Lazy Lasagna Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

One-pan lazy lasagna with ricotta and fresh basil in a cast iron skillet.

5 from 23 votes

Lazy Lasagna Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

A hearty one-pan dinner with ground beef, mafalde pasta, crushed tomatoes, and creamy ricotta. No layering, no baking dish, no drama.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course / Entrée

Cuisine: Italian-American

Servings:

Calories: 728kcal

Author: Claudia Ciorteanu

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 medium carrots cubed
2 celery sticks cubed
14 oz ground beef
4 garlic cloves minced
1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes
4-6 cups beef broth
10.5 oz mafalde pasta or any short pasta
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3.5 oz fresh or frozen spinach
½ cup ricotta cheese or 1 ball fresh mozzarella
Small handful fresh basil
Parmesan to serve
Salt and black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sauté the vegetables: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in your pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to go golden at the edges.
3 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 celery sticks, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Brown the ground beef: Add the ground beef, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces as it cooks. Let it brown for 10 minutes on medium heat — you want real color on the meat. Give it an extra 5 minutes if needed. That caramelization is where a ton of richness comes from.
14 oz ground beef, 4 garlic cloves, Salt and black pepper to taste
Add the broth and pasta: Pour in 4 cups (1 litre) of beef broth and add the pasta. Stir well to combine. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring every few minutes so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom. The pasta absorbs the broth as it cooks — that's exactly the point.
4-6 cups beef broth, 10.5 oz mafalde pasta
Add the tomatoes: Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up nicely. If you prefer a saucier dish, add another ½–1 cup (120–240ml) of broth here. This is how I like it, the paste tends to absorb a lot of liquid and I pesonally dont like a dry pasta.
1 can
Taste and season with salt. Dont over do it as the parmesan cheese will add some saltiness to it.
Turn off the heat. Tuck the spinach in around the pan — it wilts quickly from the residual heat. Drop small spoonfuls of ricotta all over the top. Using fresh mozzarella instead? Pull it into small pieces and scatter across. Rip the basil leaves and add those too.
3.5 oz fresh or frozen spinach, ½ cup ricotta cheese, Small handful fresh basil
Put the lid on. Leave it 5 minutes. Don't lift the lid.
Serve: Take the lid off, grab some parmesan, and bring the whole pan to the table. Serve with garlic butter baguette for mopping up the sauce.
Parmesan

Video

Notes

Pasta absorbs liquid as it sits — always add a splash of broth when reheating
Mafalde is ideal but any short pasta shape works
Substitute ricotta 1:1 for cottage cheese for extra protein
Fresh mozzarella gives better cheese pulls; ricotta gives a creamier finish
Freezes well for up to 2 months in individual portions

Nutrition