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.

Small Batch Lasagna l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe

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 and the fat removed from the pan, pour in the marinara. I used 1 (28 ounce) jar and added it to a liquid measuring cup. Then added enough water until it reached 4 cups.

If using homemade marinara you can use 4 cups sauce.

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℉ (or 190℃) 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.

Add 1 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

Place on a rimmed baking sheet and 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! This recipe will feed 6!

Small Batch Lasagna l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe

Can you Freeze Lasagna?

Yes! This can be done two ways. You can assemble in a disposable aluminum pan, wrap and freeze OR bake, cool completely, wrap and freeze. Make sure to date the outside of the lasagna before storing in the freezer. You can also wrap individual slices and freeze.

  • Once the meat sauce has cooled, assemble the lasagna. Wrap in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap and the final layer in heavy duty foil, then freeze.
  • Once assembled, bake (placing on a rimmed baking sheet for support) as directed and allow to cool completely before wrapping in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap and the final layer in heavy duty foil, then freeze. Removing from the pan will free up the pan so you can use it for other recipes.

How To Bake Lasagna From Frozen:

Lasagna can go directly from freezer to oven – Just remove the plastic wrap 😉! Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to bake/reheat. Alternatively you can also thaw the lasagna in the fridge overnight, set it out 30 minutes prior to baking and then bake for the original recipe time (30 minutes up to 1 hour).

  • A frozen unbaked lasagna will take up to twice as long as originally instructed.
  • A frozen baked lasagna will take up to. 1-1/2 times as long as originally instructed.

How Long Will A frozen Lasagna Last In the Freezer?

If stored properly, homemade lasagna will last 18 months or longer.

For More Lasagna Recipes Click Here!

Small Batch Lasagna l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe

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 l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe

Small Batch Lasagna l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.51 from 53 ratings
Leave a Review »
Yield: 6 servings

Small Batch Lasagna

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.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • kosher salt
  • 1 pound turkey Italian sausage, or regular italian sausage (we like hot italian sausage)
  • 28 ounces 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 

  • Preheat your oven to 375℉ (or 190℃) 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 and discard any fat in the pan.
  • Once the sausage or meat is browned and the fat removed from the pan, pour in the marinara. I added 1 (28-ounce) jar to a liquid measuring cup and added enough water until it reached 4 cups.
    Remove the pan from the heat and pour the marinara. There's 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 large 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 opposite 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.
  • Transfer to a rimmed metal baking sheet (to catch any spill over) and bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.
  • Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on SimplyScratch.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Recipe Notes:
Use 1 (28 ounce) jar and pour it into a 4 cup liquid measuring cup. To it add enough water to reach 4 cups. Stir to combine. However, if using homemade marinara you can use the whole 4 cups.
See blog post for freezing/reheating instructions.
Serving: 1piece, Calories: 506kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 149mg, Sodium: 1662mg, Potassium: 750mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1364IU, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 401mg, Iron: 9mg

Small Batch Lasagna l SimplyScratch.com #easy #smallbatch #lasagna #dinner #pasta #bakedpasta #recipe