Cheesy No-Boil Lasagna Recipe
This No-Boil Lasagna takes just 10 minutes to prep (seriously!) and doesn’t require you to boil the noodles before baking! This hearty vegetarian dinner is so quick, easy, and delicious that it’s sure to earn a permanent spot in your monthly meal rotation!
10 Minute Lasagna
- From my kitchen to yours, let me tell you right now that the best lasagna doesn’t have to be hard. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be something you throw together on Tuesday night and then bake in the oven while you walk the dog or get some laundry done. It is no longer reserved for Sunday nights or special occasions!
- I am here to let you in on a little secret. You DO NOT need to boil your lasagna noodles before you bake them! Let that sink in for a minute.
- With that said, assembling this easy vegetarian lasagna will take you all of 10 minutes. It’s literally just layering tomato sauce, noodles, creamy ricotta/spinach filling, and sauce a couple times and popping it in the oven!
- The noodles will soak up the moisture from the sauce, water, and spinach and they will come out perfectly al dente (no boiling required!). And in my experience, lasagna made with uncooked noodles often holds together better than its boiled noodle rival.
- This is because the starch from the pasta is released right into the lasagna (rather than into the pasta water during the boiling process) so it helps to hold the lasagna together much better than traditional lasagna.
- There are lots of ways to enjoy easy, lasagna dinners! Check out my Mediterranean Lasagna for a Greek-inspired spin, Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups for neat-and-tidy lasagna portioning, or Ravioli Lasagna for the easiest way to get classic lasagna flavors on the dinner table.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Uncooked Lasagna Noodles – Just use regular ol’ uncooked lasagna noodles for this easy vegetarian lasagna! Please note that we’re not using “no-boil” noodles—just regular lasagna noodles.
- Fresh Spinach – This no-boil lasagna uses fresh spinach because it’s loaded with water that will help cook the noodles. You can use another hearty, fresh green (like kale) if you want.
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese – The thick, creamy texture of whole milk ricotta is perfect for keeping noodles in place and making sure your lasagna holds its shape. You can also use cottage cheese in its place.
- Parmesan Cheese – You can sub other hard, crumbly cheese if you need to (like asiago), but parmesan is such a classic flavor in lasagna.
- Shredded Mozzarella – I always recommend grating your own cheese (for a better flavor and a much better texture), but mozzarella can be a pain. Pro tip: Freeze it for about 15 minutes before you attempt to shred it.
- Basil Pesto – You can use a good store-bought pesto if you need to, but it only takes about five minutes to make your own! Fresh pesto brings so much more flavor to the table.
- Fresh Garlic – It’s been said that garlic should be measured with the heart, and I fully agree. Two to four cloves is a good beginner guideline, but slice garlic to your heart’s content.
- Dried Oregano – Dried herbs are what most of us have on-hand, but if you want to use fresh, you definitely can. Dried herbs have a more concentrated flavor, so you’ll need to use 1 tablespoon of minced fresh oregano in place of 1 teaspoon of dried.
- Egg – The egg is going to help bind the ricotta filling together and give it a creamier texture. You can skip it if you don’t have any on hand, but the texture is better with it!
- Spaghetti Sauce – Use a jar of your favorite store-bought pasta sauce.
Instructions
Combine ricotta cheese, shredded cheese, spinach, pesto, garlic, oregano, and egg, along with Kosher salt and black pepper in a medium bowl.
Mix until well combined.
Add the pasta sauce and water mixture to a 9×13 baking dish and layer 5 noodles.
Layer 1/2 of the ricotta mixture in an even layer on top of the noodles. Then drizzle a 1/2 cup of sauce on top of that.
Then layer another 5 noodles.
Add the remaining ricotta cheese mixture, and another 1/2 cup sauce.
Lastly, layer 5 noodles and the remaining sauce. Then sprinkle with reserved cheese.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 50-60 minutes then remove foil and broil if desired.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- This lasagna is such a great recipe because it can be assembled up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake!
- Make it on Saturday when you have all the time in the world, and bake it on Thursday when you have 2 seconds to throw something in the oven for dinner!
- When I’m really planning ahead, I like to double the recipe and make two pans of lasagna so I can stash one in the freezer. The night before I know we’ll be eating the lasagna, I let the frozen pan thaw in the fridge.
- After you’ve refrigerated the lasagna and before baking, just make sure you let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes so it can come to room temp so that it cooks evenly. Then bake according to the recipe directions.
No Boil Lasagna Noodles
- You might have seen those noodles at the store labeled “no-boil”. This recipe is written for regular, uncooked lasagna noodles. So don’t worry about needing to find the fancy no-boil noodles.
- I find that the no-boil lasagna noodles tend to overcook quickly, creating an extra floppy lasagna.
- The no-boil noodles usually cost more as well, so save your money and opt for regular!
Tips
- Feel free to add browned meat to your marinara sauce to create a meat sauce! I like to brown ground beef or Italian sausage in a large skillet with just a touch of olive oil and then season it with a couple teaspoons of dried oregano and simmer it with the pasta sauce for a few minutes.
- To test if your lasagna is warmed through in the middle, stick a butter knife directly into the center and let it sit for a few seconds. Then remove the knife and carefully feel it to see if it’s warm/hot.
FAQ
Yes! This no-boil lasagna recipe is the perfect way to bake lasagna without boiling the noodles first. Layer uncooked, regular lasagna noodles with sauce, ricotta, spinach, and cheese and they will soak up the moisture from the other ingredients while baking. Good lasagna just got SO much easier!
Yes! No-boil lasagna is a great way to pre-assemble lasagna to be cooked later. This recipe can be assembled and then refrigerated for 5 days before cooking. It’s ideal for meal prep on the weekend or you’re putting together meals for new moms!
Cover lasagna tightly with tin foil before baking. Uncovered lasagna will dry out in the oven. Once the lasagna is cooked through, you can remove the foil at the very end and broil the top.
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The Easiest Homemade Lasagna Ever
This No Boil Lasagna Recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare (seriously!) and doesn’t require you to boil the noodles before baking! This hearty vegetarian dinner is so quick, easy, and delicious that it’s sure to earn a permanent spot in your monthly meal rotation!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 15 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 3 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta
- 8 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz. shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 2–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 egg
- 24 oz. spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup water
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- fresh chopped parsley
- extra spaghetti sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine spaghetti sauce and water together.
- Combine mozzarella and Parmesan together in a large bowl. Remove 1.5 cups of cheese and reserve for topping the lasagna.
- To the bowl of cheese add spinach, ricotta, pesto, garlic, oregano, and egg, along with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Mix until well combined.
- Pour 1 cup sauce/water mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and spread across the bottom. Layer 5 noodles, slightly overlapping to cover the bottom of the pan. I like to do four noodles the long way, and then break off the end of a noodle to fit it widthwise and cover the rest.
- Layer 1/2 of the ricotta mixture in an even layer on top of the noodles. Then drizzle a 1/2 cup of sauce on top of that.
- Then layer another 5 noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and another 1/2 cup sauce.
- Lastly, layer 5 noodles and the remaining sauce. Then sprinkle with reserved cheese.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the noodles are al dente and sauce is bubbling. Broil for 1 minute on high, just until the cheese starts to turn golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS
This lasagna can be assembled up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake!
Make it on Saturday when you have all the time in the world, and bake it on Thursday when you have 2 seconds to throw something in the oven for dinner!
When I’m really planning ahead, I like to double the recipe and make two pans of lasagna so I can stash one in the freezer. The night before I know we’ll be eating the lasagna, I let the frozen pan thaw in the fridge.
After you’ve refrigerated the lasagna and before baking, just make sure you let it sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes so it can come to room temp so that it cooks evenly. Then bake according to the recipe directions.
This recipe was originally posted in September of 2018. It was updated in December 2020 to include detailed instructions, process shots and tips for making the perfect lasagna every single time!
Do you think whole wheat lasagna noodles will work here? Excited to try this.
I think they certainly could! I would compare the cook time on regular lasagna noodles and see if it’s a bit longer for whole wheat noodles and then add more time (or reduce the time) based on that. Great question, Abbie!
Hi! I only have frozen spinach. Will it still work or will I need to boil the noodles 1st
I think frozen spinach could work but I’d recommend thawing it before using and then squeezing some of the extra water out of it so that it doesn’t make the lasagna too watery. Great question, Maria!
Great recipe, super easy to make. Thanks for sharing
Can I swap the pasta for zucchini?
Love how firm this was! Really held together. I added a pound of meat with the cheese layer and it turned out great.
My husband usually prepare vegetable lasagne, but my kids do not line the mushy cooked veg bits, so I tried this one, and OMG, everyone loved it! I can not wait to eat the leftover tomorrow for lunch 😀
And now I go and check other recipes on this site 😀
thank you so so much
My family loved it. I think it is much better than any traditional meat lasagna I have had. I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta and I doubled the recipe. I cooked it 25 minutes longer than the recipe but it could have used another 5 minutes. This is going into my regular rotation and is worthy of a dinner party.
This recipe is delicious. To add meat, do I cook the sausage in advance? How much sausage for the additional 1-2 cups of sauce? Do I need to used a larger pan? Thanks
Definitely cook the sausage before adding to the lasagna. You could use half a pound or a full pound if you’d like. And definitely adding more sauce is necessary if you’re adding meat. You should be able to use a regular 9×13 pan without issue. Great questions, DiTay!
This is SO good! I still can’t believe I made lasagna from scratch on a weeknight. My husband loves lasagna, so this will be going into regular meal rotation for us. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I am SO glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Katy! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi, i want to ask, whether you can skip egg in the recipe ?
Yes! The egg is not totally necessary and I’ve made it a few times without. The egg serves as a binder for the ricotta filling and makes it a bit more rich, but it will hold together quite well without it as well. Great question, Aditi. Can’t wait to hear what you think if you make it! 🙂
Hi I’m going to make this tomorrow and just confirming that you don’t cook the spinach before adding the cheese mixture?
Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂 Yes – the spinach goes in raw!
Just made this today for Christmas! Awesome recipe and was so easy to make. Thanks for sharing! I will definitely add this to my meal rotation!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this lasagna, Teresa! Perfect for a hearty Christmas dinner!! Thanks so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Happy New Year!! I just came across this recipe and decided that I am going to serve it tomorrow night, that said is it possible to either substitute or add sausage?
Of course!! I’d plan to add about 1-2 extra cups of sauce to coat the added sausage!
I made this and it was so easy and delicious! My husband absolutely loved it even without the meat. I’m currently making two batches to freeze for after baby comes ? thanks for the great recipe!
Best. Freezer. Meal. Ever. And what a great easy dinner for after the baby arrives!! Congrats on the new bundle of joy – wishing you a happy and healthy delivery. Thanks Kimmy!
Dinner doesn’t get easier than this vegetarian lasagna!
Very nice?
Thanks Cathy! Definitely a favorite in my family 🙂