No-Boil Lasagna with Beef and Sausage

Name: No-Boil Lasagna with Beef and Sausage
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 22 min
Total time: 1 h 52 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup); 1 pound (454 g) ground beef, 80% lean, cold, from the fridge; 1 pound (454 g) mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon (2 g) dried Italian seasoning; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 48 ounces (two 24-oz jars) (1360 g) marinara sauce; ½ cup (120 ml) water, swirled in the empty jars to rinse out the sauce; 15 ounces (1 container) (425 g) whole-milk ricotta, drained of any liquid on top; 1 large (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten; 1 cup (100 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided: ½ cup (50 g) for the filling and ½ cup (50 g) for the top; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) black pepper, freshly ground; 9 sheets (225 g) no-boil lasagna noodles (flat, not ridged), straight from the box, do not soak; 16 ounces (454 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups), divided: 1 cup, 1 cup, then 2 cups

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty, shortcut lasagna layered with a beef-and-sausage meat sauce, herby ricotta and plenty of mozzarella. No-boil noodles go in straight from the box and soften as they bake, so there is no pot of boiling water and no sticky noodles to handle.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 1 hr 22 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 2 hr 12 min
Makes: 1 lasagna in a 9×13-inch pan (8 generous servings)

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the meat sauce
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 pound (454 g) ground beef, 80% lean, cold, from the fridge
1 pound (454 g) mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (2 g) dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
48 ounces (two 24-oz jars) (1360 g) marinara sauce
½ cup (120 ml) water, swirled in the empty jars to rinse out the sauce
For the ricotta filling
15 ounces (1 container) (425 g) whole-milk ricotta, drained of any liquid on top
1 large (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (100 g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided: ½ cup (50 g) for the filling and ½ cup (50 g) for the top
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) black pepper, freshly ground
For assembly
9 sheets (225 g) no-boil lasagna noodles (flat, not ridged), straight from the box, do not soak
16 ounces (454 g) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups), divided: 1 cup, 1 cup, then 2 cups

Equipment (6)

9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 2½ inches (6 cm) deep
Large deep skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch / 30 cm)
Medium mixing bowl
Aluminum foil
Rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips)
Wooden spoon or sturdy spatula

Steps

Before you start

Shred the mozzarella from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to prevent clumping and melts less smoothly.
Use whole-milk ricotta and low-moisture mozzarella. Watery cheese makes a soupy lasagna.
No-boil noodles need moisture to soften. Do not skimp on the sauce, and make sure every noodle is covered by sauce and foil.
Plan on about 2 hours 10 minutes in total, including a 20-minute rest after baking. The rest is what lets the slices hold together.

1
Prep and preheatOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Chop the onion, mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and shred the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Remove the sausage from its casings.
- Have the 9×13-inch dish and foil ready; lightly grease the foil side that will touch the cheese later (or use nonstick spray).
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Ready when: Oven is fully preheated and everything is chopped and within reach.
Tip: Do not grease the baking dish itself; the sauce layer on the bottom prevents sticking.
2
Brown the meats
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef and sausage.
- Break the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then.
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Ready when: No pink remains in the meat, the crumbles are lightly browned, and the pan juices are mostly cooked off. Beef and sausage should reach at least 160°F (71°C).
Tip: Spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Too much grease will make the lasagna oily.
3
Build the meat sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the marinara.
- Add the water to the empty jars, swirl, and pour it into the pan.
- Stir, bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Remove from heat.
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Ready when: Sauce is thick but still pourable, like loose tomato soup, and coats the back of a spoon.
Tip: The sauce should look slightly too wet. The noodles absorb a lot of it as they bake.
4
Mix the ricotta filling
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, ½ cup (50 g) of the Parmesan, the parsley, salt and pepper until evenly combined and creamy.
- Set aside the remaining ½ cup Parmesan for the top.
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Ready when: No streaks of egg are visible and the mixture is spreadable.
Tip: The egg helps the ricotta set so it slices cleanly. Keep the bowl covered in the fridge if the sauce is still hot.
5
Layer the base
- Spread 1½ cups of the meat sauce over the bottom of the 9×13-inch dish.
- Arrange 3 noodles lengthwise on top, side by side, leaving small gaps between and around them (they expand as they cook).
- Spoon half of the ricotta mixture (about 1 cup) in dollops over the noodles and gently spread it into a thin layer.
- Sprinkle with 1 cup (113 g) of the mozzarella, then spoon 1½ cups of meat sauce over the top.
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Ready when: Noodles are fully covered by cheese and sauce; none are exposed.
Tip: Any dry noodle edge will stay hard and crunchy, so tuck sauce over the edges.
6
Add the second layer
- Place 3 more noodles on top.
- Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over them, sprinkle with 1 cup (113 g) of mozzarella, and spoon 1½ cups of meat sauce over it, spreading to the corners.
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Ready when: Layer is level and sauce reaches all four corners.
7
Finish the top layer
- Lay the last 3 noodles on top.
- Pour about 2 cups of meat sauce over them and spread to cover every bit of noodle, edge to edge.
- Reserve the leftover sauce (about 1½ cups) and keep it warm for serving.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 cups (227 g) mozzarella, then the reserved ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan.
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Ready when: The top noodles are completely hidden under sauce and cheese.
Tip: Set the dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any bubbling sauce.
8
Bake coveredOven 375°F / 190°C
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, greased side down so the cheese won't stick.
- Place the baking sheet with the dish in the 375°F (190°C) oven and bake for 45 minutes.
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Ready when: Sauce bubbles at the edges. A knife slid through the center meets no resistance from the noodles.
Tip: If a knife meets resistance, re-cover and bake 10 minutes longer.
9
Uncover and brownOven 375°F / 190°C
- Carefully remove the foil, watching for hot steam.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
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Ready when: Cheese is melted with golden-brown spots, sauce bubbles around the edges, and the center registers 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
Tip: For deeper browning, broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes at the end, watching constantly.
10
Rest and serve
- Transfer the dish to a wire rack and let the lasagna rest for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Cut into 8 squares with a sharp knife and lift out with a spatula.
- Spoon a little of the warm reserved sauce over each portion.
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Ready when: Bubbling has stopped and the lasagna cuts into clean squares that hold their shape.
Tip: Cutting too soon causes the layers to slide apart.

Good to know

Tips

Use a deep dish. A shallow pan can bubble over, and the foil needs room so it doesn't touch the cheese.
Keep the noodles from touching the pan sides and each other too much; a small gap lets them swell without buckling.
Taste your jarred marinara first. If it is very sweet or very salty, adjust the filling salt and add a pinch of pepper to balance.
Always rest the lasagna a full 20 minutes; it is the key to neat slices.

Make ahead

"Assemble the lasagna through step 7, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, replace the plastic with greased foil, and bake covered for 55 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes. Cool the sauce before assembling ahead so the cheese doesn't melt prematurely."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours after baking. Fridge: cover tightly and store up to 4 days. Freezer: wrap individual squares or the whole pan in plastic and foil, freeze up to 3 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat portions covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes (whole pan 45 to 50 minutes), or microwave a single square 2 to 3 minutes, until steaming hot at 165°F (74°C)."

Substitutions

mild or hot Italian sausage → additional ground beef or ground turkey. Use 1 pound extra and add ½ teaspoon fennel seeds and ¼ teaspoon salt to mimic sausage flavor.
whole-milk ricotta → small-curd cottage cheese. Drain it well in a sieve for 10 minutes. The texture will be slightly less creamy.
low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella → provolone or a mozzarella-provolone blend. Gives a sharper flavor; keep it low-moisture and shredded.
fresh flat-leaf parsley → 1 teaspoon dried parsley or fresh basil. Use 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil if you have it.