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No Boil Lasagna Recipe
5 from 2,841 votes

No Boil Lasagna Recipe

No Boil Lasagna is layered with a rich meat sauce made from ground beef, Italian sausage, and a tomato-based sauce seasoned with herbs and fennel seeds. It is assembled with a creamy ricotta cheese filling and layers of regular lasagna noodles that soften during baking, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for a classic texture and flavor combination.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 498 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the meat sauce:
  • 1 pound ground beef (see note 1)
  • 1 pound Italian sausage ground
  • 1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or to taste (see note 2)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons basil dried
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see note 3)
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (see note 4)
  • black pepper freshly ground
  • salt freshly ground
For the cheese filling:
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese (see note 5)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons parsley dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For assembly:
  • 1 box lasagna noodles NOT no-boil (see note 6)
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
  • parsley minced, for garnish, fresh

Instructions

To make the meat sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
To make the cheese filling:
  1. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and salt. Chill until the sauce is finished.
To assemble and bake the lasagna:
  1. In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of uncooked noodles over the meat sauce (I sometimes do 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and then a partial noodle crosswise). Spread with a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) of mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
  2. Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of noodles, ricotta mixture (heaping 2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 1/2 cups) and Parmesan (1/3 cup). Repeat layers 1 more time, for a total of 3 layers.
  3. Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish. Refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley before serving if desired.

Notes

  • Use 1 pound each of ground beef and Italian sausage, or substitute as preferred including turkey or just one meat.
  • Adjust or omit sugar in the sauce to taste to manage sweetness.
  • Homemade Italian seasoning blends can be used instead of store-bought.
  • Fennel seeds enhance Italian sausage flavor; omit if not desired and adjust sugar accordingly.
  • Ricotta cheese can be homemade with milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
  • Use regular lasagna noodles, not no-boil or oven-ready types, for best texture.
  • Leftovers keep up to 4 days refrigerated; the dish can be made up to 3 days ahead.
  • Freezing is possible either before or after baking with specific thawing and reheating instructions.
  • This recipe is sized for a 9x13 inch baking dish giving 12 servings.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 498kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 30g (60%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 528mg (22%) Potassium 351mg (7%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 343IU (7%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 325mg (33%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 498

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 498kcal 25%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 30g 60%
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 528mg 22%
Potassium 351mg 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 343IU 7%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 325mg 33%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.