30-Minute Weeknight Beef Lasagna

Name: 30-Minute Weeknight Beef Lasagna
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1¼ lb (567 g) ground beef, 85/15 lean; 1 onion (150 g) yellow onion, medium, diced; 3 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 24 oz (680 ml) marinara sauce; ½ cup (120 ml) beef broth or water; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; 1½ tsp (2 g) dried Italian seasoning; 15 oz (425 g) whole-milk ricotta cheese, room temperature; 1 egg (50 g) large egg; ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated; 2 cups (225 g) whole-milk mozzarella cheese, low-moisture, shredded; 9 oz (255 g) no-boil lasagna noodles; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A quick, satisfying lasagna that comes together in half an hour using no-boil noodles, seasoned ground beef, and a simple marinara base. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want homemade comfort food without the fuss of traditional layering and long baking times. This version skips pre-cooking the noodles and relies on residual heat and sauce moisture to soften them perfectly.

Prep: 12 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 35 min
Makes: One 9×13-inch lasagna (6 servings)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C)
Have all ingredients measured and ready before starting—assembly goes quickly
Use a 9×13-inch baking dish

1
Brown the beef
- Heat olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once shimmering, add ground beef and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon, until no pink remains and the meat is deeply browned.
- Drain excess fat if needed, leaving 1 tablespoon in the pan.
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Ready when: Beef is crumbly and no longer pink; some edges are caramelized
Tip: Don't overcrowd the pan or stir constantly—let meat contact the hot surface for better browning
2
Build the sauce base
- Add diced onion to the browned beef and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion softens slightly.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in marinara sauce, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer for 1 minute to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
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Ready when: Sauce is heated through and fragrant, with onion just softened
Tip: Beef broth or water helps soften the no-boil noodles; don't skip it or the noodles may stay firm
3
Prepare cheese filling
- In a medium bowl, combine room-temperature ricotta, egg, half the grated Parmesan (¼ cup / 25 g), salt, and black pepper.
- Stir until smooth.
- This mixture will bind the ricotta layers and add richness.
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Ready when: Filling is creamy and uniform
Tip: Room-temperature ricotta blends smoothly; cold cheese won't mix evenly
4
Layer the lasagna
- Spread ½ cup (120 ml) of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Lay 3 no-boil noodles in a single layer on the sauce, breaking them to fit if necessary and avoiding overlaps.
- Spread half the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup / 210 g) over the noodles.
- Sprinkle ½ cup (55 g) shredded mozzarella over the ricotta.
- Repeat: ¾ cup sauce, 3 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, ½ cup mozzarella.
- Top with 3 final noodles, remaining sauce (about 1 cup), and remaining mozzarella (½ cup / 55 g).
- Finish with remaining Parmesan (¼ cup / 25 g) sprinkled on top.
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Ready when: Lasagna is assembled with visible layers and cheese on top
Tip: Spread sauce thin between layers—too much liquid will steam the noodles into mushiness. Keep noodles from overlapping so the heat penetrates evenly
5
Bake until hot and bubblingOven 425°F / 220°C
- Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes covered.
- Remove the foil and continue baking for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and very lightly browned, and you see sauce bubbling gently around the edges.
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Ready when: Sauce bubbles at edges, cheese is melted and light golden, noodles are tender when a fork pierces them
Tip: The foil keeps the top from browning too fast; remove it toward the end for color. If your oven runs hot, check at 14 minutes
6
Rest before serving
- Remove lasagna from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- This allows the noodles to firm slightly and sauce to set, making it easier to cut clean slices without the whole dish collapsing.
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Ready when: Surface is firm enough to touch without being too hot
Tip: Don't skip the rest—it makes a huge difference in neat portions

Good to know

Tips

For a meaty lasagna, brown ½ lb (227 g) Italian sausage alongside the beef
Stir a pinch of red pepper flakes into the sauce for subtle heat
If your no-boil noodles are very thick, increase the broth to ¾ cup (180 ml) for even softer results
Rotate the baking dish halfway through the covered-baking step if your oven has hot spots

Make ahead

Prepare the ricotta mixture and brown the beef up to 4 hours ahead, storing each in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The beef sauce can be assembled and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead; add 5 extra minutes of baking time if it goes straight from the fridge to a 425°F oven (or let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes first).

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftover lasagna in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered with foil, for 20 to 25 minutes until heated through. Freeze unbaked lasagna (before baking) for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil; bake from frozen at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes covered, then 5 minutes uncovered until bubbling and cheese browns. Freeze baked lasagna for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as directed above.

Substitutions

beef broth or water → chicken broth or vegetable broth. Works equally well; adjust salt if using salted broth
whole-milk ricotta cheese → whole-milk cottage cheese, blended smooth. Cottage cheese is earthier but delivers the same creamy texture; blend until no curds remain
whole-milk mozzarella cheese, low-moisture → provolone or fontina cheese, shredded. Provolone is tangier; fontina is creamier. Both melt beautifully
no-boil lasagna noodles → regular lasagna noodles, boiled and drained. Allows you to skip the broth, but boiling adds 10 minutes of active time and requires cooling before assembly