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.
This looks srummy. The additional layer of veggies turns this into a very classy lasagna. You have added an additional tip that I never would have thought of – to spray the tin foil before covering the dish so that the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil – duh! That solves that problem – thank you!
I must get me some cute bakeware! I’ll probably end up making these in my metal loaf pans because you said it would be ok. However, I’m sure it will taste better out of pretty bakeware (was it Erik that said PB&J sandwiches taste better when cut in triangles?) ;o)
Yum!!
This looks incredible! I love that you have added so many vegetables. The portion is also perfect. Love it!!
This is actually perfect size especially we’re trying to lose weight. Honestly I don’t know what to do with huge American size lasagna recipe – if we have to make it just for our family. People say freeze it, but I rather want to eat fresh one and don’t want to eat the same food the next day lunch and then dinner, etc. I love this one. I actually have lasagna in my pantry but never made it myself, I know it’s about time right?
Yes, I agree. It’s not a good idea to have a lot of extra lasagna around if you are trying to lose weight! I hope you try it Nami 🙂
I love small recipes! They are so hard to find. With my daughter so small still, I usually only need to cook for my husband and I. And he seems to be allergic to leftovers so I like to make small batches for dinner. Lovely 🙂
Since it’s just my husband and I, we adore recipes for two! This is so creative, Valerie. I’d love to try these two-person lasagnas for myself. Thanks for sharing and inspiring me with a new idea. Have a great week!
Those are some seriously lucky kids! Mine get grill cheese on date night!!
There is plenty of grilled cheese happening around here too Jen!
This is perfect! Now, I wish I had those pans, but what a great idea 🙂 Looks to die for, too!
Wonderful idea to have individual lasagna servings!
I love this recipe. And the smaller versions. I love doing up extra and freezing it. It just freezes so well. Your white dish is killing me, I must have one. Also a confession, I love the cheap Kraft parmesan in mine. I know this means I should be kicked out of the foodie world immediately. But I just love parmesan and am so used to the cheap form I can’t seem to switch over. Lol!
Kim, I got the white dish at Sur La Table. I really need someone to stop me from going there. They have a great clearance rack and it calls my name on a regular basis. There is no shame in liking the old school Kraft Parm. I grew up on that stuff!
What a great idea! One of the reasons that I usually don’t make lasagna is that you have to make so much! Love the idea and using the bread pans and just smaller stacks! Your veggie filling if perfect! I hope I DO try this!
I’m glad you like it MJ! I like the idea of making decadent things in smaller portions too.