One Pot Lasagna delivers all the irresistible, cheesy, and saucy layers of traditional lasagna but in 30ish minutes. It’s a hassle-free dinner!
Other one pot meals like one pot spaghetti, marry me chicken pasta and healthy hamburger helper have become our weeknight favorites.
I created this one pot lasagna on a busy weeknight and I loved it so much! The pasta really soaked up the sauce and the layer of cheeses melted so perfectly.
Traditional lasagna is awesome if you have time for it! Over the years, I have simplified this classic dish into Instant Pot lasagna and Instant Pot lasagna soup, and tried more fancy dishes like artichoke chicken lasagna roll ups and zucchini lasagna.
However, when you’re in a pinch, this lasagna in one pot is a quick 30ish minute meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Less stress: No need to perfectly layer ingredients or pre-cook anything, this one pot lasagna recipe comes together effortlessly.
- Single pot: Less prep, less cleanup, and no baking.
- Customizable: Swap the meat, add veggies, adjust the seasonings, or make it gluten free.
- All the flavor: Made with simple ingredients, yet still packed with that rich, cheesy, saucy comfort we all love!
Ingredients for One Pot Lasagna
This pasta dish comes with a simple shopping list.
- Onion and garlic: I used yellow onion and fresh garlic cloves to create a sweet, pungent base. If you don’t have yellow onions, white onion works well too.
- Ground beef: I stuck with classic extra lean ground beef, but feel free to use any ground meat. See my variations section below.
- Passata: I used Mutti crushed tomatoes where ingredients are basically tomatoes and salt, that’s it. Because it’s a quality product from Italy, it added immense flavor.
- Lasagna noodles: You’ll need to break them into smaller pieces so they fit in the pot.
- Cheeses: Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and cottage cheese. If you prefer ricotta cheese, feel free to use it in the same amount, or mix them together for the best of both worlds!
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil for sauteing.
- Water: To make the sauce and cook the noodles. You can use low sodium beef broth for added flavor, or even vegetable broth.
- Italian seasoning: Adds an authentic Italian taste to your lasagna.
- Fresh herbs: Finely chopped basil or parsley for garnish and a final touch of flavor.
How to Make One Pot Lasagna
Dutch oven lasagna in just 35 minutes. So easy!
- Saute aromatics: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil, and saute onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
- Brown beef: Add the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks for about 5 minutes. Then toss in the Italian seasoning, passata, and water. Give it a stir and bring it to a boil.
- Cook the noodles: Add broken lasagna noodles to the pot and stir to separate. Cover and let it all come to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Adjust the consistency: Turn off the heat and stir the lasagna. The noodles should be al dente or soft, and if the sauce is too thick, just add a little more water.
- Add cheese: Add Parmesan and dollops of cottage cheese or blended cottage cheese, then stir and level it out. Sprinkle with mozzarella, add the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes so the cheese melts.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some simple tips to master this easy lasagna.
- Prevent burning: Tomato sauce burns easily because of its sugars, and an electric stove can cause it to burn faster than a gas stove. Cook low and slow, and don’t hesitate to open the lid and stir it.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: You want it to be al dente or just soft, depending on the pasta you use, by the time you add the cheese. The noodles will continue to cook a bit as the cheese melts.
- Adjust consistency: You can leave the sauce a bit thick if you like a heartier texture, or thin it out slightly by adding a bit more water.
- Use quality passata or marinara: My top choice is Mutti passata aka crushed tomatoes. Stick to a quality brand you know and avoid generic brands or low quality sauces unless you know and love its taste.
- Don’t skip resting: This time helps the flavors meld together, and the sauce to thicken.
Variations
- Different ground meat: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage.
- Different pasta: Feel free to use lasagnette noodles, penne, fusilli or any pasta with crevices.
- Make it gluten-free: Simply swap the regular lasagna noodles for gluten-free lasagna noodles. If you’re using a marinara sauce, look for one that’s labeled gluten-free.
- Add vegetables: You can add them in to saute after browning the meat. Try chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or even zucchini.
- Use marinara sauce: Instead of crushed tomatoes you could use a quality marinara sauce like Rao’s or homemade marinara. In this case, you can omit the Italian seasoning and even garlic and onion.
Serving Ideas
I like to keep the lasagna as the star and just serve it with a simple side dish or appetizer.
- Caesar salad or Greek salad
- Garlic bread, cottage cheese bread, or dinner rolls
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Sauteed spinach, green beans, asparagus, or roasted squash
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat: You can either simmer it on low heat in a pot or pop in the microwave. Just heat until it’s warmed through.
Freeze: I actually don’t recommend freezing this lasagna because pasta doesn’t freeze well.
FAQs
Yes. But since they are quick cooking noodles, they only need 5 minutes to cook. I still recommend to simmer meat sauce for 15-20 minuets allowing flavor to build before adding pasta.
Let it cook for a bit longer. If necessary, add a splash of water. Or turn off heat and let pasta sit, it will get there!
More One Pot Pasta Recipes
- No boil pasta bake
- One pot zucchini ricotta pasta
- One pot Pad Thai
- Chicken pasta primavera
- Lemon chicken orzo
One Pot Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 pound ground beef, extra lean
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 28 ounces passata, or tomato sauce
- 1 1/2-2 cups water
- 12 lasagna noodles, broken into smaller pieces
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons basil or parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat large Dutch oven on medium-high heat and swirl olive oil to coat. Add onion and garlic, saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces and stirring. Add Italian seasoning, passata and water. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Add broken lasagna noodles, stir to separate them and coat in the meat sauce. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off heat and give lasagna a stir. Noodles should be al dente or soft, depending on type of pasta you use. If it's too thick, add a bit more water.
- Add Parmesan cheese and dollops of cottage cheese, then stir just a few times and level. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, cover and let stand for 5 minutes for cheese to melt and flavors combine.
- Garnish with basil or parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low heat in the pot on the stove or in a microwave.
- Freeze: Pasta doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend to do so.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
