Extra Easy No Boil Lasagna – no need to buy special noodles for this simple lasagna recipe. It comes together quickly, and tastes amazing!
My family is always happy when Italian food is on the menu! They also love Fettuccine Alfredo and Italian Chicken Pasta.
An Easier Way to Make Lasagna!
Growing up, my least favorite part about making lasagna was always boiling the noodles. Not only did it take time, but it left an extra dish to wash.
My first year of college, my good friend Mark shared his mom’s lasagna recipe with me. She adds extra water to the sauce, lengthens the cooking time, and eliminates the need to cook the noodles ahead of time. Perfect!!
Some of you may be wondering “Can you really make lasagna without boiling the noodles?” Yes, you absolutely can! I actually use this method with every lasagna recipe I make. I love not having to boil the noodles. And you don’t have to spend extra money for the fancy no-boil needed variety. Bonus!!
HOW TO MAKE NO BOIL LASAGNA
Ingredients needed:
- ground beef
- garlic
- spaghetti or marinara sauce (we like Bertolli tomato and basil)
- water
- cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese if you prefer)
- parmesan cheese (I like freshly grated parmesan)
- egg
- parsley (I use dry, but fresh works too.)
- mozzarella cheese
- lasagna noodles
Start by making a simple with browned ground beef, garlic, and bottled spaghetti sauce. Adding some extra water to the sauce eliminates the need to boil the noodles.
Stir together two types of cheeses with some parsley and an egg. The egg helps bind the cheese mixture together so the lasagna is a little easier to slice. It also adds a rich flavor.
HOW TO LAYER LASAGNA
A layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan helps prevent the noodles or cheese sticking to the pan. Layer a third of the sauce, half of the noodles, half of the cheese mixture, and a third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat sauce, noodles, cheese, and mozzarella layers. Finish off with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake for about an hour or until the noodles are tender. I like to cover the lasagna with foil for the first 45-50 minutes, then remove the foil so the cheese browns on top.
For easier slicing, let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes before serving!
Why do you put eggs in lasagna?
The egg added in this recipe helps bind the cheeses together so that they don’t ooze out when the lasagna is cut. Egg also adds a rich flavor.
Should I use cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in lasagna?
This is really a matter of preference. No one in my family likes the texture of ricotta cheese, so I always use cottage cheese. You can use whichever type you prefer. Cottage cheese is lower in fat (if you choose the low fat variety), so that is a bonus in my book.
How to store leftover lasagna?
Leftover lasagna is simply amazing. It will last for 3-5 days in the refrigerator if covered tightly.
A Great Freezer Meal
This lasagna makes a perfect make ahead meal. You can assemble it, cover it with two layers of aluminum foil, and pop it in the freezer. It will keep for up to three months. Let it thaw, then bake as directed, adding additional time if needed.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH LASAGNA:
- garlic bread or Garlic Knots
- green salad (we like ours with homemade ranch dressing)
- No Knead Artisan Bread
- Simple Italian Salad
MORE TASTY PASTA RECIPES:
NO BOIL LASAGNA RECIPE
Extra Easy Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic
- 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- 24 oz container cottage cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp dry parsley
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 10 lasagna noodles uncooked
Instructions
- Brown hamburger in a large skillet over medium high heat; drain off any fat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and water. Heat through.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13"baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, egg, and parsley in a small bowl; stir till well mixed.
- Layer a third of the meat sauce, half of the uncooked noodles, half of the cottage cheese mixture, and a third of the mozzarella in the pan. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375° for about an hour. I like to take off the foil the last few minutes so the cheese browns on top.
- Let lasagna sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I have the oven ready lasagna noodles so do I have to add the water ?
Thank you 😊
I’ve never used the oven ready noodles, so I’m not sure, but my guess would be that you do still have to add the water. Let me know how it works out!
I made it and it was extremely watery. What did I do wrong?
I’m not sure, mine has never turned out watery. So sorry. Did you use regular lasagna noodles? They now sell “oven ready” noodles that don’t need to be boiled, but this recipe just calls for regular noodles. That’s the only reason I can think of.
for years i made the white lasagna from the princess cruise lines…but at 83. i was looking for easy, already tried recipe for lasagna, but w/o having to go for no boil noodles, and avoiding cooking regular..am heading for kitchen now..thanks!!
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made several times, but now that my son is away at college this year we always have so much leftover. I split the recipe into to smaller pans (same amount all ingredients, just a few extra noodles used) and froze them. Followed cooking instructions (thawed in fridge 24 hr) and was still perfect! Thank you for this recipe!
I love the idea of freezing smaller pans. Good to know that it worked out so well, thanks for sharing the tip!!
Turned out great! Really good flavor and the noodles cooked perfectly. Easy assembly and not much mess in the kitchen either. We had fun making (and eating) it!!!
So glad you enjoyed it Linnea! I’m all about finding ways to make less mess to clean up! 🙂
I am making this for the third time- great recipe- it is now my go-to lasagna recipe!
So happy to hear it Kim! It really is a time saver, so it’s the recipe I use most of the time as well. 🙂
Read step 2 please. Easy to make and delicious! Love the fact you don’t need to cook the noodles.
Made this lasagna and it was delicious and very easy to make. I recommend it.
So glad you enjoyed it Danny! I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and leave a comment. 🙂
This lasagna looks incredibly delicious!! My family would love it!
I love lasagna! This recipe looks super easy to make. Thanks!
So easy to make. Lasagna is always a hit at our house, and I like the twist with cottage cheese.
You never say what temperature to preheat oven.
You preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
You always preheat your oven to the temp you are going to cook at.