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Easy Lasagna recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage Cheese

Easy Lasagna recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage Cheese

Ricotta Cheese and Cottage Cheese in Lasagna is an American thing.  The first time I realized this was when I was working with someone from Italy and she brought me lasagna her Italian mother made when she was in town.  It was this delicious delicately layered lasagna with a simple meat sauce, creamy bechamel sauce, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. I couldn’t believe the simplicity.  While i loved that version this Easy Lasagna recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage Cheese takes out the Bechamel, but trust me has all the flavor!

 

Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese Slice

Tips for making Easy Lasagna recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage Cheese

You don’t have to make your own sauce, but it’s cheaper and in my opinion- much better! All you need is a good jarred tomato sauce or a couple of cans of crushed tomatoes to go with your ground beef and Italian seasoning and some garlic cloves.   Try making your own sauce because believe me, you will like it better and you will save some money.

I love the no boil noodles, but make sure that if you use them – you don’t skimp on the sauce.  The noodles tend to absorb the moisture in your sauce and you don’t want a dry lasagna.  If you choose to boil your lasagna noodles and go the traditional route, just make sure you cook them just to al dente.  They should have a bite because they will finish cooking in the oven. 

You may add some Italian sausage, but honestly I prefer ground beef. This easy meat lasagna recipe is made with a rich meat sauce you can make a big batch of and use it for all of your pasta needs.  

Substitutions for This Recipe

Like  I said above, you can certainly use some pork sausage of your choice in this recipe or even ground turkey. You could also use store bought marinara sauce.  I like adding veggies to my sauce so in this recipe I am using some very finely diced zucchini and chopped onion.  I alos like adding some crushed red pepper flakes to my sauce as long as I don’t have anyone sensitive to heat. 

 If you are vegetarian and would like to make this a veggie lasagna you could add a bunch of vegetables like mushrooms, onions and peppers as well and leave the meat out.  This easy recipe is very versatile. The only thing you can’t mess with here is the cheese.  If you get rid of the cheese you just have sauce and noodles.  

Whatever your favorite pasta sauce is, use that and then add in anything that makes sense to you.  Easy homemade lasagna isn’t fussy and there are no rules.

​Layering – Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage Cheese

You will start by spreading some sauce into your pan.  You just want enough to cover the bottom.  Then you will layer the noodles, then a layer of meat sauce sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese.  After the cheese layer, you will just repeat starting with another layer of noodles. It’s that easy.  On the top layer you will put some extra cheese and I like to add some parsley or fresh basil.  Just use what you have. 

Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese

Items that make this Recipe Super Easy

Please note that these are affiliate links.  When you purchase using them, I make a small commission.  It helps support the blog and I really appreciate it!   

9 x 13 Inch Baking Dish– This is a great basic baking pan good for all kinds of recipes!

Dutch Oven-Awesome for simmering your sauce!  It ensures a really yummy sauce where the meat is tender and everything is brought together well.

Alligator Chopper– Love this for making the veggies super small!

Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese

How to Store Leftover Lasagna

Lasagna is one of those foods that really delicious leftover.  Just store leftovers in airtight container for 3-4 days.  You can also freeze your leftover lasagna.  For freezing- I like to wrap slices in aluminum foil and then put those into ziplock bags. Freezer burn is the worst. So make sure you have an airtight container. 

Leave a Review and Comment Below!

This really is my classic lasagna recipe . The simple ingredients and easy method are something that you just can’t go wrong with! I think it will easily become one of your favorite meals. Serve it with garlic bread, a salad and you’ve got a meal your whole family will love. It’s an easy way to get everyone around the dinner table.  If you loved it, please leave a comment and rating below!  Until next time friends. 🙂

 

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Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese

Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese

Easy Lasagna Recipe with No Ricotta and No Cottage cheese

This Easy Lasagna Recipe without ricotta or cottage cheese is a version of an Italian classic that will leave you satisfied whether you like ricotta or not!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 People
Calories 545 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs ground beef I used 90% Lean
  • 2 small zucchini Finely Chopped
  • half onion Finely Chopped
  • 2 tbsp. Garlic Minced
  • 3 tsp. kosher salt divided 2 for meat and 1 for tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 56 ounces cans crushed tomatoes I use 2- 28 ounce cans
  • 1 parm rind
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 12 Lasagna Noodles I use the no boil lasagna noodles.
  • 4 cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    In a pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef along with the zucchini, garlic, onion , pepper, basil and dried oregano and 2 tsp. salt. When the beef is browned and the veggies are translucent, add in the tomatoes, sugar, remaining salt and Parmesan rind.
    2 lbs ground beef, 2 small zucchini, half onion, 2 tbsp. Garlic, 3 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 56 ounces cans crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, 1 parm rind
  • Allow your sauce to simmer for at least 1 hour. Longer is fine too. Build your lasagna. Layer the sauce, 3 noodles (or 4 if they fit), sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and then repeat 3-4 times until you are out of sauce, noodles and cheese.
    12 Lasagna Noodles, 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, 4 cups Mozzarella Cheese
  • Bake at 375 covered with foil for 40 minutes then remove foil for 10-12 minutes or until top is your desired level of done.

Nutrition

Calories: 545kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 51gFat: 31g
Keyword Lasagna
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

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