This easy lasagna is a rich and cheesy one-pot pasta situation with a hearty beef sauce that's made right in the pan. This lasagna skips the fussy layering and we even skip cooking the noodles and deliver all the cheesy lasagna goodness in 40 minutes... in one pan. All ingredients from Aldi.
One Pan Easy Lasagna
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If you're not already sold on an easy lasagna recipe like this one, then let me fill you in a little more. I'm pretty sure I can win you over. So, we're skipping the white sauce and going with some softened mascarpone mixed with an egg and may I say, you may even prefer this with a traditional lasagna as well. Rather than make a bechamel sauce.
But this whole thing is cooked on the stovetop, and the lasagna noodles cook right in the sauce. It's a perfect dish for when you want lasagna, but just can't face investing the time to get there.
Ingredients needed
- beef mince
- chorizo sausage
- brown onion
- garlic
- passata
- vegetable stock
- lasagna sheets
- mascarpone
- egg
- parmesan
- mozzarella
- Italian seasoning
Step by step directions
- Start with a pan that can go in the oven under the broiler, if you want brown and bubbling cheese. But, if you want to skip the browning cheese bit, then that's perfectly fine too.
- Brown the mince and the chorizo in some olive oil and add in the onion and garlic. Let the onion and garlic soften and the meat continue to cook. This is where you add in the Italian seasonings if you have them. They aren't necessary. You can just add some dried oregano and basil, but I like to use these Italian mixed herbs and pasta mix seasoning, just because it means that I don't have to stock loads of herbs I can just have a couple of jars with the perfect mix in them.
- Add in the stock or water, and then the lasagna sheets. Break them up into half-sheets if you need to. I did for them to fit into my pan. Bring the stock to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
- Leave to simmer for about 7 minutes and check on your noodles. Meanwhile, make the "white sauce".
- Now, this part is one of my favourite parts of this recipe. Instead of using a separate pan to make a white (bechamel) sauce, we're just mixing some mascarpone (a soft Italian style cheese) with an egg and some parmesan and a little bit of the mozzarella to recreate the white sauce, but with only a few ingredients and one bowl. I like to add a lot of fresh pepper to this because the cheese is so mild in flavour it takes the pepper really well.
- Now, as you can see from the above photo, this easy one-pot lasagna is a vision of beauty before we even add the cheese and creamy sauce. And if this were a story about a gorgeous beefy one-pot pasta, then we'd be very satisfied with this. ♥ But we're not stopping there.
- Take the mascarpone egg mixture and dollop on the top of your beefy lasagna sauce. I spooned it on in 5 different spots, but you can spread it over the entire top so that it forms a layer. But I personally prefer when I get a fork full of noodles, creamy sauce and cheese in different ratios.
Grilling the cheese
- Once the cream layer is on, then sprinkle the cheese over top and place under the grill to get the cheese brown and bubbling. This only takes about 10 minutes. And it will be the most worthwhile 10 minutes of your day. I promise.
- The trick to making sure that you get that brown and bubbling cheese is to get the lasagna as close to the grill as possible. That way it melts and browns the cheese and still keeps the lasagna very sauce without it drying out.
Cooking time
The beauty of this easy lasagna, as we're calling it, or a one-pot lasagna, or a lazy lasagna whatever you want to call it, is that it can be made from beginning to end in about 40-45 minutes. In order to speed this whole process up a bit, start the whole recipe by preheating your grill. That way you can pop it under as soon as you've put your cheese topping on.
Storing, freezing and reheating
This recipe makes enough to feed a family of 4 with leftovers. So, if you're making this for only 1 or 2 people, then you're in for a treat because this easy lasagna keeps in the fridge beautifully for about 3 days. It freezes really well too. Just place in a freezer-safe container and make sure you label it. Same with fridge storage. In a plastic or glass airtight container, that's labelled, this lasagna will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
To reheat this lasagna, on the stovetop, place your serving in a pan with a splash of water. Heat it over medium heat until it's piping hot. To reheat in a microwave, cover it and reheat in 30-second bursts.
More easy pasta recipes
Recipe
One Pan Easy Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 500 g lean minced beef
- 250 g chorizo sausage cubed
- 1 brown onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 500 g box passata
- 750 ml stock made with a stock cube or water
- 10 lasagna sheets broken in half
- For the cream sauce layer
- 250 g mascarpone
- 1 egg
- 30 g grated parmesan
- 30 g mozzarella
- For the topping
- 180 g shredded mozzarella
- 10 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet or casserole pan over a medium heat. Brown the mince and the chorizo until the mince is a deep golden brown and the chorizo has rendered its fat. *See notes
- Add the onion, garlic and the Italian seasoning to the mince and the chorizo. Let the onions and garlic soften in the fats of the meat. Once the onions and garlic are soft and fragrant add in the lasagna sheets and the stock or water (whichever you choose) and the passata.
- Bring everything to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cover and cook for about 15 - 20 minutes, checking the pasta after about 7 minutes. *See notes
- While the pasta is cooking, mix the mascarpone with the egg and cheeses. 30 grams each of parmesan and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper. Once the noodles are cooked, dollop the mascarpone mixture onto the pasta and cover with the remaining mozzarella and place under the grill for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Sprinkle with the basil leaves.
Notes
- Note 1- If you are concerned about the fat and calories, you can drain the fat from the chorizo and mince, but for maximum flavour you can leave them in, as the lasagna doesn’t have much else in the way of fats being added.
- Note 2- If the pasta is starting to stick to the bottom of the pan, use a wooden spoon to stir it and scrape it up to prevent it from sticking further. This is common with one pot kinds of pasta, a simple stir will do the trick.
Nutrition
THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND COOKING ALONG WITH ME! IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE OR HAVE A QUESTION, I’D LOVE IT IF YOU LEFT A COMMENT AND A RATING. YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ALONG ON PINTEREST, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM TO SEE WHAT WE’RE EATING, PINNING AND A LITTLE BEHIND THE SCENES TOO!
Charlotte Cook
I love this recipe. The white sauce is quite rich so I save this for an 'every so often' dish rather than a regular. But it tasted delicious
Deborah Thompson
Thanks so much for leaving a review and a comment. I love this lasagna. But, yes, Truly a special dish and maybe more for every second week rather than every week! š
Maxine ingham
Iām fussy but absolutely love this dish is amazing one of my favourites. We actually cook lots of your recipes š„°
Deborah Rainford
You've absolutely made my day!!! So happy you love this recipe. And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. It is so truly appreciated! š