Easy Lasagna with Meat Sauce

This may be the easiest—and one of the tastiest—lasagnas you’ll ever make. As the name implies, it’s simple, good old-fashioned meat sauce that does the trick (as well as a plethora of cheese).

It’s not light, but it is delicious—and a welcome sight on the dinner table. Enjoy it responsibly.

Note: I typically make lasagna in a 13 X 9-inch baking dish so that it isn’t too thick. This time, however, I wanted a higher stack of layers, so I used an 11 X 7-inch dish. It still serves six—just smaller squares that stand tall.

Tip: When you're using a smaller dish, trim the cooked noodles so that they lie flat in it.

Also check out Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna with Fresh Ricotta.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 15-oz container ricotta cheese
• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling dish
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped   
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 2-1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (from a 28-oz can), divided
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp dried oregano   

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling, salted water 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
3. Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, parsley, 1 chopped garlic clove, and the egg in a bowl and set aside.

Ready to Mix 

Ricotta Cheese Mixture

1. Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground sirloin and cook, breaking up the meat, until cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
3. Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes and fresh oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to combine, until slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes. 
4. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.

Onion and Garlic 

Beef Added

Drain Liquid from Cooked Beef

Crushed Tomatoes Added

To Assemble and Bake

1. Lightly oil an 11 X 7-inch baking dish. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes in the bottom of the dish and lay 3 noodles on top. (Trim noodles to fit dish.) Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce over the noodles.
2. Place 3 more lasagna noodles on top and spread with all the ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon another 1/3 of the meat sauce over the ricotta.
3. Lay the remaining 3 noodles on top and spread with the remaining 1/3 of the meat sauce. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and dried oregano.
4. Bake uncovered until the cheese is bubbly and the top begins to brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove and let rest 10 minutes.

1st Pasta Layer 

1st Sauce Layer

Ricotta Layer

Top Ricotta with More Meat Sauce

Ready to Bake

Baked Lasagna

Cut the lasagna into 6 squares and serve right away. 

Easy Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Beef and Fennel Lasagna with Asiago and Mascarpone

This easy lasagna recipe is big on flavor from very few ingredients—only four main ones: tender beef; sweet, anise-flavored fennel; mild and creamy mascarpone; and salty, slightly sharp asiago cheese. 

Mascarpone and Asiago Cheeses

While it’s more common to use ground meats in lasagna, small chunks of juicy steak provide a little different texture while maintaining that wonderful beefy flavor.

Beef for the Lasagna

The addition of fennel (instead of more typical lasagna vegetables such as onion, mushrooms, or spinach) makes this recipe a fun and delicious deviation from “normal” baked pasta. And the combination of steak and mascarpone actually gives the dish a hint of beef stroganoff richness and creaminess.

Tip: If you're not familiar with fennel, it's a bright, crisp, bulb vegetable that has a distinctively anise (or licorice) flavor. Cut off the frond end (save a few fronds for garnish, if desired) and expose the core. Cut the bulb in half to remove the core and you're ready to chop the rest. 

Fennel Bulb with Fronds Removed

Core in the Center of the Bulb

Cored Fennel Bulb

Remember: When you’re creating recipes, don’t over-complicate it. Choose sensible, common ingredients and use them in a simple way. As long as they pair well, the results should be delicious.

Ingredients

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for oiling
• 1 lb steak (such as rib eye, New York strip, or Kansas City), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 2 tbsp thyme leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 oz mascarpone cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup shredded asiago cheese, divided
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes, from a 28-oz can, divided

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 8-9 minutes. Drain and rinse  under cold water to loosen the noodles.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the beef, garlic, fennel, and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Beef and Fennel Beginning to Cook

1. Cook until the beef is just cooked through and the fennel has softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 10 minutes.

Cooked Beef and Fennel

1. Spoon the beef mixture into a bowl and add the mascarpone and 1/4 cup asiago cheese. Stir well to combine.
2. Lightly oil a 13 X 9-inch baking dish. Place 4 overlapping lasagna noodles in the bottom and spread 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes over them. Spread half the beef mixture over the tomatoes.

First Layer of the Lasagna

1. Top with 4 more lasagna noodles and repeat the layering, ending with the remaining 4 lasagna noodles.
2. Spread the remaining 1 cup of crushed tomatoes on top of the noodles and top with the remaining 3/4 cup of asiago cheese.

Lasagna Ready to Bake

1. Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the juices are bubbly. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Baked Lasagna