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Delicious Enough is a newsletter by Simply Sissom. An exclusive + absurdly simple 30 minute or less recipe delivered to your inbox every Sunday morning. |
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Weeknight Sheet Pan Lasagna
The easiest way to lasagna.
BAILEY SISSOM
February 8, 2026
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This sheet pan lasagna is a recipe I made, loved, and immediately wanted to share. It’s easier than traditional lasagna because there’s no layering, and it cooks much faster. You break up the noodles, mix everything right in the pan, and bake until bubbly with crispy edges. My Italian grandma would have had strong opinions about this method and was firmly a “Sunday dinner” kind of cook. There’s a time and place for traditional lasagna, but a Tuesday night at home calls for this version. It also works really well as a make-ahead meal.
Straight out of the oven you get crisp browned edges, giving way to a soft, saucy center, with noodles that soak up flavor and pockets of cream ricotta tucked throughout. Every scoop feels a little different, which is exactly the charm. It’s deeply familiar and comforting, but relaxed and unfussy.
This is a good place to use shortcuts you already trust. A solid jarred sauce and pre-shredded cheese keep things simple without sacrificing flavor. Don’t worry about making it look perfect in the pan; uneven is better here. Let it rest briefly before serving so it holds together just enough, then scoop generously.
– Bailey
P.S. I've started sharing reels over on Instagram. It's new for me, but I'm trying. If you're over there, come say hi @simplysissom.
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Smart Shortcuts
Shortcuts work best when the ingredients are doing real work for you. If you want to use homemade sauce here, go for it. It will be great. If you are using jarred sauce, choose one you genuinely like the taste of on its own. A high quality sauce can absolutely deliver a result that feels almost as satisfying as homemade.
The same idea applies to cheese. Pre shredded mozzarella is completely fine for this recipe and keeps things easy. If you want to shred your own, low moisture mozzarella sold in a block is the right choice and melts beautifully. Fresh mozzarella is delicious, but it is too wet to shred and will release water as it bakes, which can make the dish soupy.
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This Week in My Kitchen
This week was, once again, less productive than usual. We’ve now hit 17 snow days for the year. School tomorrow is still a maybe, and we’re firmly in make-it-work mode over here.
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Weeknight Sheet Pan Lasagna
Servings: 6
Time: About 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 36 ounces store-bought marinara sauce (about 4 cups)
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
Heat oven to 425°F and lightly grease a standard rimmed sheet pan (about 10×15 inches).
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break the lasagna noodles into large chunks, add to the boiling water, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the noodles and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese (1 cup), fresh parsley (3 tablespoons), grated Parmesan cheese (2 tablespoons), egg (1), salt (1/8 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/8 teaspoon) until smooth. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage (1 pound), breaking it up as it cooks, until cooked through. Add the marinara sauce (36 ounces) and stir to combine. Stir in the cooked noodles, reserved pasta water (1/2 cup), shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup), and grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup) until everything is evenly coated.
Transfer the noodle and sauce mixture to the prepared sheet pan and spread into an even layer.
Spoon the ricotta mixture in small dollops evenly across the pan, leaving space between each so it melts into the noodles as it bakes.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Let sit for 5–10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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- Make Ahead: This can be assembled completely, covered, and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 minutes to the cook time if needed.
- Swap the Protein: Italian sausage adds richness, but ground beef or ground turkey both work. Just season well before adding the sauce.
- Freeze Unbaked: Assemble the lasagna completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen at 375°F, covered, for 60–75 minutes until hot and bubbling, then uncover for the last 10–15 minutes to brown the cheese. Because the noodles are cooked just to al dente, they hold up well. The edges won’t be quite as crisp as baking fresh, but the texture is still very good.
- Nut-Free: Already is!
- Vegetarian: Skip the Italian sausage and add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or zucchini instead. You can also use a meatless Italian-style sausage if you like. Everything else stays the same.
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Lasagna Noodles: Standard lasagna noodles work best for this method. No-boil lasagna noodles are not recommended, as they don’t soften evenly when broken up and can stay chewy.
Reserved Pasta Water: This is important for loosening the sauce and helping everything bake evenly. If you forget to reserve it, use warm water or low-sodium broth, but pasta water is best.
Ricotta Cheese: Cottage cheese can be substituted. This is a classic lasagna swap. For the best texture, use full-fat cottage cheese and blend it briefly until smooth before mixing with the egg and Parmesan.
Fresh Parsley: Can be omitted if needed. If substituting, use a small amount of dried parsley or Italian seasoning, but fresh gives the cleanest flavor.
Parmesan Cheese: Pecorino Romano can be substituted for a slightly saltier result.
Egg: The egg helps the ricotta set slightly as it bakes. You can omit it, but the ricotta layer will be softer and more scoopable rather than set.
Italian Sausage: Mild or hot Italian sausage both work. You can substitute ground beef or ground turkey, but season well so the mixture doesn’t taste flat. A meatless Italian-style sausage also works.
Marinara Sauce: Use a marinara you already like. Store-bought or homemade both work. Avoid sauces that are very sweet or overly chunky.
Mozzarella Cheese: Pre-shredded mozzarella is fine and keeps this easy. If shredding your own, use low-moisture mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella is not recommended because it releases too much water and can make the lasagna soupy.
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