Super easy one pot deconstructed lasagna (lazy lasagna)

💙Why you'll love it

• Such an easy recipe - it's the perfect alternative to traditional lasagna, which requires layering and turning on your oven. And sometimes, I must admit I'm too lazy to do it, even though I looooove lasagna (and Italian dishes, thanks to my nonna).
• They're incredibly delicious and have nothing to envy to classic lasagna - a rich and flavorful tomato meat sauce with creamy cheeses and tender noodles are a go-to that your whole family will ADORE! 
• One pan - say bye bye to long evenings spent doing the dishes, because you'll only need one pan to make this recipe! That's right!!

🧀Ingredients

You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make this deconstructed lasagna recipe.

• Garlic cloves - if you want to choose your garlic carefully so you do not encourage the slavery of Chinese prisoners, read my Eco Tips on the subject.
• Cheeses - I used Parmesan cheese, whole milk ricotta and shredded mozzarella cheese, but you can use any cheese you like (cottage cheese, blue cheese, Swiss cheese,  cream cheese, burrata, etc...).
• Ground beef - regular one or lean ground beef, as you prefer.
• Tomato sauce - you can replace it with tomato puree if you want, but you'll have to adapt the quantity of water that you use depending of the puree's consistency.
• Lasagna noodles - make sure you use regular lasagna noodles, and not "no-boil lasagna" or "oven-ready lasagna", which are lasagna that were already pre-cooked.

🍗Variations

Feel free to change this recipe to go with your tastes. I suggest several options:

• Vegetarian - remove ground beef and make sure you use cheeses that doesn't contain animal rennet.
• Gluten-free - use gluten-free regular lasagna noodles.
• Proteins - ground beef can easily be replaced with ground turkey, ground chicken or sweet Italian sausage if you want!
• More veggies - grilled zucchinis, eggplants or bell peppers would be a delish in this recipe!
• Spice it up with a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

This recipe has not been tested using any other variations. If you do try substituting ingredients, it may not turn out as it's meant to. Please leave a comment below letting me know if it worked out!

🍴Utensils

11-inch frying pan

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Lid for pot

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If you're not sure which utensils or robots to buy for cooking, check out my guide to kitchen tools and utensils.

✨How to make these cheesy lasagna?

Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.

• Heat a skillet on medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and cook the minced garlic and onion until golden brown.
• Add the ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, until browned.

• Meanwhile, break the lasagna sheets into large pieces.
• In a bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the tomato paste, thyme, salt and black pepper.

• Add the sauce and half the water to the pan.
• Mix well, lower the heat to low-medium and then add the lasagna sheets. Press down lightly so that the sheets sink into the sauce.

• Cover with a lid and let it cook until al dente (follow the package directions).
• Halfway through cooking, check that the sauce isn't too thick and that the lasagna don't need any more water (this will depend on the texture of your tomato sauce - some contain more water than others). If it does, add the other half of the water and stir.
• Also add the ricotta and Parmesan cheese and stir well. 
• Top with the shredded mozzarella. Cover and continue cooking until lasagna are al dente and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh basil or fresh parsley and enjoy!

👩🏻‍🍳 Chef's Tips

1. Make sure you use regular lasagna noodles. I've said it below, but it's important that you use regular lasagna and not "no-boil lasagna" or "oven-ready lasagna", which are lasagna that were already pre-cooked.
2. Halfway through cooking, check that the sauce isn't too thick and that the lasagna don't need any more water (this will depend on the texture of your tomato sauce - some contain more water than others). If it does, add the other half of the water and stir.
3. Add the cheeses halfway through cooking, because if you add them at the end, you'll have to continue cooking until they melt, and the pasta will be overcooked.
4. I recommend using a large, deep skillet. A skillet that is 11 or 12 inches should be perfect.

💡Frequently Asked Questions

❄️ Storage and freezing

Store - let the pasta dish cool completely before storing it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. You'll be able to store it up to 3 days.

Reheat - put it in a microwave safe dish and in your microwave until hot.

Freezing - these deconstructed lasagna are freezing perfectly! All you have to do is let them cool first, than put them in a freezer bag labelled with the date and the name of the recipe. Seal the bag, put it in the freezer and you're done!

Defrosting - preheat your oven at 320°F/160°C. Once it's hot, put the lasagna on a sheet of parchment paper and put it in your oven for a few minutes, until completely defrosted.

😋 For Italian food lovers

• Roman semolina gnocchi
• Butternut squash arancini
• Best cheesy vegetarian lasagna

If you make these lasagna, it would be so nice to leave me a comment and rate the recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or Tik Tok, or even send me a photo, I love seeing my little dishes in your homes!