All the traditional flavor of lasagna, with none of the fuss. We’ve simplified the layers in this lasagna casserole so the dish comes together more quickly.
Lasagna is inherently a one-dish casserole, so you might be wondering what sets this lasagna casserole recipe apart. The key difference lies in the prep time. Traditional lasagna can take up to an hour to prepare, which can feel a bit labor-intensive for a casserole. This version, however, streamlines the process and cuts prep time down to just 15 minutes.
By using pasta shells combined with eggs and three kinds of cheese, you create a rich, creamy base with minimal effort. There’s no need to meticulously layer or spread ingredients. Simply pour the savory ground beef and pasta sauce over the pasta, and you’re ready to bake. It really is that simple!
Ingredients for Lasagna Casserole
- Ground beef: Use a 80/20 blend to give the lasagna a robust flavor, or use lean ground beef to slim down the fat content.
- Pasta shells: Before adding pasta to the casserole, cook it al dente according to the package directions. This recipe doesn’t have enough liquid to cook the pasta as the casserole bakes.
- Three-cheese blend: Mozzarella, cottage cheese and Parmesan come together to give this lasagna a creamy texture and decadent flavor.
- Eggs: The eggs act as a binder, helping the cheesy pasta layer set so the casserole doesn’t turn out watery.
- Pasta sauce: A 24-ounce jar of store-bought sauce is a real time saver! Of course, you can always make homemade pasta sauce (or meat sauce if you don’t want to brown the ground beef separately).
Directions
Step 1: Brown the beef
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is browned and crumbled, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Season with salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, then set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the pasta layer
In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, 3 cups of mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and the remaining pepper.
Editor’s Tip: Be sure to cook the pasta according to the package instructions before adding it to the bowl. Avoid common pasta mistakes such as forgetting to stir or not using enough water.
Step 3: Layer the lasagna casserole
Transfer the pasta to a greased shallow 3-quart or 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with the beef mixture and pasta sauce. The dish will be full.
Step 4: Bake the lasagna casserole
Cover and bake the lasagna casserole for 45 minutes.
Remove the cover, and sprinkle the casserole with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted, 15 minutes longer. Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Use an 8×8 casserole dish: Layer the casserole into two 8×8-inch dishes so you can bake one now and freeze the other for later. To convert a 9×13 recipe to 8×8, try to divide everything equally by two.
- Infuse flavor into the ground beef: Add herbs and spices—like Italian seasoning, garlic powder or crushed red pepper flakes—to the ground beef as it cooks. You can also replace some (or all) of the beef with bulk sausage or ground pork to add richness.
- Make it meatless: Skip the ground beef and saute your favorite vegetables. Eggplant and spinach both work well, or you can use the combination of red peppers, carrots, mushrooms, summer squash and zucchini from this vegetable lasagna recipe.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and the remaining pepper. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. or 13×9-in. baking dish. Top with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce (dish will be full).
- Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and the remaining pepper. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. or 13×9-in. baking dish. Top with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce (dish will be full).
- Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
- Swap in a white sauce: Give the casserole a creamier consistency with a white sauce like Alfredo sauce. You can use jarred sauce or borrow the easy sauce from our chiken Alfredo lasagna icrecipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1 pound medium pasta shells, cooked and drained
- 4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3 cups 4% cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce
Directions
- In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles; drain. Sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, combine pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and the remaining pepper. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. or 13×9-in. baking dish. Top with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce (dish will be full).
3. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is melted, 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
1 each: 667 calories, 30g fat (14g saturated fat), 157mg cholesterol, 1209mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 4g fiber), 44g protein.
