This Lasagna for Two recipe makes two small batch lasagnas baked in loaf pans. Bake them both or freeze one for an easy meal on a busy day.
Like my Freezer Lasagna, this loaf pan lasagna is a great make-ahead meal!
What is a woman surrounded by a bunch of hungry men doing with a recipe called Lasagna For Two? Let me explain.
This scaled down lasagna baked in a loaf pan could also be called “Date Night Lasagna” because it was the perfect thing to have on hand to feed the kiddos when we headed out for a dinner date.
It’s also great for a date night at home when the kids are out with friends. Just whip up an easy side like Lemon Parmesan Salad, a Simple Italian Salad, or Pesto Green Beans for a seriously tasty meal. A quiet house and a yummy dinner can be even better than going out!
Whether you’re empty nesters, have a full house, or are just cooking for one, this recipe is a great way to enjoy lasagna without committing to a huge casserole.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Small Batch Lasagna – Baking lasagna in a loaf pan yields just the right amount to serve two with leftovers (or two very hungry teenagers).
- Freezer Meal – I like to assemble the lasagnas on the weekend and pop them in the freezer for a future meal.
- Wholesome – Zucchini, summer squash, and mushrooms add such great flavor and a nutrition boost to this meaty lasagna. I love sneaking veggies into recipes like this.
- Fast and Easy – Making use of jarred marinara sauce and no-boil lasagna sheets cuts the prep time and these small lasagnas bake more quickly.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef – 90% lean.
- Olive oil
- Vegetables – Zucchini, yellow summer squash, cremini mushrooms, yellow onion, and minced garlic.
- Dried seasoning – Salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, oregano, and parsley. Dried seasoning is easy to stock and more potent than fresh herbs.
- Fresh basil – Along with the dried seasoning, I add some fresh basil to brighten up the flavor of the filling.
- Eggs
- Marinara sauce – A jar of your favorite pasta sauce.
- No-boil lasagna sheets – These sheets are just the right size to fit a loaf pan. One package holds more than enough to make two loaf pan lasagnas.
- Cheese – Part skim ricotta cheese, shredded part-skim or whole mozzarella cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Lasagna for Two
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Then, sauté the diced onion, zucchini, and yellow squash until barely fork tender.
- Add the mushrooms and minced garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and cook and stir for one minute. Transfer the slightly softened vegetables to a plate and set aside.
- Heat a little more oil in the empty skillet and add the ground beef. Cook, stirring to break up the meat until cooked through. Drain the grease from the pan and add the thyme, oregano, and a little salt and pepper. Cook and stir for one minute then remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, and parsley and set aside.
Assemble the Loaf Pan Lasagna
- Pour about ¼ cup of marinara sauce each to the bottom of two 8- x 4-inch loaf pans and spread it out.
- Place one no-boil lasagna sheet over the sauce in each pan.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of ricotta mixture over each lasagna sheet and spread it out with the back of your spoon. Then, layer about ½ cup of the meat mixture evenly over the ricotta in each pan. Spoon ¼ cup of the cooked vegetables over the meat in each pan.
- Sprinkle each lasagna with ¼ cup mozzarella and about 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Repeat the layers two times times, ending with the fourth and final no-boil sheet. Pour the remaining marinara sauce directly over top of the pasta sheet and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Spray the back sides of two pieces of foil with nonstick cooking spray and place them, oil side down, over the loaf pans. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F then remove the foil and bake until bubbly.
Layering Cheat Sheet
- Layers 1 through 3– Marinara, lasagna sheet, ricotta, ground beef, veggies, cheese.
- Layer 4 – Marinara, lasagna sheet, remaining marinara, and remaining cheese.
Tips for the Best Lasagna for Two
- Loaf pan – These mini lasagnas fit perfectly in an 8- x 4-inch loaf pan. You can use a 9-inch loaf pan as well and the space around the edges will fill in with sauce. Metal and disposable foil loaf pans work great and are both freezer and oven-safe.
- Veggies – You can use any veggies you prefer or leave them out altogether, if you’d like. Don’t overcook the veggies when you sauté them or they can become mushy after baking.
- Rest – Allow them to rest for about 10 minutes after removing from the oven before slicing and serving.
- Lower sodium – You can reduce the sodium in this recipe by using low-sodium jarred sauce.
Make It A Freezer Meal
Assemble and cover the uncooked lasagna tightly with foil as directed above. Then, wrap the entire loaf pan in a second large piece of foil (heavy duty foil is best!). Freeze for up to two months.
When ready to bake, allow the lasagna to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the outer layer of foil and bake as directed, adding about 10 or 15 minutes to the baking time. If baking from frozen, increase the baking time about 30 to 40 minutes.
Storing Leftovers
Cover leftovers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Like most lasagna, this one is very good when reheated after refrigerating. Heat individual servings in the microwave just until warmed though.
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Lasagna For Two
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ small zucchini, diced (about ¾ cup)
- ½ small yellow summer squash, diced (about ¾ cup)
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced cremini mushrooms, (about 5 mushrooms)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoons salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 26 ounces marinara sauce, divided
- 8 no-boil lasagna sheets, (½ of a 9-ounce package), divided
- 2 cups shredded part-skim or whole mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a 12-inch skillet and place over MEDIUM heat. Add the diced onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. Cook and stir for about 3 minutes, until barely fork tender. Add the mushrooms and minced garlic and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the basil and cook and stir for one minute. Vegetables should be slightly softened but not mushy. Transfer the vegetables to a plate and set aside.
- Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place over MEDIUM heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, breaking the meat up with your spoon, until no pink remains. Drain the grease from the pan and return it to the heat. Add the thyme and oregano, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, and parsley and set aside.
Assemble the Lasagnas
- Add about ¼ cup of marinara sauce each to the bottom of two 8- x 4-inch loaf pans and spread it out. Place one no-boil lasagna sheet over the sauce in each pan.
- Spoon about ⅓ cup of ricotta mixture over each lasagna sheet and spread it out with the back of your spoon.
- Layer about ½ cup of the meat mixture evenly over the ricotta in each pan (½ cup per pan).
- Spoon ¼ cup of the cooked vegetables over the meat in each pan (¼ cup per pan).
- Sprinkle each with ¼ cup mozzarella and about 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
- Pour ¼ cup of marinara sauce over the top of each lasagna and place another lasagna sheet on top of it all, pressing down lightly to compress it into the pan a bit.
- Repeat layers two more times, ending with the 4th and final lasagna sheet. Divide the remaining marinara sauce between the two pans, pouring it directly over top of 4th lasagna sheet. Sprinkle each lasagna evenly with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Spray 2 pieces of foil with cooking spray and place, oil side down, over the assembled lasagnas. Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Pasta Love!
This post was originally published on March 3, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.
I liked the idea of this recipe (small lasagne for 2) but it needs major tweaking. Lasagne noodles are longer than 8″. No boil ones are brittle and can’t be cut. The width of the loaf pan would fit 2 noodles…almost and again, the suggested noodle can’t be cut. The finished product was very watery. The flavours were good. I did use homemade marinara sauce.
I’m sorry this didn’t work out as expected. This recipe was tested using Barilla no-boil lasagna sheets that fit an 8-inch loaf pan without trimming, but noodle sizes can vary by brand. If your noodles don’t fit comfortably, using a slightly larger pan is the best option rather than forcing them to fit.
As for the extra liquid, homemade marinara sauces can vary widely in thickness, and a thinner sauce can result in a looser final texture. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavors and appreciate you sharing your experience.
Have you tried it without the vegetables, sounds like perfect size but the hubby won’t get it with vegetables
This would be the perfect size for my husband and myself! Do you think gluten free no boil lasagna noodles such as Jovial would hold up to being frozen? I think I’m going to try it. 🙂
Unfortunately, I have no experience with GF noodles. If you try it, please let me know how it works out for you. Thanks so much!
Love “Make one, Freeze one” recipes like this, so you have a ready-made dinner for when you don’t have time/don’t feel like cooking. However, a loaf pan full is more like Lasagna for 4! My husband and I only ate half of it initially, and I stuck the loaf pan in the fridge for another day. Guess what? It tasted MUCH BETTER for having sat for 2-3 days! The only drawback was it was a little dry, so next time I think I’ll add more Marinara sauce, as the noodles tend to absorb liquid when left for another meal. Also I think the veggies not only make this a full meal in itself, they add fabulous depth of flavor to the lasagna. Thank you, Valerie!
How about dinner for two with leftovers for lunch the next day? 🙂 Lasagna is always so good reheated that it makes a fabulous make-ahead meal. Thanks so much for your comment, Elizabeth.
I threw away all my other lasagna recipes after trying this one. It was so easy and full of flavor. Plenty for dinner and lunch, plus a bonus meal for the freezer. I’m not a fan of parmesan, so I just used more fresh whole milk monzzarella instead. I also used homemade marina sauce instead of jarred sauce. We’ll be making this one over and over. Thank you for the recipe!
This is so great to hear, Carol! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating. It’s much appreciated. 🙂
made this and gave one to my daughter and son-in-law we all liked 1t would like to have more recipes for 1or 2 people being a widow i is hard to cook for 1 person l love to cook
Just stumbled across this recipe/method. Wow, its going to be perfect for when my son comes home for his (39th! ouch) birthday this weekend. Can I make this the day before, freeze one and keep the other one in the fridge overnight? Please????? Plan on buying some new dishes as well, yours are gorgeous!
Hi, Paula and welcome! Yes, lasagna freezes beautifully. I’ve done it both before and after cooking and it works well both ways. Enjoy your visit with your son 🙂
Valerie, you were SO right! It worked very well both ways, and my son was so happy with it, he couldn’t compliment me (you, actually) enough. Thanks. This is a keeper for sure. 🙂
great recipe, thanks for posting!
I have also used just regular noodles, the kind you boil, and it turned out just fine. And they’re also cheaper. Also I make my lasagna in the crockpot and you would never know it wasn’t baked. You layer the same things you use when baking and set the timer. I love coming home to the smell of something that’s ready to eat.
Valerie – I tried this for the first time tonight, and it was fabulous! Thanks so much for the recipe. Only problem I had was the consistency. It was a little soupy. Do you think it was the suave I used? New to your blog, and would appreciate any advice!
I’m glad to hear it worked out for you. As far as the consistency, you could try a different brand of sauce or just try using a bit less next time. Thanks so much for your feedback!
I made this as my husband and I are now “empty nesters.” It was wonderful! I would love to see any other recipes you have for two. I doubled the vegetables and used the other half of them as a side dish for another night. Perfect combination and seasoning, I will be making this again and again. Thank you!
A really nice presentation! I like the added veggies and simplicity of your recipe. I’m going to make this for my wife and she’ll be thrilled. Thanks so much for posting!
It makes my day to know that you are making this for your wife 🙂 I hope you both enjoy it as much as we do. Thanks so much for stopping by!
This looks fantastic!! Thanks for posting this! 🙂 🙂
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Lee Ann H.
My blog Crochet…Gotta Love It!
thanks for the ideal for 2 there is only two of us so this will work well for us also sometimes there is only 1 as hubby is a tour bus driver so is gone alot so that would work well for us i just need more meals for 2 …thank you so much for sharing