Lazy Meatball Lasagna

Name: Lazy Meatball Lasagna
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients: 24 ounces marinara sauce; 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese; 25 ounces frozen cooked meatballs; 6 to 8 uncooked regular lasagna noodles; 1.5 cups water; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

This cozy, cheesy dinner gives you all the comfort of lasagna without the hassle of boiling noodles or careful layering.

By Recipes By Nani· 🌍 Italian American· August 19, 2026

recipesbynani.com

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

50 minutes

Total

1 hour 10 minutes

Serves

We all love a good lasagna, but sometimes the work just feels like too much after a long day. This lazy meatball lasagna is my favorite shortcut for those busy weeknights because you just assemble everything in one baking dish and let the oven do the heavy lifting.

Since you are using frozen meatballs and broken up noodles, you get that classic hearty flavor with very little effort. It is a total crowd pleaser that keeps my family happy every time I put it on the table.

🧺 Ingredients

24 ounces marinara sauce
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
25 ounces frozen cooked meatballs
6 to 8 uncooked regular lasagna noodles
1.5 cups water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
2.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

👩‍🍳Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2
Pour the marinara sauce into your baking dish. Add the water to the empty sauce jar, shake it to get the last bits of sauce, and pour that into the dish as well.
3
Add half of the ricotta, the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the mozzarella to the sauce. Mash the ricotta with a spoon and stir everything together.
4
Break your uncooked lasagna noodles into smaller pieces and stir them into the sauce mixture. Place the frozen meatballs on top of the noodles.
5
Dollop the remaining ricotta over the meatballs and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top.
6
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
7
Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes to let the cheese get golden and bubbly.
8
Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you scoop and serve.

💡 Tips

Make sure you push the noodle pieces down into the sauce so they cook through evenly. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days, and serve this alongside a fresh Caesar salad and warm garlic bread for the perfect meal.

#Dinner #Comfort Food #Easy Recipe #Pasta

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went.