pan. Matters more than you’d think.

How to Make Homemade Beef Lasagna

Set the oven to 430. Spray or oil the baking dish — 11 by 7 inches. Do it thoroughly. Corners especially.

Heat a skillet over medium-high. Crumble the beef in. Don’t stir constantly — let it sit for maybe two minutes, then break it up. Browns faster that way. Once it’s done, drain the fat. Actually drain it. Or blot it with paper towels if you’re being careful.

Put the pan back on medium-low. Pour in the sauce and water. Stir it, scraping the bottom where the brown bits stick. Let it go for a minute or two. Not simmering hard — just warm enough to blend.

How to Layer Beef Lasagna With Ricotta and Mozzarella

Spread about one-fifth of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Thin layer. Just enough to coat it.

Lay down noodles. Overlap them slightly but don’t crowd them. They expand a little.

Dollop half the ricotta across the noodles. Spread it with the back of a spoon — doesn’t have to be perfect, just even-ish. Sprinkle one-third of the cheese mix (mozzarella and provolone together) over the ricotta.

Pour one-quarter of the remaining sauce over the cheese.

Another noodle layer. Same thing — slight overlap, not crowded.

Rest of the ricotta. Spread it out. Half the remaining cheese on top.

Noodles again. One-quarter of the sauce over this layer.

Final noodle layer. Pour the last of the sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly. Cover the whole thing.

Seal the pan with foil. Crimp the edges down so steam doesn’t escape everywhere.

No-Boil Beef Lasagna Baking and Finishing Tips

Bake for 65 minutes. Around the 60-minute mark, poke the edge with a fork. Should go in with some resistance but not crunch. If it’s still stiff, give it another 10 minutes uncovered.

The foil matters. If you skip it or crimp it loose, the top dries out and the noodles get crunchy. Not in a good way.

Don’t cut it right away. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Uncovered. The cheese sets up, the sauce thickens, it doesn’t fall apart on the plate.

If it looks watery when you pull it out, that’s normal. The water absorbed into the noodles. Once it rests it tightens up.

Simplest Beef Lasagna with Ricotta

By Emma

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Prep:

25 min

Cook:

1h 5min

Total:

1h 30min

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef, browned
• 2 1/4 cups marinara sauce (reduce original by 5%)
• 1 1/4 cups water (increased slightly)
• Uncooked lasagna noodles (use no-boil or regular, 12 pieces)
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (swap for cottage cheese or soft tofu for twist)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (increase total shredded cheese by 10%, add provolone mix)
• 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese (new ingredient twist)
• Nonstick spray or olive oil for greasing baking dish

Method

1. 1 Start heating oven to 430°F; grease 11x7 pan thoroughly with spray or oil.
2. 2 Brown ground beef over med-high heat till crumbly, drain excess fat well or blot with paper towels; return meat to pan over med-low heat.
3. 3 Pour in marinara sauce and water, stirring to loosen cooked bits from pan; simmer just enough to blend flavors, no heavy reduction needed.
4. 4 Spread about one-fifth of beef sauce evenly on the pan bottom; then cover with a layer of noodles, overlapping slightly but not crowded.
5. 5 Dollop half the ricotta (or chosen substitute), spread gently but thoroughly; sprinkle a mix of about one-third mozzarella and provolone cheese.
6. 6 Add roughly one-quarter of the remaining sauce atop cheese; then another noodle sheet layer.
7. 7 Use rest of ricotta, spread evenly; top with half remaining mozzarella-provolone combo.
8. 8 Layer noodles again; pour one-quarter of sauce over this layer.
9. 9 Finish with last noodle layer, then cover with final portion of sauce and sprinkle remaining shredded cheeses evenly on top.
10. 10 Seal tightly with foil crimped down edges to trap steam during bake.
11. 11 Bake around 65 minutes; check tenderness by piercing pasta edge with fork near end—should glide in with slight resistance but no crunch. If crisp, bake longer uncovered up to 10 minutes.
12. 12 Let rest uncovered about 10–15 minutes before slicing—juices settle, easier cutting.

Nutritional information

Calories

435

Protein

29g

Carbs

30g

Fat

22g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Beef Lasagna With Ricotta and Mozzarella

Can I use no-boil noodles instead of regular? Yeah. They work the same. The water softens them just like boiling does. No difference in the end.

What if I don’t have provolone? Just use more mozzarella. Not as interesting, but it works fine.

How do I know when it’s actually done? Fork test at 60 minutes. Push it into a noodle edge near the side of the pan. Should bend, not snap. If it snaps, bake longer.

Can I make this ahead? Assemble it the night before. Cover it. Bake it cold the next day — add 10 to 15 minutes to the time. Or freeze it unbaked. Bake from frozen, add 20 minutes.

Why does mine come out watery? That’s the noodles pulling water from the sauce. Totally normal. Let it rest — 10 minutes, minimum. The water gets reabsorbed. It firms up.

Can I substitute the ricotta? Cottage cheese works. So does soft tofu. Texture’s slightly different but close enough. Don’t use cream cheese. Too thick, doesn’t spread.