Get ready for a taste of comfort with our easy take on classic homemade lasagna—One Pot Lasagna! This family favorite comes together with just 10 simple ingredients in minutes, making it perfect for both family gatherings and quick weeknight meals. Tender noodles, rich marinara sauce, and plenty of cheese combine for a mouthwatering dish that captures the essence of classic comfort food. Serve it solo for a satisfying main course or pair it with your favorite sides for a full feast!
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Who can resist the allure of oven-baked lasagna? The undisputed champion of comfort food, it’s the go-to recipe to please a hungry crowd! But, let’s face it, the traditional oven-baked varieties can be a tad high-maintenance. As a result, our personal preference is to make quick alternatives like our Baked Lasagna Rolls and Pressure Cooker Lazy Lasagna. So, of course, we had to test it out with our favorite way to prepare dinner and turn it into an easy one-pot meal!
(Love lasagna? Try our crockpot lasagna soup and baked lasagna rolls, too!)
Why You’ll Love This One Pot Lasagna Pasta
This easy lasagna recipe is basically the Beyoncé of the culinary world—it’s both timeless and flawless. Here are just a few reasons why it’s stealing the show:
- Ready in less than 20 minutes
- Made with minimal ingredients
- Cooks in a single pot meaning less prep and fewer dishes
- Creamy, comforting, and indulgent
- Just as tasty as classic lasagna with half the work
Ingredients You’ll Need
Unlike those traditional lasagna recipes that seem to demand a PhD in grocery shopping with a million ingredients, we’ve simplified things. This recipe is all about embracing the basic — no culinary treasure hunt required. Here’s your simple shopping list for this lasagna masterpiece:
- Lasagnette Rice Pasta – If you’ve never seen lasagnette pasta, it consists of individual pasta noodles that resemble long sheets of lasagna. However, any similarly shaped pasta noodle like Campanelle will work.
- Marinara Sauce – To save time, we use jarred marinara sauce from the store. However, if you have the time, you can easily make your own homemade marinara sauce, too!
- Ground Beef – This adds bulk to the dish, making it extra filling.
- Aromatics – Garlic and onion combine to add a sweet, savory, pungent flavor to the recipe.
- Water or Broth – Used to cook the noodles. We love to use low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth to add extra depth to the flavor.
- Ricotta – You can’t have a lasagna recipe without ricotta. It’s the best part! For the best flavor, use full-fat, whole-milk ricotta cheese.
- Mozzarella – Opt for low-moisture shredded Mozzarella cheese as it has a slightly saltier taste and browns more easily. In addition, the reduced moisture prevents the dish from becoming too watery.
Variations and Add-Ins
We’ve crafted this simple skillet lasagna to be as easy as your Sunday morning. Just a handful of items, and you’re on your way to culinary bliss. But hey, simplicity doesn’t mean you can’t toss in a dash of pizzazz!
- Use Different Noodles. Swap out the lasagnette noodles with any other kind of pasta you like best. For instance, broken lasagna noodles are a great alternative! Or, stir in ready noodles instead of boiling the pasta to make this dish super fast.
- Include Different Meat. Replace the ground beef with any other protein such as ground chicken, ground turkey, or Italian sausage instead.
- Add Fresh Veggies. Bulk up your one pot lasagna, adding extra vitamins, nutrients, and fiber with veggies like mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, and bell peppers.
- Adjust the Seasonings. Depending on the type of marinara sauce you use, you may need to add more flavor to the dish. Feel free to get creative with various herbs and spices you have on hand. For instance, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil all make great additions to the meal.
How to Make One Pot Lasagna
Get ready to bid farewell to the complicated oven-baked versions because once you’ve mastered this simple recipe, there’s no turning back! Follow the steps below, and don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card for the full scoop. Dinner will be on the table faster than you can say “oven who?”
- Brown Beef. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef with ½ the chopped onion, breaking it up until it has browned. Drain the excess fat.
- Combine the Ingredients. Add the pasta, marinara sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and water or broth to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Boil. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer. Cover the pot with a lid, and let it simmer until the pasta is cooked to al dente.
- Add the Cheese. Gently, stir in the ricotta and mozzarella. Enjoy it warm, and don’t forget to add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese!
Serving Suggestions
For a family-friendly dinner, we love to pair this lasagna pasta with sides and appetizers like:
Common Questiosn About One Pot Lasagna
Absolutely! Jarred marinara is a fantastic shortcut. Feel free to customize it with herbs, spices, or a touch of crushed red pepper.
It can be! Load it up with veggies like spinach, mushrooms, and peppers for a nutritious and delicious meal.
We love mozzarella and ricotta! However, You can also use a blend of cheeses parmesan, or provolone in place of the mozzarella or cottage cheese instead of ricotta.
We think it’s just as delicious! It offers the same comforting flavors with less fuss.
More One Pot Pasta Recipes
If your love for one-pot pasta dishes matches our obsession, brace yourself for a lineup of culinary creations you won’t want to miss:
- Our One Pot Chicken Tetrazzini is so decadent and rich you’ll find yourself transported back to early 20th century San Francisco!
- Made with minimal ingredients, One Pot Tomato Spinach Pasta is a family-friendly recipe ready in minutes.
- This saucy One Pot Pasta Puttanesca is packed with flavors for a crowd-pleasing meal.
- If you love a warm spinach and artichoke dip, this easy One Pot Spinach and Artichoke Pasta is just the recipe for you!
One Pot Lasagna Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ small onion chopped
- 16 ounces lasagnette rice pasta or similar shape uncooked
- 16 ounces marinara sauce
- 4 Tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons salt + more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups water or broth
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- Optional: Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the ground beef and onion. Cook 1-2 minutes or until browned, breaking into pieces. Drain the excess liquid.1 pound ground beef, ½ small onion
- Add the pasta, marinara sauce, garlic, salt, pepper, and water (or broth) to the pot. Stir to combine.16 ounces lasagnette rice pasta or similar shape, 16 ounces marinara sauce, 4 Tablespoons garlic, 2 teaspoons salt + more or less to taste, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 4 cups water or broth
- Increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a boil. Cover, and simmer 11-13 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Add the ricotta and Mozzarella. Stir to combine.8 ounces whole milk ricotta, 1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired!Optional: Parmesan cheese for serving
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Equipment
Notes
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My family loves this dish and there are never leftovers. I make it often!
My only modification is to reduce the cheese by half – both the ricotta & mozzarella. My kids have never loved ricotta so I just back off the quantity and we all like it fine that way.
We’re so glad you enjoy it and are able to adjust it to your preferences! 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Could I substitute cottage cheese and Parmesan instead of ricotta?
Looks so good! Do you think it might be possible to use the crockpot for this recipe? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Jessica!
We haven’t tested this recipe in the crockpot and can’t say for sure how it would turn out. It might work! Or, we have a crockpot lasagna soup recipe you might enjoy. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Hey both! Tried the recipe to a tee, then did a second pass with a few alterations I’d recommend:
– Garlic is way too much – 4 Tbsp equal to an entire head almost. I’d recommend to dial it back to 2 cloves minced.
– Lasagne bolognese in Italy has celery and carrots to give it flavour, which means it needs a lift…or per Marcela Hazan you’re slowcooking the tomatoes with butter and onion for an hour on low for flavour. I’d recommend Worcestershire sauce to taste.
– The ricotta (an entire jar at 8oz) means you lose the bolognese flavour. I’d add some double cream – 1-2 Tbsp instead
– 1 tin of chopped tomatoes is good, but it needs a lift. 1 Tbsp of tomato paste keep the balance of acidic, salt, fat (no heat :)).
– The beef will never get browned for flavour in 1 pot. Use a frying pan, then move it to a pot.
– The frying should be done in a butter and oil blend…it’ll lift the tomato flavour.
Thank you for the feedback, Rebecca!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
do you think that broken up lasagna noodles would work for this
Yes, that should work just fine!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Had high hopes, but this was very bland as written. Next time I would add a lot more spices and garlic.
We’re sorry to hear this, Lisa! We hope you try it again adjusting the spices to suit your preferences.
Xo
Alia & Radwa
Do you think this would freeze well?
Yes! You can freeze it for up to 3 months. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Yum! This was so easy. Added mushrooms to the pot and served with fresh spinach and basil for some extra fiber. Will definitely make again
Thank you, Kari! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
So easy and delicious. Ny go to recipe for a quick meal. I usually use Rao bolognese sauce when making this.
Thank you, Jasmine! We love Rao’s!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Okay, I made this recipe and proceeded to send it to everyone I know. I could not recommend it more! It was super easy to make and had great flavor!
Thank you so much, Rachel!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This was so easy and so delicious! Even better the next day! The whole family gobbled it up. I couldn’t find the cute noodles so I used bow tie and it worked perfectly. 😊
We’re so glad you were able to make it work and that it was a hit! 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This was a simple and delicious one pot meal, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. Our family loves lasagna and this will definitely be added to our weeknight rotation.
We’re so glad! Thank you, Farah! 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Loved this recipe so much! So easy and so delicious! Perfect for the whole family!
Yay! So glad it was a hit!
Hi. Your One Pot Lasagna Pasta recipe looks yummy and easy. But your notes say that you used your homemade homemade bolognese sauce but I don’t see recipe, ingredients, or instructions for that. I tried clicking on the link that looks like would provide the recipe for it but was unsuccessful. Can you post your homemade bolognese sauce recipe here or email it? Thanks! Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Lisa!
We don’t use bolognese sauce in this recipe, but we do use marinara! Here is a good homemade version. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Very yum, quick & easy. I’ve made this with the intention to have as a couple of my work lunches & a go to fridge meal for my busy family . I made as I normally would my bolognese usual mix up & was perfect for this dish. I had some leftover fresh lasagne sheets in my freezer, so I just cut them up & threw in some frozen mixed veg I needed to use up. I will make this regular I feel!. Thank you for sharing with us.
We’re so glad you were able to make it work for you! Thank you for trying it out, Merralee!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
When I searched for your Cheeseburger Skillet it sends me to this lasagna recipe. I also cannot find it on Pinterest anymore. Can you please post it? Thank you
I made this for my family and they absolutely loved it! It was so easy and quick and very filling! My husband always asks me when I’ll be making this again!
Do you have nutrition info on this?
Hi Stacy – we just added the nutrition information!