Encharted Cook

  • Recipes
  • Cooking Charts
  • The Dish
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Charts
  • The Dish
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cooking Charts
    • The Dish
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Ragù Lasagna without Ricotta

    Updated: Jan 13, 2025 · Published: Jun 2, 2023 · by Jan Nunes

    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve with text overlays.
    A serving of cheesy lasagna s lifted from the baking dish with a flat spatula with text overlays.
    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve with text overlays.
    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve with text overlays.
    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve with text overlays.

    Ragù Lasagna without Ricotta has layer upon layer of comforting lasagna noodles, a flavorful meat sauce, and loads of gooey cheese.

    With this 5 ingredient recipe, you can skip the ricotta or cottage cheese to save time and money.

    It’s simple to make because the noodles don’t need to be boiled and the meaty ragu is quickly made with your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce.

    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve.
    Jump to Recipe

    Want to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    This no ricotta lasagna doesn't need ricotta cheese or cottage cheese but still is hearty, cheesy, and crave-worthy.

    Jump to:
    • What Is Ragù Sauce?
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make Lasagna Without Ricotta or Cottage Cheese
    • My Top Tips
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • Make-Ahead & Storage
    • More Delicious Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    What Is Ragù Sauce?

    A ragù sauce is an Italian pasta sauce that contains meat. These meat sauces are frequently simmered low and slow and are best served over hearty pasta or layered and baked with pasta and cheese.

    Ragù is also a brand name for jarred pasta sauces that range from "meat flavored" to containing meat and possibly mushrooms, garden vegetables, extra onion, and extra garlic. The brand originated from an Italian family recipe and has grown to be a well-recognized American pasta sauce.

    Why This Recipe Works

    This is a streamlined, more economical version of traditional lasagna that does not include ricotta cheese. There is no need to boil the lasagna noodles before assembling the casserole and the sauce is a simple ragu sauce, meaning "meat sauce".

    As the noodles cook layered with the sauce, the moisture in the sauce rehydrates the noodles, while the starch from the noodles thickens the sauce. Plus a single layer of cheese that is repeated in the layers holds everything together.

    A serving is lifted from a baked dish of cheesy lasagna.

    This is my husband's favorite recipe from childhood and his mom made it with the Ragù brand of jarred sauce and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. But is a very versatile recipe and you can use any tomato-based spaghetti sauce and any good melting cheese you like.

    So, let's cook!

    Ingredient Notes

    The ingredients, from top: chopped yellow onion, ground beef, shredded cheese, marinara sauce, and uncooked lasagna noodles.

    Here's what you need to make this Ragù Lasagna without Ricotta:

    • Non-Stick Cooking Spray - I generally use the butter-flavored spray but the olive oil works great too.
    • Ground Beef - My favorite ground beef is 85%. It has just enough fat to give good flavor to the meat as it browns.
    • Finely Chopped Onions - You can use your favorite type of fresh onions. I prefer yellow varieties.
    • Marinara Sauce - Marinara sauce is a tomato sauce containing tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs. This can be homemade or store-bought, and yes you can buy the Ragù brand of sauce. It is generally an inexpensive brand and you can choose any of their varieties for this recipe.
    • Lasagna Noodles, Uncooked - You can use any brand of wavy, wide lasagna noodles. I like Barilla pasta because they cook easily and typically can be slightly overcooked and still be firm.
    • Shredded Cheese - This can be any cheese that melts well like cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Colby. Blends like Colby Jack and Mexican 5 Cheese work very well. We prefer a cheddar blend.
    • Chopped Fresh Herbs, Parsley, or Basil (Completely Optional) - I like to add a little sprinkling of green over the lasagna when entertaining guests.

    Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

    How to Make Lasagna Without Ricotta or Cottage Cheese

    Process Photo 1 - A large baking dish is sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

    Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and grease a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking spray.

    Process Photo 2a - Chopped onions are cooked with the browning of the ground beef on a large skillet.
    Process Photo 2b - Marinara sauce has been added to the browned ground beef and cooked onions.

    Make Meaty Marinara. In a large, deep skillet brown the ground beef with the onions. Pour off any excess fat and mix in the marinara sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

    Process Photo 3 - Collage of how to layer lasagna - noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat.

    Layer. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then layer the casserole as follows:

    • Lasagna Noodles
    • Sauce
    • Cheese
    • Repeat Layers Ending with Cheese on Top
    Layered lasagna with lots of melted cheese freshly removed from the oven.

    Bake. Bake the lasagna casserole for 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.

    If you prefer a less dense lasagna, add ¾ cup of water to the casserole around the edge of the lasagna. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake. The pasta will absorb the extra liquid and make a more tender noodle.

    Once the lasagna is done, it's important to let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and prevents the cheese from sliding off the noodles.

    If I have them on hand, I like to garnish this cheesy lasagna with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs.

    To serve, simply slice into squares and plate it with your choice of sides, such as a fresh green salad, garlic bread, or garlic knots.

    My Top Tips

    ♡ It is much easier to cut the lasagna if you let it rest for 10 minutes after baking it.

    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Substitute Mushrooms. Instead of ground beef sauté mushrooms with the onions.
    • Make it Vegetarian. Omit the ground beef and use a sauce that doesn't contain meat.
    • Make Homemade Sauce. My Italian Meat Sauce is hearty and flavorful.

    Make-Ahead & Storage

    You can assemble this ragù lasagna in advance and store it covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to a day before baking it. It will take longer to bake when it has been refrigerated.

    Leftovers can be stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. A small amount of water helps with reheating lasagna in either an oven, microwave or a covered skillet.

    Layered lasagna with lots of melted cheese freshly removed from the oven.

    More Delicious Recipes

    • Spaghetti with marinara sauce topped with cheese in a white baking dish.
      Baked Spaghetti
    • Close-up of golden bread knots with bits of parmesan cheese and green chives on a neutral plate.
      Garlic Parmesan Bread Knots
    • Strawberries and cream are in dessert glasses garnished with mint and a halved strawberry.
      Strawberry Fool
    • Wedges of bright red tomatoes are mixed with cucumber and pickled red onions in a large green glass bowl.
      Tomato Cucumber Salad with White Balsamic Dressing
    • Cooked spaghetti with green peas, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and grated parmesan cheese on a pale pink dinner plate.
      Spaghetti Aglio with Green Peas
    • Cheesy Chicken Tenders Parmesan are smothered in marinara sauce and cheese in a glass baking dish.
      Chicken Tenders Parmesan

    ♡ Did you love this recipe for Ragu Lasagna without Ricotta? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how things went in the ✍ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    Lasagna with lots of melted cheese is cut into square servings and ready to serve.

    Ragu Lasagna without Ricotta

    5 from 3 votes
    By: Jan Nunes
    Ragù Lasagna without Ricotta has layer upon layer of comforting lasagna noodles, a flavorful meat sauce, and loads of gooey cheese.
    Print Share Pin Email
    Prep Time ~ 20 minutes minutes
    Baking Time ~ 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time ~ 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings ~ 12 Servings
    Calories ~ 378kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Want to save this recipe?

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Ingredients
     

    • Non-Stick Cooking Spray
    • 1 Pound Ground Beef
    • 1 ½ Cups Finely Chopped Onions
    • 4 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce, Homemade or From a Jar (2-24 ounce Jars)
    • 16 Ounces Lasagna Noodles, Uncooked
    • 4 Cups Shredded Cheese
    • 1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Herbs, Parsley or Basil

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and grease a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking spray.
      Non-Stick Cooking Spray
    • Make Meaty Marinara. In a large, deep skillet brown the ground beef with the onions. Pour off any excess fat and mix in the marinara sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
      1 Pound Ground Beef, 1 ½ Cups Finely Chopped Onions, 4 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce
    • Layer. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then layer the casserole as follows:
      Lasagna Noodles
      Sauce
      Cheese
      Repeat Ending with Cheese on Top
      16 Ounces Lasagna Noodles, 4 Cups Shredded Cheese
    • Bake. Bake the lasagna casserole for 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
      If you prefer a less dense lasagna, add ¾ cup of water to the casserole around the edge of the lasagna. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake. The pasta will absorb the extra liquid and make a more tender noodle.
      Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs, cut, and serve!
      1 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Herbs

    Notes

    Original Recipe Courtesy of Patsy Baskerville.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 698mg | Potassium: 517mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 651IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 2mg

    Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.

    Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.

    © 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian

    centered image

    More Main Dish Recipes

    • Béchamel Sauce in a white gravy boat garnished with a sprinkling of ground nutmeg.
      Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce)
    • Split pea soup with bacon is in a white bowl and garnished with sour cream, croutons, and fresh thyme.
      Split Pea Soup with Bacon
    • A bowl of Pumpkin Soup with Brandy garnished with croutons, black pepper, and chopped chives.
      Pumpkin Soup with Brandy
    • A slice of Spinach and Bacon Crustless Quiche fresh from the oven on a white plate.
      Spinach and Bacon Crustless Quiche

    Comments

    No Comments

    5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    ♥ — add a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

    more about Jan

    ♥ Spring Favs

    • A pink and fruity sangria in a glass with ice, garnished with sliced orange and a halved strawberry.
      Rosé Sangria

    • Square image of a plate of shrimp garnished with green onions, celery leaves, and a lemon half.
      Italian Marinated Shrimp

    • Chicken Salad with Wild Rice in a large white serving bowl.
      Chicken Salad with Wild Rice

    • Mini trifles are garnished with lemon slices, blackberries, and sugar flowers and placed on a serving tray.
      Elderflower and Lemon Mini Trifles

    ♥ Deliciously Dreamy Cake

    • A tube cake in white frosting decorated with sliced strawberries on its top.
      Strawberry Almond Chiffon Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    More About Encharted Cook

    Privacy Policy
    Copyright Notice | Disclosure Policy
    Contact Me

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • RSS Feed

    ©2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All Rights Reserved.

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • Flipboard

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.