Lazy Lasagna Skillet with Ground Beef (No Raviolis)

This Lazy Lasagna is a dream come true on a busy night. An easy, high-protein recipe that tastes like a classic lasagna but requires no layering or baking. Loaded with protein, Italian flavors and simple ingredients, this delicious deconstructed lasagna is a weeknight favorite. 

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Lazy Lasagna is a deconstructed version of the classic. It’s made with ground beef, store-bought sauce, mozzarella, ricotta cheese, and whatever pasta you have on hand. It’s a comforting, quick, and easy recipe that is high in protein pantry staple ingredients and no need for the oven.

Lasagna is a family favorite but the tedious layering that goes into it gets old, fast. This deconstructed version is a way to enjoy this classic dish in a fraction of the time.

Lasagna is a weekly stable in our house. Whether it’s this lazy version, turkey lasagna soup, cottage cheese lasagna or a buffalo chicken lasagna twist, it’s always a winner with the entire family.

Ingredients and substitutes:

These are the ingredients for the lazy lasagna recipe. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions.

• Ground Beef: you can use ground chicken, ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage.
• Sauce: I like using Roa’s Tomato Bail for this recipe. Use your favorite spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce or homemade sauce.
• Rigatoni Noodles: The meat and sauce in the holes of the rigatoni means every bite is delicious. Use traditional lasagna noodles or any different pasta variety. I prefer thicker noodles.
• Ricotta Cheese: you can definitely substitute with cottage cheese.

How to make this easy lasagna recipe:

Step 1: cook pasta and brown meat

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Measure out pasta raw and uncooked. While waiting on the water, brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat (image 1).

Step 2: season the beef

When the meat is almost completely browned, stir in chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and dried basil (image 2).

Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes (image 3).

Step 3: add broth and marinara

Add the beef broth to the meat mixture (image 4).

Add the pasta sauce to the mixture and stir to combine (image 5).

Allow this to simmer while you boil the noodles according to the package instructions, approx. 13 minutes (image 6).

Step 4: add noodles to the pan

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the meat sauce (image 7).

Let simmer for 2-3 minutes while mixing the noodles in well (image 8).

Step 5: add cheese and combine

Add the mozzarella to the noodles and sauce mixture (image 9). Stir to combine and fully melt (image 10). While the lasagna is still hot, add the ricotta to the mixture (image 11). Slightly mix to spread the ricotta throughout the dish (image 12). Top with fresh basil and additional ricotta and enjoy.

Recipe FAQs

Lazy Lasagna

Danielle Lima

This Lazy Lasagna is a dream come true on a busy night. An easy, high-protein recipe that tastes like a classic lasagna but requires no layering or baking. Loaded with protein, Italian flavors and simple ingredients, this delicious deconstructed lasagna is a weeknight favorite. 

5 from 100 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 422 kcal

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lbs. lean ground beef 96/4
• ▢ 1 small white onion, chopped 100g
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
• ▢ 1 tsp. salt
• ▢ 1 tsp. black pepper
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• ▢ 4 cups tomato basil pasta sauce 32oz. (I like Rao's)
• ▢ 1/2 cup beef broth low sodium
• ▢ 8 oz. rigatoni noodles measured uncooked
• ▢ 4 oz. low moisture part skim mozzarella cheese shredded
• ▢ 4 oz. part skim ricotta cheese

Toppings

• ▢ fresh chopped basil
• ▢ parmesan cheese
• ▢ additional ricotta cheese

Instructions

 

• Bring a pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta according to the directions on the box.
• While waiting on the water to boil, heat a large pan over medium heat and brown the ground beef while breaking into bite size pieces.
• When the meat is almost completely cooked through, stir in the chopped onion, garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and dried basil. Cook until fragrant and the onions are beginning to soften, approximately 3-5 minutes.
• Stir in the marinara sauce and beef broth and set to simmer while you cook the pasta noodles. Add the uncooked pasta to boiling water and boil according to the box instructions (about 13 minutes).
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan with the meat sauce. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes while mixing the noodles in well to fully combine.
• Add the mozzarella and stir together until fully melted. While the lasagna is still hot add the ricotta cheese on top and slightly mix throughout the dish.
• Top with freshly chopped basil, parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Notes

• All nutrition facts are an estimate. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size. 
• To make this gluten-free use your favorite gluten-free pasta noodles.
• Add veggies like chopped spinach, kale, shredded carrots, zucchini or riced cauliflower to beef up the volume.
• To make this dairy-free, swap out the cheese with your favorite dairy-free cheese or omit it completely. 
• Cottage cheese is a great substitute for ricotta cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 320gCalories: 422kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 31gFat: 15gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 389mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1g

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