Looking for a comforting, cheesy lasagna that won't leave you with a mountain of leftovers? This Small Batch Lasagna recipe is the perfect answer. Made with oven-ready noodles, three kinds of cheese, and your favorite jarred pasta sauce, it's cozy, simple, and ready for weeknight dinner without the fuss.
Don't let the layers fool you, lasagna doesn't have to be complicated or reserved for special occasions. This version is baked in an 8x8 dish (hello, no giant cleanup!) and hits all the right notes: creamy, savory, cheesy, and perfectly satisfying. Pair it with a simple side salad or garlic bread, and dinner is done.
Before You Bake, Read This!
💬 The Vibe: Cheesy, saucy, classic lasagna comfort with weeknight ease.
🔑 What You Gotta Know: Oven-ready noodles save time, but the real secret is layering the cheese mix and meat sauce for max flavor.
🍴 Best Bite Alert: That toasty cheese top? Worth the broil every single time.
Watch this quick video tutorial!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made in an 8x8 pan, just the right size for smaller families.
- No need to boil the noodles!
- Filled with a savory meat sauce, three cheeses, and spinach.
- Great to prep ahead or freeze for later.
- Classic comfort food made easy.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Ground Beef - Lean ground beef (85/15 or 80/20) works best for flavor and texture. You can also substitute Italian sausage or ground turkey.
- Garlic - Use fresh minced garlic or garlic paste for the best flavor.
- Onion - Yellow or white onion adds aromatic flavor and sweetness to the sauce.
- Pasta Sauce - Use your favorite store-bought jar of marinara, or make your own homemade sauce.
- Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles - No need to boil! These noodles cook right in the pan with the sauce.
- Ricotta Cheese - Adds creamy richness between layers. Cottage cheese can be swapped in.
- Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated works best for flavor and melt. Skip the shelf-stable shaker cheese.
- Mozzarella Cheese - Shred your own from a block for the best melt. Bagged works in a pinch!
- Egg - Helps bind the ricotta mixture and adds structure.
- Fresh Spinach - Chop and layer for extra greens. Frozen (thawed and squeezed dry) works too.
- Italian Seasoning + Salt & Black Pepper - For classic herb flavor and balance.
👉🏾 See the recipe card below for exact quantities and full instructions.
How to Make Easy Lasagna
Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking dish and set aside.
Make the Meat Sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in pasta sauce and let simmer on low while you prep the cheese layer.
Mix the Cheese Filling: In a bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper.
Layer the Lasagna:
- Spread ⅓ of the meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Top with a layer of noodles.
- Spread on ½ of the ricotta mixture, ½ of the spinach, and ⅓ of the mozzarella.
- Repeat: noodles, meat sauce, ricotta mix, spinach, mozzarella.
- Finish with one more layer of noodles, the last of the sauce, and remaining mozzarella on top.
Bake Covered: Cover with foil (spray the underside with nonstick spray so it doesn't stick to the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes.
Bake Uncovered & Broil: Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. For a golden, bubbly top, broil for 2-4 minutes, just keep an eye on it!
Rest & Serve: Let lasagna rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Enjoy!
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Recipe Tips & Variations
- Keep your noodle layers consistent. This helps the lasagna hold its shape when sliced.
- Spray your foil. A quick spray keeps melted cheese from sticking during baking.
- Make it vegetarian. Swap out the meat and double the spinach or add sautéed mushrooms.
- Shred your own cheese. It melts better and avoids anti-caking additives.
- Add heat. Crushed red pepper in the sauce gives it a kick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you'll need to boil them first and reduce your sauce slightly so it's not too wet.
Definitely! Assemble it up to 1 day in advance and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before baking.
Yes! Assemble the lasagna (uncooked), wrap tightly in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking.
Microwave individual portions or bake covered at 300°F until warmed through.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze (uncooked or baked): Wrap well in foil or store in a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 2 months.
- Reheat: In the oven at 300°F or microwave until warmed through.
More Recipes You'll Love
- Easy Lasagna Soup Recipe
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Easy Southern Baked Spaghetti Recipe
- Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
- Homemade Tomato Soup
- Italian Sausage and Bean Soup
Have any questions, swaps, or lasagna traditions of your own? Share them in the comments below, I'd love to hear how you make this dish your own!
📖 Recipe
8x8 Lasagna Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 8x8-inch square baking dish
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 wooden spoon
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 24 ounces (1 jar) pasta sauce
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 large egg
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 to 6 individual oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
- 1 cup spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Begin the recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. and grabbing a square 8x8-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Using a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the 1 pound ground beef and 1 cup chopped onion. Cook until it has browned. Add in the 1 clove minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Drain off any excess fat/liquid and stir in the 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce. Cover the sauce and adjust the heat to medium-low, allowing it to simmer while you prefer the rest of the ingredients.
- In a medium size bowl, add the 15 ounces ricotta cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Spoon a third of the meat sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Spread it out in an even layer. Top with a layer of 2 to 3 oven ready lasagna noodles.
- Top the noodles with half of the leftover meat sauce and spread it out in a single layer. Add half (½ cup) baby spinach and half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Evenly sprinkle half (1 cup) of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Top the mozzarella cheese with the rest of the lasagna noodles. Followed by a layer of the rest of the meat sauce, (½ cup) baby spinach, ricotta cheese mixture, and (1 cup) mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with some aluminum foil and place that lasagna into the oven to bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, it should be nice and bubbly.
- Lastly, turn on the broiler to high and allow the top of the cheese to lightly brown. Watch it carefully though, you should only need about 2 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting to serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Try to remember in which direction you placed the lasagna noodles and make sure that you repeat the same direction with the second layer to get those perfect layers.
- Grate the parmesan cheese yourself or grab the freshly grated version from the deli/prepared food section of the grocery store. Skip the bagged cheese section or grated cheese from the shelf for the best result and fewer added ingredients.
- Use a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it yourself using a boxed cheese grater. Trust me, it melts so much better! One 8-ounce block of mozzarella cheese should provide you with enough shredded cheese for this recipe.
- Lightly spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray before topping the lasagna. Make sure the side that you sprayed is facing the lasagna. This extra step will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Original post date 10/09/2017. Updated 02/20/2023 & 05/09/2025.
pann9955 says
yummy perfect thank you
LaKita says
Thank you so much, happy to hear that you enjoyed it!