This is my new favorite way to make lasagna, Sheet Pan Lasagna is effortless, adaptable for meat or vegetarian varieties and is sure to please everyone in the house! I found the recipe on Giada De Laurentis‘ site and tweaked it a bit to my family’s liking and I think you’ll agree, this is a keeper.
This recipe is sponsored by Cache Valley Creamery Cheese, part of the Dairy Farmers of America. All comments and recommendations are my own.
What is Sheet Pan Lasagna?
Sheet Pan Lasagna is a departure from the method of layering traditional lasagna, but the flavors plus everything you love about lasagna is still front and center. Rather than laboriously placing layers of noodles, sauce, cheese, and spinach in a pan, Sheet Pan Lasagna combines most of the ingredients in one pan that is then poured onto a sheet pan. After the mixture is layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, everything is simply baked to perfection, and the meal is ready to go in about an hour.
Ingredients in Sheet Pan Lasagna-
Ingredients in Sheet Pan Lasagna are pretty traditional and I’ll list them here in groups of how they get mixed or cooked together:
Garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and baby spinach
Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese- I highly recommend using Cache Valley Creamery cheese in this recipe as the flavor is pure freshness and texture of this cheese is incomparable
Italian sausage- Mild, hot, or a combination. The meat can be left out completely for a wonderful cheesy vegetarian lasagna
Lasagna noodles broken into pieces, or mafalda, farfelle, or any flat pieced pasta
As you can see, Sheet Pan Lasagna is not as tall as traditional lasagna so the recipe will feed six people as opposed to the usual 12 or more servings in lasagna layered the “regular” way. Let’s get into how to put this delicious lasagna together.
Garlic and red pepper flakes get sauteed with a small amount of olive oil. Baby spinach is added to the mix.
The spinach will begin to wilt pretty quickly. Remove this to a strainer over a bowl or the sink.
With a spoon, press out as much liquid as possible. Chop the spinach either using kitchen shears or chop with a chef’s knife until the spinach is chopped small.
Mix the spinach mixture with ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
In the same pan, cook the sausage and a red onion until the sausage is lightly browned and the onion is soft. During this step, you’ll also have a post of water boiling and then cook the noodles until still firm, about five minutes, is all.
Add a jar of good pasta sauce and stir. Have about 1/2 cup of the pasta water reserved to add with the noodles.
Mix in the noodles and pasta water and stir to fully coat the noodles.
Pour this mixture into a greased baking sheet, spreading to the edges.
Then dollop the ricotta spinach mixture over the top. Add a lot so there’s ricotta in every bite. You might not use all this mixture.
Then sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of Cache Valley Creamery Mozzarella cheese and more Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Watch it during the last ten minutes so the cheese doesn’t get too browned or it’ll be hard to cut and will be chewy.
Serve with crusty bread, additional Parmesan on the side and sprinkle with fresh basil if you desire.
Cache Valley Creamery is the best cheese available to the home cook. They offer cheese that’s so good, it inspires the everyday chef in you. Made with quality ingredients like real milk, Cache Valley Creamery is 100% owned by American Dairy Farmers.
Can you make Sheet Pan Lasagna ahead of time?
Sheet Pan Lasagna can be fully assembled with all ingredients except the final layer of mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then remove from fridge, top with the cheeses and bake as directed. Since the base layer of the lasagna will be chilled, it may take an extra few minutes to complete.
Leftover Sheet Pan Lasagna can be cut, wrapped in plastic, stored in freezer bags and frozen for up to a month.
Give this recipe a try and see if you’re family and guests don’t request it over and over. And I promise you won’t mind because it’s so easy.
Sheet Pan Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 5-ounce pkg baby spinach
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, or more to your liking
- 1 ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 pound italian sausage more or less to your liking
- 1 medium onion diced
- 24 ounces jarred pasta sauce
- 1 tbsp pesto sauce optional
- 10 ounces lasagna noodles broken into 2" pieces, or mafalda or farfelle
- 2 tbsp fresh basil torn into small pieces
- extra mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Drizzle olive oil and rub to cover a 12" x 17" baking sheet. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking and stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the spinach, cooking until it's almost completely wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach, garlic, pepper flake mixture to a strainer and with the back of a spoon, press out as much of the liquid as you can. Transfer the spinach mixture to a medium bowl and snip with kitchen shears until cut to desired pieces. Add the ricotta cheese and ½ cup of the grated Parmesan. Mix until combined and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large sauce pan or stockpot with 2-quarts water and bring to boil. (You'll work on the meat/sauce ingredients at the same time as the noodles.) Add broken lasagna noodles, or whatever pasta you're using for this recipe. Boil the noodles for approximately 5 minutes and then retain ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain the noodles.
- While the water for the noodles is getting ready and as the noodles boil, finish up the sauce. Wipe out the skillet, heat to medium and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the Italian sausage, cooking and breaking up into small pieces until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the diced red onion and cook with the sausage until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and pesto, if you're using it, stirring to combine. Stir in the ½ cup pasta water from the semi-cooked noodles.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce/meat mixture and stir to coat the noodles. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and stir until just melted. Pour this mixture onto the baking sheet, spreading to the edges.
- Place bite-sized dollops of the ricotta-spinach mixture over the sauce mixture. Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cup mozzarella cheese over the top and then the remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Watch it after 20 minutes so the cheese doesn't get too brown. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut individual servings and dish up with extra cheeses and torn basil.
Equipment
Notes
- To make this recipe vegetarian, leave out the meat and use a chunky pasta sauce or add any favorite chopped vegetables (carrots, broccoli, zucchini) or a 15-ounce can of Italian diced tomatoes.
- Broken lasagna noodles work in this recipe but I prefer the ease of a "mini lasagna" noodle like gigli, reginetti or even farfalle. Mafalda and taccole are wonderful but not easy to come by. Google "mini lasagna noodles" and you should be able to find fun options in your area. Depending on where you live, farfalle may be easiest to find in your local grocer.
Recipe from Giada De Laurentis.
We have family coming this weekend and I would love to make something easy and delicious like this. I’m wondering if this could be made the day before? Thanks 🙂
Definitely can be assembled the day before and then I’d bake it just before serving. Hope you love it!
I was surprised at how much I liked this more than the original lasagna. Next time I’ll try adding Zucchini. Thank you for posting a great recipe.
delicious! Loved it!
This was incurable and so easy! Thank you for sharing Sally, we loved it 🙂
This was amazing! We made it for the family that stayed for Christmas and it was a huge hit! I don’t know that I will go back to the old fashion was of making lasagna.
I love how this is all on one pan! so much easier than the original, cant wait to try this!
Thanks Sophie! Let me know what you think. We have it so much because it’s so easy. Tonight again, in fact. 🙂
Any suggestions on a substitute for the sausage? Looks easy and super good!
Hi Jackie! I would just leave it out for a vegetarian option but add a can or diced tomatoes, or some sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, or any favorite vegetable.
Looks amazing! Cant wait to make it!