This make-ahead overnight lasagna was a game-changer in my kitchen long before Pinterest ever existed. It uses the real McCoy — regular lasagna noodles, not the pricey no-boil kind.
Just layerit all together, let it rest overnight in the refrigerator, and the noodles soften beautifully while the flavors blend. No boiling. No wrestling with hot, slippery noodles. Who wants that? Just an easy pan of bubbling lasagna ready for the oven the next day.
Recipes like this are worth their weight in gold when life gets busy. It's been a favorite at our house since the Reagan administration. You can do the messy part ahead of time, tuck the pan into the refrigerator, feel downright clever, and pat yourself on the back the next day when supper is nearly done before you even start. Go you!
A couple of other recipes come to mind if you want an Italian-style supper with a little less prep time. These are both favorites at our house!
Baked Spaghetti Pie - This recipe makes a beautiful baked spaghetti casserole with all the flavors of lasagna, but with a lot less work. It uses simple, readily available ingredients.
Easy Lasagna Soup - This soup tastes just like lasagna with none of the fuss. You can have it on the table in about an hour!
This overnight lasagna works because the noodles soften naturally while the pan rests in the refrigerator. The sauce and cheese mixture provides enough moisture for the pasta to become perfectly tender by the time it bakes the next day.
No boiling. No broken noodles. No wrestling a hot slippery stack of noodles at the stove.
Just assemble it, refrigerate it, and bake it when you're ready. Hooray!
Regular old lasagna noodles
For the meat sauce:
For the cheese layer:
Brown and season the ground beef or sausage with onion powder and garlic powder, drain any excess fat, and break it into very fine crumbles so it is evenly distributed in the sauce- you don't want big chunks.
Lightly beat the eggs, then stir them into the cottage cheese with half of the Parmesan. I always add a generous amount of parsley flakes for attractive contrast. The eggs and the Parmesan cheese are the ingredients that will make the lasagna stand up and cut into attractive servings.
Grease a 9" x 13" deep-dish pan and spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom. Layer uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, and, if needed, break off the corners so they fit. Go ahead and put the broken pieces in between where they will fit. They will hide in the sauce and cheese!
Next, add about 1/3 of the cheese mixture and a couple of ladles full of meat sauce over that. Use a rubber spatula to spread it as evenly as you can, and then about 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat this two more times: noodles, cheese mixture, sauce, shredded mozzarella. You should have 3 layers of noodles.
Finish with the remaining meat sauce mixture, a thick layer of shredded Mozzarella, and the remaining cup of Parmesan. I always sprinkle the top lavishly with more parsley- it makes things look so pretty that I call it "green magic"!
Cover the lasagna with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, crimped tightly in place. You are probably wondering why you need plastic film, and I discovered this the hard way.
The acid in the spaghetti sauce can actually create small holes in the aluminum foil, so covering the lasagna first with plastic film eliminates that possibility. Refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. You can even let it stay in the fridge for a whole day.
When you are ready to bake it, remove the foil, take off the plastic wrap, spray the foil with non-stick spray, and then crimp it tightly over the lasagna before you put it in a 350° oven for about an hour. The nonstick spray will keep the foil from sticking to the cheese and keep it looking pretty.
After the lasagna has baked for about an hour, remove the foil and return it to the oven for 15-25 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbly. Watch closely towards the end of the bake so it doesn't get too brown.
Be sure to let the lasagna rest for about 10 or 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven, so it firms up a bit and will cut into nice, neat squares
Letting lasagna rest in the refrigerator before baking does a few helpful things:
• The noodles absorb moisture from the sauce
• The layers hold together better when sliced
• The flavors have time to develop
• The casserole bakes more evenly
In other words, a little patience makes not only an easier, but a better pan of lasagna.
Overnight lasagna is rich and hearty, so simple sides are usually all you need to round out the meal. A crisp salad, a simple green vegetable, and warm bread make the perfect balance.
Around here, a pan of lasagna without warm bread is almost unthinkable — someone always wants a way to mop up that good sauce.
If you’d like something fresh from the oven, my garlic breadsticks and soft dinner rolls both start with the same easy yeast dough recipe, so you can shape the dough either way depending on what you’re in the mood for.
And if you’re short on time, my one-hour French bread is another great option — crusty on the outside and perfect for soaking up every last bit of sauce.
Garlic breadsticks- Brush the breadsticks with melted butter mixed with garlic powder before baking, and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Soft dinner rolls- Shape dough into 1½" balls and arrange in a greased pan about 1" apart.
Yeast dough recipe- This easy homemade yeast dough recipe is soft, versatile, and practically foolproof. With it, you can bake tender loaves of bread, pillowy dinner rolls, golden breadsticks, gooey cinnamon rolls, and even hearty Runzas — all from the same basic dough.
Quick French bread recipe - A perfectly yeasty, crusty loaf of French bread, table-ready in about one hour.
Yes. That’s one of the best things about this recipe. The noodles soften overnight in the refrigerator, so there’s no need to buy the more expensive no-boil kind.
Yes. The overnight rest gives the noodles time to soften and lets the flavors blend beautifully before baking. Plan on 6-8 hours in the fridge.
Yes. You can freeze it either before or after baking, if it is wrapped well.
This easy overnight lasagna is assembled ahead of time and baked the next day. Using regular lasagna noodles instead of the pricey no-boil kind, the noodles soften overnight in the refrigerator while the flavors blend beautifully.
1. Cook the meat sauce.
Brown the ground beef (or sausage) in a large skillet and season with onion powder and garlic powder. Drain excess grease and break the meat into very fine crumbles so it distributes evenly in the sauce. Stir in the water and spaghetti sauce, then simmer briefly.
2. Make the cheese mixture.
Lightly beat the eggs, then stir them into the cottage cheese along with half of the Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes.
3. Start the layers.
Grease a 9×13-inch deep baking dish. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom. Place a layer of uncooked regular lasagna noodles on top, breaking pieces as needed to fit.
4. Continue layering.
Spread about one-third of the cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by a couple of ladles of meat sauce and one-third of the shredded mozzarella. Repeat the layers two more times.
5. Finish the top.
Top with the remaining meat sauce, the remaining Parmesan cheese, and a generous layer of shredded mozzarella.
6. Cover and refrigerate.
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Bake the lasagna.
Remove the plastic wrap. Spray the underside of the foil with nonstick spray and cover the lasagna again. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 1 hour.
8. Brown the top.
Remove the foil and bake 15–25 minutes longer until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned.
9. Let it rest before cutting.
Allow the lasagna to stand for 10–15 minutes before slicing so it sets up nicely.
Please read the recipe all the way through before you begin.
As Alice used to say in her cookbook, it pays to study things first. Assemble all your ingredients. Once you understand the layering and the overnight rest, this lasagna becomes very easy, and you’ll soon be able to assemble it almost on autopilot.
The overnight rest softens the regular lasagna noodles, so there is no need to boil them first.
You can substitute sausage for the ground beef or use both. You can add 1/2 pound more of meat for a heartier lasagne.
If you want to end your overnight lasagna supper on a sweet note, here are two desserts that would finish the evening beautifully.
Pig Pickin' Cake - This light, citrusy cake with a fluffy whipped topping is perfect for anytime after a heavy, meaty meal. Born in the South, loved everywhere!
Best Lemon Cake With Crackly Glaze - A moist, dense cake with a tart, crunchy, lemony glaze. This recipe has been around since the 1960s!
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Love GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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