READY IN 1 hr

Simply Traditional Lasagna

Read Reviews (144)

"A traditional lasagna, with about half the time and effort! I always cook extra to have leftovers, but the more I cook, the more they eat! Serve with garlic toast and salad." — Sophie

Directions

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease. Stir in the water and black olives, and season with basil, garlic powder, oregano, sage, pepper, minced garlic, and onion flakes. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the marinara sauce, and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Place a layer of the meat and sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of dry noodles. Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese over the noodles, and sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese. Cover with another layer of sauce, and repeat layering ending with the meat and sauce on top. Reserve about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese for later.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, but check after 30 minutes depending on how thick the lasagna is. Lasagna is cooked when you can easily stick a knife into it. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top, and return to the oven for about 10 minutes for a nice melted cheese topping.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 26, 2009

***I just realized that my recipe was changed. If you can, use fresh finely chopped onions, not dried, and fresh minced garlic instead of or in addition to the garlic powder. I also throw in some finely chopped green bell pepper sometimes. Fresh is just always better to me. And they left out the thyme. Or maybe I forgot it. Who knows? About 1/2 teaspoon in the sauce while its simmering. Yum. ****Just a note, for those of you using the ready-bake noodles, it is NOT necessary and I really don't recommend it. My recipe does not call for it if you look closely. I use REGULAR lasagna noodles and make sure they are fully covered by a watery sauce cuz they will soak it right up. Much better flavor than pre-cooking noodles separate in just plain water!! And use lots of sauce!!

—Sophie

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 26, 2009

3 Stars... but worth much more. This is the best base recipe for Lasagna that I've run across... ever. There are a few tweaks that need to be made to make it truely special though, and they aren't very hard... Sauce: Take (2) 28oz cans of diced tomatoes with garlic and Basil, and puree them with (1) diced white onion, (1) diced red pepper, and (1) diced green pepper. Once this has been added together and blended to almost smooth - set aside. Take one pound of ground Pork and one pound of ground Beef and brown them in a skillet. Once the meat is browned, throw a few cloves of fresh Garlic, minced, and the sauce , and let simmer for about an hour. Use this sauce for the recipe as described above.

—losferwords

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174 Ratings

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Oct 01, 2004

haven't used this recipe but I have been using dry noodles in my lasagna for years now. You don't need to buy the "new no cook noodles" the old ones work just fine.

—1 busy momma

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Nov 30, 2007

Easy recipe for lasagna. Not only does it eliminate the boiling of the noodles, but you don't have to add egg and parm to the ricotta like most recipes call for. The only problem that we had was that the lasagna should have more ricotta cheese in it than the recipe calls for. Use at least 16oz or 24 oz. Other than that, it's a keeper

—CASHCHAZ

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Jan 01, 2008

I doubled the sauce, used 1 1/2 cartons of ricotta chees and made it in a deep lasagna pan. My husband thinks it's better than my grandmother's from scratch recipe.

—sueboots

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Aug 08, 2008

I've never cooked my lasagna noodles, but I'd have to say this is one of the best lasagnas I've ever tasted. My family loved it and it makes a ton. We barely made a dent in it the first night, so I froze half and put the rest in the fridge for leftovers that week. Excellent!

—reegirl

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Oct 10, 2007

Had to cook this without the olives due to some picky eaters in the bunch I was feeding. I think it is probably a TON better with them. Used regular old lasagna noodles (without cooking them) and added a little extra water to make sure they cooked. This turned out lovely - I will definitely make it again. Plus it seems like a great recipe for playing with - add spinach to the marinara sauce, using different meats and cheeses, adding onions, etc.

—kfcempress

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Oct 10, 2004

This was my first attempt at lasagna and I definitely will make it again! The Italian sausage really gives it zing. Also, it makes it less intimidating cooking the noodles right in the pan.

—NITEWISPER

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Nutrition

Calories
736 kcal
37%

Carbohydrates
62.5 g
20%

Cholesterol
104 mg
35%

Fat
34.6 g
53%

Fiber
5.7 g
23%

Protein
43.8 g
88%

Sodium
1452 mg
58%

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

Nutritional Information

Simply Traditional Lasagna

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 736
** Calories from Fat: 311

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 34.6g 53 %
** Saturated Fat 14.7g 74 %
** Cholesterol 104mg 35 %
** Sodium 1452mg 58 %
** Potassium 780mg 22 %
** Total Carbohydrates 62.5g 20 %
** Dietary Fiber 5.7g 23 %
** Protein 43.8g 88 %
** Sugars 12g
** Vitamin A 20 %
** Vitamin C 6 %
** Calcium 76 %
** Iron 52 %
** Thiamin 34 %
** Niacin 135 %
** Vitamin B6 36 %
** Magnesium 30 %
** Folate 78 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.