This very easy lasagna recipe was so yummy that I didn’t even get a picture of the finished dish before we ate it!
But let’s get started at the very beginning.
How we ended up making this lasagna recipe
This recipe for Beef, Arugula, and Spinach Lasagna was suggested to me as part of a sponsored program through the Texas Beef Council. My family is beef-lovin’ so I was glad to give it a try…because we love lasagna recipes!
I found that it was so easy that we added it to the regular weeknight dinner plan – one reason is because it uses the lasagna noodles that don’t require pre-cooking.
One of the mysteries of lasagna is proper layering. Which layer goes where?
I have made a handy, dandy visual aid to help explain the secrets of…
How to Layer Lasagna
The pictures below are in order of how they will appear in the baking dish. I started by placing layer 1 in the bottom of the dish and then working up to the top.
This iis the secret of a perfectly-layered lasagna!
This article contains affiliate links.
Easy Lasagna Ingredients:
Lasagna Sauce Layer
- 1 – 1/2 lbs 95% lean ground beef
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 3/4 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 4 cups of prepared pasta or spaghetti sauce {I used 2 cups of Classico’s Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic and 2 cups of Classico’s Spicy Tomato & Basil}
Pasta Noodle Layer
- 1 pkg uncooked, oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
Ricotta Cheese Layer
- 15 oz Fat free Ricotta Cheese
- 2 egg whites
- 2 T fresh basil (chopped)
- 2 T fresh oregano (chopped)
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
Spinach Layer
- 2 c loosely packed fresh baby spinach
- 2 c loosely packed fresh baby arugula
Mozzarella Cheese Layer
- 1 1/2 c reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Easy Lasagna Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Sauce Layer – Brown beef with garlic over medium heat for 8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Break into crumbles and pour off drippings. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta sauce and set aside.
Step 2
Ricotta Cheese Layer – Combine ricotta cheese, egg whites, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step 3
Spinach Layer – Combine spinach and arugula and set aside. (My store didn’t have arugula, so I used 4 cups of spinach and it tasted great.)
Step 4
Assemble the lasagna layers:
- Start with spreading 1 cup meat sauce over the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish. (Mine was 8 x 11.5 inches which were PERFECT for using three Skinner Oven Ready Lasagna noodles on each pasta layer.)
- Add the pasta noodles, ricotta cheese layer, spinach layer, and then sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layers again.
- Top with 3 more noodles and another layer of meat sauce.
- Cover with tin foil
Step 5
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes {or until noodles are tender} covered with foil.
Step 6
Remove foil. Add one more layer of Mozarella cheese. Bake for 5 additional minutes uncovered.
Step 7
Remove from oven and re-cover loosely for 10 minutes.
How my tasty, easy lasagna turned out
That picture is the last picture I was able to take because once the lasagna hit the table, it was gone. And there was a bunch of it. Every member of my family plus my in-laws gobbled it up without complaint.
I am really excited to be working again with the Texas Beef Council {some of my very favorite folks} exploring a series of nutrient-rich family-friendly meals!
Easy Lasagna Recipe
This super easy lasagna recipe is always for the win! My family loves it, and I'm sure your will too! I also share the best practice on how to layer your lasagna, so get ready and make this for your fam on a weekend!
Ingredients
- 1 pkg uncooked, oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
- 1 1/2 c reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Lasagna Sauce Layer
- 1 – 1/2 lbs 95% lean ground beef
- 4 minced garlic cloves
- 3/4 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
- 4 cups of prepared pasta or spaghetti sauce
Ricotta Cheese Layer
- 15 oz Fat free Ricotta Cheese
- 2 egg whites
- 2 T fresh basil (chopped)
- 2 T fresh oregano (chopped)
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t pepper
Spinach Layer
- 2 c loosely packed fresh baby spinach
- 2 c loosely packed fresh baby arugula
Instructions
- Cook the sauce layer. Saute beef and garlic over medium heat until the meat is thoroughly cooked. Remove excess oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in pasta sauce and set aside.
- Make the ricotta cheese layer by combining ricotta cheese, egg whites, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- For the spinach layer, combine spinach and arugula and set aside. (You may skip arugula if it's not available in your place, just double the amount of spinach.)
- Assemble the lasagna layers:
-Start with spreading 1 cup meat sauce over the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish.
-Add the pasta noodles, ricotta cheese layer, spinach layer, and then sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese.
-Repeat the layers again.
-Top with 3 more noodles and another layer of meat sauce.
-Cover with tin foil - Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes {or until noodles are tender} covered with foil.
- Remove foil. Add one more layer of Mozarella cheese. Bake for 5 additional minutes uncovered.
- Remove from oven and re-cover loosely for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy with the whole family!
More easy dinner recipe ideas for you
- These easy dinner ideas give you one less thing to worry about.
- Prepare for the week by making 5 dinners in 1 hour!
Have you made this super easy lasagna recipe for your family?
Can I receive a simple printable version of this recipe? It’s a lot to scroll through as you are making it.
Hi! I’m sorry but we do not have a printable of this recipe. You might be able to print the post, though!
How many does this serve?!
Thanks for your recipe. I made 4 of these one for dinner and 3 for my church who hosted a group called Gathering Inn. 70 people that don’t have a place to sleep. They loved it.
Thanks for your recipe. I made 4 of these one for dinner and 3 for my church who hosted a group called Gathering Inn. 70 people that don’t have a place to sleep. They loved it.
For a grain-free alternative, I use zucchini instead of pasta. Use your vegetable peeler to make long flat “zoodles”. No need to pre-cook them, the baking takes care of that. The zoodles take on the flavour of the lasagna. Yum!!
Those pictures made me hungry. I am really craving some lasagna right now. Thanks for the recipe. By the way have you ever used goat cheese? Don’t laugh, it actually tastes really really good.
That sounds delicious! I must try it! When I make lasagna I use egg roll wrappers as the pasta layer. No need to wet or pre-cook. Just layer them straight out of the package. It makes yummy lasagna. The pasta just melts in your mouth. It is super thin, and lets the filling layers shine. 🙂