Small Batch Lasagna at Home

I think it’s safe to say, we’re all craving comfort food.

When stocking up to stay in (way before our governor gave the executive order) I grabbed ingredients to make lasagna. I remembered I had lasagna noodles at home already so I only needed meat, a few cheeses and sauce. At the time our grocery store was completely out of all beef, so I bough Italian-style turkey sausage in its place, which truthfully is flavor-packed! When I got home I realized the ingredients weren’t enough for a full pan of lasagna.

Which gave me the idea for a small batch lasagna recipe. I cut my old-style recipe in half and it was so unfussy without a ton of leftovers. I made garlic bread and it was dependable on a cloudy, chilly day.

To cook this Small Batch Lasagna Gather:

• olive oil
• yellow onion
• garlic
• kosher salt
• turkey italian sausage (can be substituted with regular italian sausage or ground beef or turkey)
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• marinara – from-scratch or store-bought (no judgement!)
• ricotta cheese
• egg
• parmesan cheese
• parsley
• oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles – these save SO much time and less dishes to wash
• mozzarella cheese

Measure and add 1 teaspoon light olive oil, 1 diced yellow onion, 2 cloves minced garlic with a pinch of kosher salt to a large deep skillet. Stir and cook on medium heat until only soft, about 5 minutes.

To the softened onions and garlic, add in 1 pound of turkey (or pork) italian sausage or use lean ground beef or ground turkey. Use a wooden spatula to break it up.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until no longer pink and browned. Discard any fat from the pan.

Meanwhile, add 1 (15 ounce) container or ricotta, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons parmesan, 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper.

Stir well.

Until thoroughly combined.

Once the sausage or meat is browned and the fat removed from the pan, pour in the marinara. I used 1 (28 ounce) jar and added it to a liquid measuring cup. Then added enough water until it reached 4 cups.

If using from-scratch marinara you can use 4 cups sauce.

I like to add water to the sauce for this lasagna extra saucy and to insure the no boil noodles fully cook.

Set up your lasagna station. Grab the sauce, cheeses, noodles and ricotta mixture.

Preheat your oven to 375℉ (or 190℃) and lightly spray a 9×9 baking dish. (An 8×8 will be too small for this small batch lasagna.)

Lightly spray a (9 x 9 x 2.5-inch) square baking dish.

Add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of your prepared dish.

Layer One:

Lay down 2 noodles, side by side and top with 1/3 (roughly eye ball it) of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.

Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the 2 cups of mozzarella or a about a generous 1/2 cup.

LAYER TWO:

Lay down 2 noodles (going the other direction), side by side and top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.

Top with 1/4 of the sauce and sprinkle with a little less than 1/3 of the 2 cups of mozzarella (or about a generous 1/2 cup).

LAYER THREE:

Lay down 2 more noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the remaining 1/3 of ricotta mixture and spread it evenly.

Then top with 1/4 of the sauce. (no cheese)

LAYER FOUR:

Place the final 2 noodles (going the opposite direction) side by side and top with the last of the sauce.

Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese

Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake uncovered on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes.

The sauce should be bubbling and the cheese a deep golden brown.

Smells notable.

Allow it cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Top with minced fresh parsley or torn basil.

This small batch lasagna recipe is saucy, flavor-packed, speedy and unfussy. And bonus! This dish will feed 6!

Can you Freeze Lasagna?

Yes! This can be done two ways. You can assemble in a disposable aluminum pan, wrap and freeze OR bake, cool completely, wrap and freeze. Make sure to date the outside of the lasagna before storing in the freezer. You can also wrap individual slices and freeze.

• Once the meat sauce has cooled, assemble the lasagna. Wrap in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap and the final layer in heavy duty foil, then freeze.
• Once assembled, bake (placing on a rimmed baking sheet for support) as directed and allow to cool completely before wrapping in 2 to 3 layers of plastic wrap and the final layer in heavy duty foil, then freeze. Removing from the pan will free up the pan so you can use it for other recipes.

How To Bake Lasagna From Frozen:

Lasagna can go directly from freezer to oven – Only remove the plastic wrap 😉! Make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to bake/reheat. Alternatively you can also thaw the lasagna in the fridge overnight, set it out 30 minutes prior to baking and then bake for the original recipe time (30 minutes up to 1 hour).

• A frozen unbaked lasagna will take up to twice as long as originally instructed.
• A frozen baked lasagna will take up to. 1-1/2 times as long as originally instructed.

How Long Will A frozen Lasagna Last In the Freezer?

If stored properly, kitchen-made lasagna will last 18 months or longer.

For More Lasagna Recipes Click Here!

Enjoy! And if you give this Small Batch Lasagna recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!