Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna: A couple of shortcuts make this classic pasta dish a breeze to prepare!

This Homemade Lasagna is perfect for family meals, especially when the cook doesn’t have to break a sweat to make it.

Slice of Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna on a white plate.

Why You Must Make

  • Did you know you don’t have to cook your lasagna noodles before baking? And how about your sauce? Have you tried an uncooked version? This recipe adapted from Red Gold, a purveyor of prime tomatoes, had a couple of nifty shortcuts that made creating this layered pasta a wee bit simpler. I took their Easy Classic Lasagna and with a couple of tweaks transformed it into this Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna.
  • It’s easily adaptable. Don’t like mushrooms? Leave them out. Not a fan of Italian sausage? Use ground beef instead.
  • Lasagna is hearty, delicious comfort food. Try this easy homemade lasagna when you’re in the mood for some Italian fare.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Pantry Staples – Olive Oil, Water, Salt
  • Medium Onion – I use a white onion; peel and chop.
  • Sliced Mushrooms – I use button mushrooms. Trim off the very end of the stems, then slice if you purchased whole mushrooms.
  • Mild Italian Sausage Links Sliced or Ground – Note that it’s easier to slice sausage links when frozen. Brown before adding to the lasagna to add umami (savory sense of taste). May use ground beef as an alternative.
  • Canned Crushed Tomatoes – Use the puree in the can, too.
  • Canned Diced Tomatoes With Basil, Garlic & Oregano (use 2 cans). If unavailable, use plain diced tomatoes and add some dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder to taste.
  • Box of Lasagna Noodles – Traditional, uncooked, 16-ounces.
  • Low-fat Ricotta Cheese -Full-fat works, too.
  • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – Full-fat tastes best.
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese – Make sure it’s real Parmesano Reggiano, not the green can.

Pan of Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

Recipe Tips

I’ve made tons of lasagnas..or “rizzoni” as my daughter, Katie, dubbed it as a toddler. But I hate how many messy dishes there are to wash when it’s all said and done.

  • I started soaking my lasagna noodles in hot water instead of boiling them when I learned of that shortcut, and when no-boil pasta came out, I tried that as well.
  • PRO-Tip: But the easiest time-saving trick is to make a more watery sauce and just use the pasta straight out of the box. As the lasagna cooks, the noodles absorb the excess water and are cooked to perfection.
  • And doubly nice is that this pasta sauce is uncooked; there are fewer pots and pans to wash after the prep is finished.
  • PRO-Tip: Brown your meat, whether you use ground beef or sausage. This increases the flavor due to the Maillard reaction.
  • Let your lasagna rest for 20-30 minutes after it comes out of the oven before slicing. This allows the layers to firm up a bit.
  • PRO-Tip: If you like a spinach lasagna, you can add some defrosted, frozen chopped spinach that has been squeezed dry, to the ricotta cheese.
  • My mom made lasagna using cottage cheese since ricotta was hard to come by in small towns back in the 1970s. It’s a viable alternative if you can’t procure ricotta, either.
  • Red Gold also has recipes for Chicken Parmesan Lasagna, Fresh Harvest Lasagna, and Eggplant Florentine Lasagna on their website. They’re all a twist on the same Classic Lasagna from which this recipe was based.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Lasagna Be Prepped Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can assemble your lasagna up to 2 days before you plan to cook it. Just cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. You can bring it out of the fridge an hour before you bake it or else you’ll need to extend the baking time.

Can You Freeze Lasagna?

Yes, you can freeze lasagna before or after baking it. It will keep up to 3 months if it’s wrapped airtight with plastic wrap, then foil. Make sure to remove the plastic wrap before cooking.

How Do You Reheat Lasagna?

Slices of lasagna can be gently reheated in the microwave. You can also reheat it in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes.

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Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield 12 servings

Simplify your lasagna prep with this Easy Sausage and Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage links, sliced
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 (28 ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes In Thick Puree
  • 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Diced Tomatoes With Basil, Garlic & Oregano
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage, or lean ground beef, cooked and drained
  • 1 (16 ounce) box lasagna noodles, traditional, uncooked
  • 1 (15 ounce) carton low fat ricotta cheese
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and mushrooms and cook till soft and slightly browned.
  3. Add to a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add more olive oil to the skillet if needed and cook the sausage till browned on both sides.
  5. Add the sausage to the onions and mushrooms.
  6. Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, salt, and water to the mixing bowl, and stir to combine ingredients.
  7. Cover the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch greased baking pan with 1½ cups of the sauce mixture.
  8. Arrange ⅓ of the noodles on top of the sauce, slightly overlapped. Top with ½ of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of sauce.
  9. Repeat layers and top with the last ⅓ of noodles and the remaining sauce.
  10. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  11. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 to 1½ hours; until noodles are cooked. Let stand for 10-20 minutes before serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Red Gold.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 886mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 25g

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