This Lasagna for Two recipe makes two scaled down casseroles baked in loaf pans. Have one now and freeze the other for an easy meal on a busy day.
I know what you’re thinking. What is a woman with a house full of hungry men doing with a recipe called Lasagna For Two. Let me explain.
This scaled down lasagna baked in a loaf pan should also be known as “Date Night Lasagna” because it’s the perfect thing to have on hand to feed the kids when you head out for a dinner date. Or, for a nice meal for you and your significant other when the kids are out with their friends. There’s nothing like a quiet meal at home when everyone has left the house. Either way, it’s date night.
Baking the lasagna in a loaf pan yields just the right amount to serve two with leftovers (or two very hungry teenage boys). I like to put these together on the weekend and pop them in the freezer for a future meal.
Lets make some mini lasagna!
The grocery list – Olive oil, zucchini, yellow summer squash, yellow onion, minced garlic, cremini mushrooms, fresh basil, salt and pepper, marinara sauce, ground beef, thyme, oregano, ricotta cheese, eggs, parsley, no boil lasagna sheets, shredded mozzarella cheese, and shaved or grated Parmesan cheese.
I added some diced zucchini, summer squash, cremeni mushrooms, and onions to the layers to add even more flavor and texture to the dish. You can use any veggies you prefer or leave them out altogether for a more traditional style lasagna.
Generously coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the veggies and cook and stir for a couple of minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes then add chopped basil and continue to cook and stir for another minute. Do not allow the veggies to become overcooked or mushy. Remove pan from heat.
Transfer cooked veggies to a dish and set aside.
Wipe the saute pan clean with a paper towel. Coat with a little more olive oil and cook ground beef, over medium heat. Break up meat with the back of your spoon while it cooks. Remove from heat when no pink remains and drain the grease from the pan. Return pan to heat and add thyme, oregano, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for a minute, then remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine ricotta, eggs, and parsley. Mix well.
Gather all the ingredients for layering around you and grab 2 loaf pans that measure 8″ x 4″ or slightly larger. Basic metal loaf pans work great. Be sure to use something freezer safe if freezing. Pour about 1/4 cup of your favorite prepared marinara sauce in the bottom of each pan.
Place an uncooked lasagna sheet on top of the marinara in each pan. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture on top of each lasagna sheet and smooth out with the back of the spoon.
Spoon about 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture on top of the ricotta in each pan.
Next, the veggies. Spoon a scant 1/4 cup on top of ground beef layer.
Cheese time! Sprinkle about 1/4 cup mozzarella and 1/8 cup Parmesan on each lasagna.
The last layer is a little bit of sauce, about 1/4 cup.
Begin your next layer with a new lasagna sheet. Repeat these layers two more times, ending with the fourth lasagna sheet.
Divide the remaining marinara sauce between the two pans and spread it out over the top of the fourth uncooked lasagna sheet.
Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Spray some cooking spray on two sheets of foil and cover the lasagnas with the foil, oil side down. This will ensure that the cheese will not stick to the foil when you remove it. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes till hot and bubbly.
Dinner’s ready!
Come to mama.
I hope you try this and you love it and your family loves you for it.
Have a great weekend!
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.
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.