Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (2024)

Posted by Kim Morgan | May 21, 2013 | costumes, recipes | 25 |

Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (1)

If you are a busy mom with busy kids like I am, then I know you are all about family meals that are simple to make, don’t cost a lot, and don’t take a lot of time, but still taste delicious. I have a great recipe for you and the best part is it only requires four ingredients! I learned this Poor Man’s Lasagna recipe, also known as Lasy Lasagna, from my ex-Mother-in-Law. It is inexpensive to make and delicious to eat, especially good for those who don’t like ricotta, like me.

Simple Family Dinner Recipe

LAZY LASAGNA INGREDIENTS:

  • Rotini
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • Spaghetti Sauce
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Cook 2 cups of rotini following the directions on the box.
  • While rotini is cooking, brown the ground beef.
  • Combine the cooked rotini, ground beef, and a jar of spaghetti sauce into a casserole dish.
  • Top with a layer of mozzarella.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.

I typically serve Poor Man’s Lasagna with a side salad and garlic bread and it is always a family favorite. Of course, you can easily add peppers, sausage, or other ingredients to give it a bit more kick, but I like it just how it is. Plus, it tastes pretty good the next day for lunch – and we know how easy leftovers for lunch is!

If you like pasta, you’ll want to check out these Primavera Lasagna Cups, , and Pasta with Kale Pesto.

Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (3)

Print Recipe

Poor Man's Lasagna

Simple 4 ingredient lasagna that is a crowd-pleaser!

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: lasagna

Servings: 6 people

Author: Inspiration Made Simple

Ingredients

  • Rotini
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • Spaghetti Sauce
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

  • Cook 2 cups of rotini following the directions on the box.

  • While rotini is cooking, brown the ground beef.

  • Combine the cooked rotini, ground beef and a jar of spaghetti sauce into a casserole dish.

  • Top with a layer of mozzarella.

  • Bake for 30 minutes.

Notes

Serve with garlic bread and salad for a tummy-tempting Italian meal!

What is your favorite family-friendly dinner? I’m always looking for quick ideas that everyone will enjoy!

Rate:

About The Author

Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (4)

Kim Morgan

Kim is a Marketing Specialist with Inspiration Media Solutions by day and Blogger by night. She's a wife, mom of three beautiful children and two fur-babies, a Goldendoodle and a rescued Pibble. For even more Inspiration Made Simple, like her on Facebook and Instagram+.

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25 Comments

  1. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (9)

    Kenzie Smith on May 22, 2013 at 12:05 am

    Love this simple recipe! Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  2. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (10)

    Kelly on November 8, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    Very good! I put mushrooms and some minced garlic cloves in mine. Only took about 40 mins between prepping/baking it! Definitely an easy and delicious and cheap meal to make after working all day and coming home to sick children!

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (11)

      Kim Conner on November 8, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Oooo! I like those additions. I don’t think I could get away with mushrooms, but I might have to give the garlic a try. I’m glad it helped make your evening a bit easier and hope your kids get better quick!

      Reply

  3. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (12)

    Nina Gardner on November 13, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    My family loved it and it was easy and cheap to make!! Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (13)

      Kim Conner on November 13, 2016 at 6:27 pm

      You are so welcome! I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.

      Reply

  4. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (14)

    Johnathan koch on December 19, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    I only have a can of sauce, how much do you usually use? How many ounces are in your cans? Don’t need a specific amount an estimate will do just fine if you know too!

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (15)

      Kim Conner on December 19, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      I usually use a 24 oz jar. 🙂

      Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (17)

      Kim Conner on January 12, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      It feeds our family of 5.

      Reply

  5. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (18)

    Patti on July 21, 2017 at 8:51 am

    Has anybody tried to freeze this? At what point would I freeze it?

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (19)

      Kim Conner on July 21, 2017 at 11:10 am

      I have not, but I would personally freeze it after the rotini has been cooked and combined with the sauce in a pan. Add the mozzarella cheese on top and then freeze. That way you can take it out of the freezer and pop it in the over and as it cooks, the cheese would melt.

      Reply

  6. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (20)

    Joyce on August 9, 2017 at 6:19 pm

    Battle royale with my mom on this …
    Is 2 cups of rotini equivalent to a 16 oz box ?
    Thanks . Argued about this for a whiiiiiiile !!!!

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (21)

      Kim Conner on August 10, 2017 at 7:27 pm

      I’m not sure who’s bubble I am going to burst but… 2 cups of rotini is equivalent to 1/2 of a 16 oz box. 😉

      Reply

  7. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (22)

    Michele on December 22, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    What size pan did you use?

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (23)

      Kim Conner on December 27, 2017 at 6:18 pm

      9×9 square glass dish

      Reply

  8. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (24)

    Vanessa on February 27, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    I’m now coming across this recipe and I want to try it out!! What size box of rotini did you use?

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (25)

      Vanessa on February 27, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      Sorry! I’m seeing it in the instructions! Lol
      Apparently I don’t know how to read! :p

      Reply

      • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (26)

        Kim Conner on February 27, 2018 at 8:11 pm

        HA! I’m glad you found it. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply

  9. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (27)

    Margie on February 28, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    I’m making this for my family today and can’t wait to see how it turns out

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (28)

      Kim Conner on March 1, 2018 at 9:38 am

      I hope you and your family enjoyed it!

      Reply

  10. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (29)

    Jerry on July 5, 2018 at 8:36 pm

    Thank you a billion times over!
    I love this recipe, but even better? I made this for a friend who is super picky about what he eats (he is worse than a toddler when it comes to what he will eat and won’t lol) and he ate it and said he loved it, and asked for the recipe, so thank you 🙂

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (30)

      Kim Conner on July 9, 2018 at 9:23 am

      That’s awesome! I’m glad you both enjoyed it.

      Reply

  11. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (31)

    Heather on June 22, 2019 at 11:36 pm

    I don’t have Rotini, can I use Penne pasta or will I need to adjust the cooking time?

    Reply

    • Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (32)

      Kim Conner on June 24, 2019 at 10:52 am

      I think penne would work perfectly. I’ve used shells before and didn’t adjust the baking time and it turned out fine. 😉

      Reply

  12. Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (33)

    Linda on April 14, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    Does anyone know the real Sicilian name for this dish?

    Reply

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Poor Man's Lasagna Recipe - Inspiration Made Simple (2024)

FAQs

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

A well-made lasagna can be a delicious and satisfying meal, just as long as it's cooked correctly.
  1. Not cooking the noodles correctly. ...
  2. Not having all the ingredients ready. ...
  3. Not browning the meat. ...
  4. Using the wrong cheese. ...
  5. Skipping the dairy sauce. ...
  6. Skimping on the amount of marinara. ...
  7. Improperly layering the noodles.
Feb 21, 2023

Is there a wrong way to make lasagna? ›

Don't use no-boil lasagna noodles. They require the sauce to have extra water in it to rehydrate the noodles. Between how many noodles and how much to dilute the sauce, it is a guessing game how it will turn out. Cook the noodles very al dente before assembling the lasagna, so you can use thick sauce.

How to stop lasagna from falling apart? ›

  1. Only par-boil the noodles so they can absorb some of the excess water while baking.
  2. Use less sauce.
  3. Thicken the sauce by reducing it first or adding tomato paste.
  4. Let the lasagna rest for at least 30 min. ...
  5. If you add spinach, mushrooms or eggplant, pre-cook and press these to reduce the water content.
Feb 6, 2013

What can I add to my lasagna to make it taste better? ›

Dried herbs + spices: Crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, bay leaf, sea salt and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper. Fresh basil: When it comes to fresh basil, I vote the more the merrier with this lasagna recipe. We will chop and stir a good amount of basil into the cheese mixture.

Why do you put milk in lasagna? ›

Milk. It tenderises the meat, to leave you with the most tender ragù.

How many layers should a lasagna have? ›

Top the last layer of your lasagna with sauce and cheese. You can also alternate layers of sauce and ricotta cheese. Most lasagna recipes have two to three layers.

What happens if you don't let lasagna rest? ›

When the lasagna is ready it is difficult to resist the temptation to immediately eat it, but be careful because even in this case you have to be a little patient. Wait for your lasagna to rest for about 20 minutes once it is baked, in this way it will not fall apart when cut.

Should lasagna be baked in glass or metal pan? ›

Acidic ingredients like tomatoes and citrus can react with aluminum (the most common metal used in bakeware), creating a metallic taste in your food. This is why lasagna and other casseroles with acidic ingredients are often baked in glass.

Should you Prebake lasagna? ›

You can make it ahead.

Wrap it up in foil once you assemble it, no need to bake it beforehand. Then stash it away for dinner emergencies.

What is the lasagna noodle trick? ›

Simply load up your baking dish with your lasagna noodles and shower them with hot water from your faucet, and you're done! Then, set the noodles aside as they soak while you prepare the other ingredients until you're ready to layer your lasagna.

How long should you let lasagna rest before cutting? ›

Before cutting lasagna, it's recommended to let it sit for 20 to 40 minutes, so it cools a bit and becomes firm enough to hold its shape without losing any filling.

Is it better to make lasagne the day before? ›

If you make your lasagna the day before, it will probably taste better! Letting the dish set for a day let's the flavors meld. Just make sure that when you do make it, you don't overcook it is — that will make the pasta soggy; remember, you will need to reheat it when you are ready to serve.

Why does my lasagna come out watery? ›

The sauce could be too watery. The noodles can be holding on to water. The vegetables are releasing excess moisture. If you are using ricotta be careful of the moisture it can add.

Should you bake lasagna covered or uncovered? ›

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until cheese is golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

What makes lasagna unhealthy? ›

What Makes Lasagna Unhealthy? Various ingredients make the lasagna unhealthy, such as the following: Cheese, Pasta, and Rich Sauces. Calories and Carbs.

Why should you not cover lasagna in a metal pan with foil? ›

So when you see holes in the foil covering a pan of tomato sauce, you are looking at areas where the pan has stolen electrons from the foil, converting the aluminum atoms into a substance that can dissolve in the sauce. The tomato sauce is serving as the getaway car in an electron heist masterminded by the steel pan.

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