Traditional lasagna is a once-a-year project for me. I love it deeply, but it’s rare that I can carve out time for it. When it does happen, it’s in the dead of winter when I have absolutely nothing else to do but spend the entire day in the kitchen.

While it’s impossible to beat the classic version — with a homemade bolognese sauce and, when I can manage it, homemade pasta — I’m all about an easier version that makes lasagna a much more frequent occurrence. This recipe is exactly that. This lasagna is about as low-lift as you can get while still achieving cheesy, crowd-pleasing results. Here’s how to make it.

Why you’ll love it

Key ingredients in lasagna

Helpful tips

Make-ahead and storage tips

What to serve with lasagna

Easy Lasagna

Serves 8 to 10

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 (24- to 25-ounce) jar marinara sauce (3 cups), such as Rao’s or Newman’s Own

12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided

15 dry lasagna noodles (not no-boil, about 2/3 of a 1-pound box), divided

15 to 16 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 2 cups), divided

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400 F.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch or larger regular or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped medium yellow onion, 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and cook, breaking the beef up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Open 1 (24- to 25-ounce) jar marinara sauce (3 cups). Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Stir the remaining sauce into the ground beef mixture.

4. Shred 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese if needed (3 cups). Place five lasagna noodles in the baking dish, breaking them if needed to create a single layer (it’s OK if the noodles overlap slightly). Dollop and spread 1 cup of the ricotta cheese over the noodles. Dollop and spread about 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the ricotta, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella.

5. Arrange five more noodles over the mozzarella, followed by 1 cup of the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Top with a final layer of five noodles and the remaining sauce, spreading the sauce thin so that it almost completely covers the noodles. (Reserve the remaining 1 cup mozzarella for the end of baking.) Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

6. Bake for 1 hour. Check to make sure the noodles are done by poking the lasagna with a knife; the knife should slide easily through all the layers. If it doesn’t, cover and cook for 15 minutes more.

7. Uncover the lasagna and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake uncovered until the mozzarella is melted and lightly browned, and the sauce is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes more.

8. Let the lasagna cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

(Sheela Prakash is a senior contributing food editor and Jan Valdez is an associate recipe producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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