This Small Batch Lasagna recipe is saucy, cheesy and easy to throw together. Oven-ready noodles are stacked between 4 layers of meat sauce, mozzarella and creamy ricotta. Will serve 6.
I think it’s safe to say, we’re all craving comfort food.
When stocking up to stay in (way before our governor gave the executive order) I grabbed ingredients to make lasagna. I remembered I had lasagna noodles at home already so I just needed meat, a few cheeses and sauce. At the time our grocery store was completely out of all beef, so I bough Italian-style turkey sausage in its place, which truthfully is delicious! When I got home I realized the ingredients weren’t enough for a full pan of lasagna.
Which gave me the idea for a small batch lasagna recipe. I cut my traditional recipe in half and it was so easy without a ton of leftovers. I made garlic bread and it was perfect on a cloudy, chilly day.
To Make This Small Batch Lasagna You Will Need:
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- garlic
- kosher salt
- turkey italian sausage (can be substituted with regular italian sausage or ground beef or turkey)
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- marinara – homemade or store-bought (no judgement!)
- ricotta cheese
- egg
- parmesan cheese
- parsley
- oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles – these save SO much time and less dishes to wash
- mozzarella cheese
Measure and add 1 teaspoon light olive oil, 1 diced yellow onion, 2 cloves minced garlic with a pinch of kosher salt to a large deep skillet. Stir and cook on medium heat until just soft, about 5 minutes.
To the softened onions and garlic, add in 1 pound of turkey (or pork) italian sausage or use lean ground beef or ground turkey. Use a wooden spatula to break it up.
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until no longer pink and browned. Discard any fat from the pan.
Meanwhile, add 1 (15 ounce) container or ricotta, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons parmesan, 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
Stir well.
Until thoroughly combined.
Once the sausage or meat is browned, pour in the marinara. I used 1 (28 ounce) jar and added it to a liquid measuring cup. Then added water until it reached 4 cups.
I like to add water to the sauce to make this lasagna extra saucy and to insure the no boil noodles fully cook.
Set up your lasagna station. Grab the sauce, cheeses, noodles and ricotta mixture.
Preheat your oven to 375° and lightly spray a 9×9 baking dish. An 8×8 will be too small for this small batch lasagna.
Lightly spray a (9 x 9 x 2.5-inch) square baking dish and add a cup of the sauce to the bottom of your prepared dish.
Layer One:
Lay down 2 noodles, side by side and top with 1/3 (roughly eye ball it) of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the 2 cups of mozzarella or a about a generous 1/2 cup.
LAYER TWO:
Lay down 2 noodles (going the other direction), side by side and top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the 2 cups of mozzarella (or about a generous 1/2 cup).
LAYER THREE:
Lay down 2 more noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the remaining 1/3 of ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
Then top with 1/4 of the sauce. (no cheese)
LAYER FOUR:
Place the final 2 noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the last of the sauce.
Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese
Bake uncovered on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese a deep golden brown.
Smells incredible.
Allow it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Top with minced fresh parsley or torn basil.
This small batch lasagna recipe is saucy, delicious, quick and easy. And bonus! Feeds a family of 4 to 6!
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Enjoy! And if you give this Small Batch Lasagna recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Small Batch Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- kosher salt
- 1 pound turkey Italian sausage
- 4 cups marinara, (see notes)
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 8 no-boil, oven ready lasagna noodles
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheate your oven to 375° and grease a 9x9x2.5-inch square baking dish.
- Add olive oil, onion and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt to a deep sided skillet. Heat on medium-low, stir and cook 5 minutes or until softened.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add in the ground meat or sausage. Use a wooden spatula or spoon to break up the sausage. Stir often until no longer pink and the meat is browned.
- Drain off any liquids or grease before pouring in the marinara and remove off of the heat. No need to simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the ricotta, egg, 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese and parsley. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spread a few spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
LAYER ONE:
- Lay down 2 noodles, side by side and top with 1/3 (I just eyeball it) of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
- Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the 2 cups of mozzarella (or about a generous 1/2 cup).
LAYER TWO:
- Lay down 2 noodles (going the other direction), side by side and top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
- Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the mozzarella.
LAYER THREE:
- Lay down 2 more noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the remaining 1/3 of ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.
- Top with 1/4 of the sauce. (no cheese)
LAYER FOUR:
- Lay down the final 2 noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the last of the sauce.
- Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or unitl bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.
Notes
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This looks devine! Can’t wait to make this. Where idid you get your 9×9 pan from?
Thank you! I got it at Crate and Barrel! 🙂
What size are the noodles you used? They look similar to the no-bake noodles I got from Traders’s Joe. They measure 3.25×6.5 inches. Do the noodles have to completely fill the pan before baking the lasagna? The recipe shows wonderful. I live by myself so appreciate recipes that are not for a 9×13 pan.
Hey Teri! I don’t have a box on hand to measure, but not they do not fill the pan at first. As they bake, they take on some of the liquids and swell to fit. Hope this helps!
This looks delicious and I like the small family size. How deep is your 9×9 baking dish? Mine is 1 3/4 and it doesn’t look deep enough to hold the lasagna.
Hi Joellen! My 9×9 is 2.75 incase deep. Here’s the link to the one I have.
Can this be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen? If so, how would the baking time and temperature change, if at all?
Where are you finding noodles that fit your 9×9? I can only find the longer more narrow noodles that break into a mess of pieces when you break them to fit a smaller dish. Thanks for a great recipe, it was delicious!
Both the Barilla brand and the Trader Joe’s brand of no boil noodles are the right size for 9×9
Highly recommend this recipe. I followed the recipe to the “T” and it was perfect in many ways. Smaller size worked perfectly for my husband and I. I’ve shared with my family and they can’t wait to make it. Don’t use ground beef. The Italian sausage makes the sauce!
Has anyone tried making this in an 8×8″ pan? My noodles fit with a bit of room to spare. The only issue I see is that there might be too much sauce and fillings, which could be cut back, I suppose. Hate to buy a special pan for just one recipe. Thanks much.
Hi! If using the oven ready noodles, they will indeed expand as they cook, filling up the pan. I have not tried it in an 8×8 pan but I think it would overfill the pan when it bakes. Hard to say without testing it. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it works for you!
Update: I tried this using two 8″ disposable, square foil cake pans, and I inserted one in the other for extra stability. I also unfolded the rim of the inner pan to add a bit more room for the fillings. I chopped off an inch of the 8 noodles that it calls for by using the back of a heavy kitchen knife. My biggest problem assembling the lasagna was keeping track of the direction in which I’d last placed the noodles. I did put it together early in the day, and covered and refrigerated it until I was ready to bake it. This helped to soften the noodles and meld the flavors.
The recipe is super easy and delicious, with just enough sauce to generously fill the pan. It took 50 minutes to get it to bubble and brown, probably because it had spent the day in the refrigerator. It’s a great recipe for empty nesters.
Made this tonight for Valentine days can’t wait to dig in, just came out of oven. I was able to do 4 noodles across in my pampered chef 9×9. This is delish!!
Well,, of Course it looks delicious! But I wanted to wait until I tried it in my own kitchen before commenting.
PERFECTION!
It’s everything you want in a small lasagna, without compromising quality. And it freezes exceptionally well.
Take note, however.. you’ll never be able to pass off restaurant lasagna as ‘your own’ again. Once they’ve tried this one, you’ll have to make it from scratch every time!
This was the perfect recipe with hefty leftovers for my husband and me. Yummy! If I double and use 9 x 13 pan, can I assemble day before? For freezing, should it be baked first? Any suggestions?
Hi Jo! Great questions! I haven’t tried it, but I worry a 9×13 may be too small if doubling, but might work for 1 + 1/2x the recipe. Personally I would use a lasagna pan if doubling. Those are roughly 19.2 x 12.4 x 3.9 inches. As far as freezing goes, I would prepare the whole thing and allow the meat sauce to cool before assembling. After assembling, wrap tightly in both plastic wrap and foil, label before freezing. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. I hope this helps!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much as my husband I are empty nesters but will def make double patches when our kids and grandkids come over!
How would the ingredients change if I used the noodles that need to be boiled beforehand? That is what I have and I want to use them up.
I was was wondering the same thing.
I just made it with regular noodles, and it turned out well! I used 9, and cooked them al dente, rinsing to cool them. I then trimmed them about 2/3 and used 3 of these trimmed noodles per layer. Nine trimmed noodles gives you 3 layers, and I used 6 of the scraps to make one of the middle layers.
This was very good! My no boil noodles didn’t expand, though, so there was a moat of sauce and cheese around the noodles. What brand noodles do you use?
I’ve made this recipe four times now. Perfect size for 6 servings. Makes for a very full 9″ casserole dish. The next time I’ll try making three layers instead of four with a 24 oz. Jar of sauce. Comes out good using chopped up leftover meatloaf, meatballs, or hamburg. I’ve tried all three. Tasty and easy.
This recipe was a great success, followed it as written and it turned out perfect and was delicious-thanks!
Made this yesterday in an 11″ x 7″ x 2″ glass pan and had a fairly significant spillover of liquid before baking, but I had it on a sheet tray, so clean-up was easy. There is no measurement for the grated parmesan for the last layer, so I just covered my lasagna with fresh parm. shredded using the large holes on a box grater. Since I knew I had quite a bit of liquid, I cooked it for 25 minutes covered, then 40 minutes uncovered and it came out perfectly baked with plump noodles. I think next time I would drain my ricotta better to cut down on the liquid and maybe add a bit more mozzarella. I’m grated one ball of fresh mozzarella and I think I could have used another quarter of a ball for about 2-1/3 cups.
Can I make this a day before and leave it in the refrigerator? I want to make it for Christmas and will but need a “make ahead”.
sure! When assembling, just make sure all ingredients have cooled.
Thank you for this recipe. Husband is still sleeping onthis wonderful rainy day so Iam about to try this. When he smells it He’ll wake up.
Tried and true! Delicious recipe baked in my 9×9 Le Creuset baking dish! This will be my go to lasagna dish from now on:) Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Can you make this without meat?
I am making for Easter! Thank you!
This lasagna turned out great. I didn’t have any no boil pasta, so I just soaked the lasagna noodles in hot water for 20 minutes, drain and they came out perfect. I am making this again today.
I don’t think the serving size is 1 gram?
I agree that you have to scroll through a lot of rhetoric to get to the actual recipe. It’s there, you just have to be patient to find it. However, once there, you do have the option to print it, which makes it a whole lot easier to use. I actually copy and paste it into an email that I send to myself, so it will print on one page. I then clip it to an upper cupboard door, directly in front of my workspace, for quick reference. That way, too, I don’t run the risk of dropping or spilling on my tablet.
I know I’m a year late, but, hopefully, this will help others. Great recipe. I make it often.
I don’t find cooking the lasagna noodles to be burdensome. Takes a short amount of time, and you can cut them neatly to fit your pan after cooking.
As a sicilian (with a resteraunt in the family, my grandfather from polermo( we throw in chopped hard boiled eggs in the cheese and ricotta layer, not spreading ricotta also but crumbling tiny bits here and there, a little parmesan also before shredded mozzarella. Cook most the grease off that beef also so it’s well cooked and not going to render more grease in the sauce.
I made it vegan with TVP and chopped mushrooms, tofu ricotta, no eggs obviously, and it’s creamy enough even without vegan cheese shreds. I grated walnuts on top to look like parmesan.
Love this! Glad you were able to adapt this recipe to your liking!
Love it!
I’ve tried lots of online recipes over the years, but this is my first time commenting on one. I’ve made this Small Batch Lasagna several times and it is DELICIOUS!!! It is the BEST lasagna I’ve ever made, even better than any I’ve had in a restaurant!
With the holidays coming up, I’m planning to make several batches and freeze them. I have a question about the Aspen Square Baking Dish (which I ordered from your link last year). Is the dish freezer-safe? On the Crate and Barrel website, it says it’s “Dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe to 400 degrees”. No mention of freezer-safe. Have you made the lasagna and frozen it in the Aspen dish? If not, do I need to transfer it to another dish for freezing? Can’t even imagine how I’d do that lol, any suggestions? Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!