Lasagna pie is a comforting combination of mafaldine noodles, meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese that’s baked in a skillet until golden, bubbly, and crisp. A bit of a riff on traditional Italian-American lasagna, but with less fuss and it’s way easier to make!
Our family’s favorite part of an Italian-American lasagna is the crispy curly edges of the noodles.
But when making a full lasagna, there are limited amounts of the curly edges, and that scarcity is what inspired this lasagna pie or lasagna casserole.
We used mafaldine noodles here because they closely resemble the curly edges of lasagna noodles and guarantee that with each bite, you’ll get a crisp, curly noodle!
Lasagna pie is great for weeknights because it’s easier than traditional lasagna, and pairs well with a sauteed green veggie like spinach or broccoli rabe.
How to make it
- Dice one medium onion and slice 5 cloves of garlic. Heat a large pot or deep pan to medium and add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the onions, sauteeing for 4-5 minutes or until soft.
- Add 1 pound of ground chuck and one pound of ground pork and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- While the meat cooks a lot of fat will rise in the pan. Remove some of the fat with a spoon. Note: Depending on how much fat is in the meat, this will be dictated by the brand/cuts used, you will have more or less fat than shown above. I removed about 1/3 of a cup’s worth of fat and left the remaining fat in the pan. Fat is flavor but too much fat is just that. Too much!
- Allow the meat to continue to brown and cook through. You can use a meat masher or wooden spoon to help break up the meat. Once the meat is cooked through, add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant, then add a 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and cook for 2 minutes or until the alcohol smell dissipates and the wine reduces. Add two 28-ounce cans of tomatoes (crushed, hand-crushed, or blender-pulsed are all fine) and mix well.
- Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes, then taste test and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Add roughly 5 basil leaves to the sauce. Note: you can chop the basil leaves, or keep them whole if you prefer. Keeping them whole will allow you to remove them from the sauce prior to mixing with the noodles. Don’t worry, more chopped basil will be mixed in later.
- Preheat the oven to 375 and set a rack on the middle level and one near the top. Grate 3/4 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, and shred 3 cups of block mozzarella. Chop 3 tablespoons of fresh basil and mince 3 tablespoons of flat-leaf Italian parsley. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of mafaldine until 2 minutes less than al dente. In a large bowl, beat together 3 eggs, then add 1 cup ricotta, the grated Pecorino, 1 teaspoon of coarse cracked black pepper, the basil, and parsley, and mix until combined.
- Add 4 cups of the meat sauce to the ricotta mixture and mix once more.
- Drain the pasta and add to the bowl along with 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella and mix well.
- Heat a 12-inch ovenproof, or cast iron pan, to medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, spreading it to coat the whole pan.
- Add the pasta mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring, then turn off the heat. Top with the remaining mozzarella and bake for 12 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the lasagna pie is set. For a browner top, move the pan to the top rack and broil for 2-3 additional minutes, but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Let the pie sit for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan and cutting into pie slices. Serve each slice with extra meat sauce and grated Pecorino Romano. Enjoy! Note: Since this is basically a pasta frittata you can remove the whole lasagne pie from the pan for a nice presentation and make it easier to cut.
Top tips
- Pasta shape. Mafaldine is a pasta shape that closely resembles the edges of curly lasagna which is why we used it here. It’s a wonderful shape, and traditionally served on St. Joseph’s Day with pasta con le sarde. It’s one of the more obscure shapes, so if you can’t find it, feel free to use curly lasagna noodles that have been broken.
- Ricotta. Since this is a baked pasta and we want it to be moist, the ricotta doesn’t need to be drained overnight as it does with cheesecake. Any brand will be fine and you can give it a quick drain to remove any excess moisture if desired, but it’s not necessary.
- Height. As you can see, the mafaldine noodles are piled high and hang every so slightly over the edge of the pan. Doing this allows for maximum crispiness on those curly noodles!
- Cooking time. The time in the oven will vary depending on your oven but should be around 12 minutes. If you want a browner top, it can be broiled for 2-3 minutes at the end, but be sure to watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest time. As with our white spaghetti pie, we recommend waiting at least 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving this lasagna pie or casserole.
More baked pasta recipes
Here are a few more of our favorite comforting and cozy baked pasta recipes. We hope you enjoy!
- Baked ziti with tiny meatballs – classic baked ziti with the addition of tiny meatballs for a fun twist!
- Pasta al forno – baked rigatoni with mozzarella and meat sauce.
- Stuffed shells – with spinach and ricotta.
If you’ve enjoyed this baked lasagna pie recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.
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Lasagna Pie
Lasagna pie combines curly pasta noodles with homemade meat sauce, mozzarella, and creamy ricotta that's baked until golden, bubbly, and crisp.
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound ground pork
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 basil leaves chopped
For the lasagna pie
- 1 pound mafaldine pasta or broken lasagna noodles
- 4 cups meat sauce from above
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper
- 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup ricotta
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 3 tablespoons chopped basil
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
For the meat sauce
- Heat a large pot or deep pan to medium and add the olive oil and onion. Saute until soft (4-5 minutes) then add the beef and pork.
- Turn the heat to medium-high and brown the meat. Remove the excess fat with a spoon, and once the meat is cooked through add the garlic and cook until fragrant (another 2 minutes). Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes or until the alcohol smell dissipates. Add the tomatoes to the pot and mix well. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring frequently to avoid any sticking.
- Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 minutes. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to taste and add the chopped basil.
For the lasagna pie
- Preheat oven to 375f and set a rack on the middle level and the other rack near the top.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil (2 tablespoons salt per gallon) and cook the mafaldine until 2 minutes less than al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, ricotta, Pecorino, black pepper. basil, and parsley. Add 4 cups of the meat sauce to the bowl and mix once more.
- Drain the pasta and add to the bowl along with 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella and mix well.
- Heat a 12-inch oven-proof or ideally a cast iron pan to medium heat.
- Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan and spread to coat the whole pan. Add the pasta mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring then turn off the heat.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for 12 minutes in the center of the oven or until the lasagna pie is set. For a browner top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 2-3 minutes but watch carefully.
- Let the pie sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and cutting it into slices. Serve each slice with extra meat sauce and grated Pecorino. Enjoy!
Notes
- Lasagna noodles broken into smaller pieces can be substituted for the mafaldine pasta.
- The exact cooking time will vary but should be around 15 minutes. Bake the lasagna pie just until it sets, then if desired, move to the broiler to further brown the top.
- You will have approximately 4 cups of sauce left over which is the perfect amount to top on each piece and serve in a bowl for bread dipping at the dinner table.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be reheated in a pan of the oven until warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.2g | Protein: 57.5g | Fat: 34.2g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 957mg | Fiber: 4.2g | Sugar: 10.7g | Calcium: 364mg | Iron: 15mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! I love how the lasagna pie looks like and been thinking about doing it myself, just recently found the mafaldine pasta at my local walmart but i was only wondering if it´s really necesary to have everything heated up in the cast iron pan since i don’t have one or if it would work if I use a regular non-stick pan and later just transfer it to a baking dish for the oven. Much love from Mexico
Hi JJ, thanks for the comment. You can definitely cook this in your non-stick and then move to the baking dish for baking in the oven. We hope you enjoy it!
I have vegetarian in family so is it possible to make the sauce without meat
Hi Marlene, yes, you can make this without meat in the sauce and it will be great.
Loved it. Easy to make ,enough for 4 or 5 meals. You have great videos and recipes. Luv from 🍁 canada
Hi Debbie, it’s great to hear you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
Hi: I noticed that in the video you used whole basil leaves, rather than chopped, for the meat sauce, but in the recipe specified chopped. Do you have a preference?
Made this earlier this week. Was very tasty and serves a lot so am cooking it for my cousin’s family this weekend.
Seems to get even better overnight so I’m going to see if I can do it a day ahead.
My cast iron pan I think is beyond salvaging despite my numerous attempts at seasoning so I used, and will use my enamel coated iron pot. It’s just big enough!
Hi Drew, when it comes to basil leaves, you can really do what you like. I will often change up how I use them in any recipe. Sometimes I leave them whole, sometimes I hand-tear them, and other times I’ll chop.
Thank you. This was a hit with my cousin’s family. Well, duh!
I haven’t made it yet but it sounds delicious. My question is, can it be assembled the night before and baked the next day? I plan to make it just as written.
Hi Jackie, thank you for the comment. Yes, you can assemble it the night before, then the next day place in the cast iron pan and bake. I wouldn’t store it in the cast iron overnight.
As person with disabilities this was easy as I am lactose intolerant I used lactose free full fat cottage cheese blendened up. This was so yummy. And My new only way for lasagna .love the videos fron ontario 🇨🇦
Hi Debbie, I’m so happy you enjoyed the lasagna pie and really appreciate the comment!
Jim this was wonderful! Only change I made was to use Sweet Italian sausage for the meat. I love that your recipes can be converted for smaller families. Cheers to another great recipe!
Hi Edna, I’m so happy you enjoyed the lasagna pie and really appreciate your comment!
James I made the lasagna pie what a hit it was, everyone loved it.As a matter fact There were some pretty good cooks that came for dinner.Thanks
Hi Jeanette, I’m so happy you liked this one and really appreciate the comment!
I love your recipes, I’ve learned a lot but have a question;
Lately “oven ready” lasagna pasta is more available than the traditional lasagna pasta.
I would like to know how to adjust recipes for it’s use.
Hi Esten, thanks for the comment. At some point I’ll do a video on oven ready lasagna pastas after I’ve tested them vs. traditional lasagna. I haven’t had a chance to do that yet though. Thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jim, greetings from Alaska, thank you for sharing so many amazing recipes! I made the lasagna pie for fathers day and it was a huge hit even though I messed up and used Cilantro by accident instead of the Parsley. But it was still excellent! We all really like the extra sauce too. This one and the Cavatelli are my favorites. Looking forward to your next one.
Hi Rob, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the lasgna pie and good to hear that it was still good even with cilantro!
Trader Joe’s has a cut version of your pasta, Malfada Corta. It came out really great, thank you!
Hi Roxanne, thanks for sharing that about Trader Joe’s – that will be helpful to others here, I’m sure. So happy you enjoyed the pie!
Delicious. I followed the recipe and cooking times as written, and it turned out perfectly. I did not have a cast iron skillet, so I used my Lodge Dutch oven. Like the other reviewer, I found the noodles on Amazon. I will make again! Many thanks!!
Hi Missy, so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
I know this will be oh so delicious, so without ‘testing’ I decided to plan it for my beloved husband’s birthday. (He is also Italian American, so I love your recipes!) I’m a fairly accomplished cook but I often have a question… Unfortunately, I detest the flavor of all fermented drinks (so always have to think of a replacement for wine and beer in recipes.) My intuition is to replace wine with chicken stock and a splash of vinegar for the tart/bite but, I don’t know, don’t wanna make the sauce taste like chicken soup. So, would you recommend I go with my intuition in tomato-based sauces, or would it be better to just use water?
I’m sure this recipe will be great but fully intend to come back and give it a proper review once we’ve eaten it. 🙂
Hi Melissa, you can just omit the wine and replace with a touch of water. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks a bunch Jim! I made the Lasagna Pie last night and the taste was AMAZING!! I knew it would be! I should have asked my question earlier, knowing it would take some time for a reply… but since I needed to move ahead without your answer I went with my gut and used a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and filled the rest of the 1/2 cup with beef broth. This is what I used instead of wine. Also, the grocery delivery brought me a hunk of Asiago instead of Pecorino Ramano but no complaints here as that was delicious too. These were the only changes made and only changed due to necessity. This is one of the biggest reasons I love your blog and YT channel… you always advise us to do what we want/can/need to in the kitchen, and I thank you for that.
Hi Melissa, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate you sharing the changes you made – this is helpful to others here! Thanks for the comment and for folliwng along with us!
This was outstanding. So delicious.
Hi Ron, I’m so happy you enjoyed it and really appreciate the comment!
Where are the weight measurements that were mentioned in the video?
Hi Joe, the gram amounts are listed out in the video description on YouTube.
As a passionate cook myself and an Italian food lover, I’ve been watching your channel for a while. It’s the first time I followed your recipe as I’m quite spontaneous and mostly get inspiration from videos. I really like to see the love and care when you developing recipes for your family’s taste. Maybe it’s because I’m doing the same, trying to cook something that I know my family would like. This one clicks with me as I notice taste tester has a very similar taste as my husband. And not only I believe he will like the dish, he might even enjoying cooking it for us once he masters it. So we made it and it turns out every bit as amazing as we expected. Thanks for coming up with this amazing idea. It’s simple in steps and everything in flavor.
Some modification we did and tips learned. We used less meat but added rainbow chard. I think sturdy leafy green is a good addition to the pie. Goes well with both tomato sauce and ricotta. Because of green having more moisture and ricotta we used also has more moisture. The final sauce looks more liquidy than yours. Still cooked pasta 2min less than al dente. The final texture of pasta is slightly softer than my liking (I in general like firmer texture. My husband likes it, he basically demolished the thing without wanting to talk to much :P). So I think pasta cooking time depends on how liquidy the overall sauce is. Boil pasta less if feel like sauce has more water for whatever reason. So it can compensate to always get not too soft texture.
Hi Yueyun, I really appreciate the comment and so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing your additions and modifications!
I’ve gone off goat cheese. I’m guessing that sheep cheese is similar. I think I’ll try this with Parmesan.
Hi Drew, you can do this with Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Pecorino if you prefer. Pecorino is a bit saltier than Parmigiano, so keep in mind you may need to adjust salt according to your taste.
Thank you. I only had one experience with goat cheese that put off me off non bovine cheeses. I should probably gather my courage and try some again. (This was nachos with warm goat cheese so maybe it’s more about context.)
Anyway, I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe. Since most of your recipes knock it out of the park I’m expecting good things and if all goes well I will serve it to a family of picky eaters next weekend.
I found the pasta on Amazon!!
Hi Penny, I’m happy you found the pasta and hope you enjoy the recipe!
I would love to find that kind of pasta and try this recipe. I noticed you used a cast iron skillet. I have read where that’s not advised as tomatoes are acidic and can break down the seasoning on the pan and can give the sauce a metallic taste. So I’ve been afraid to use my pan for such recipes. Have you found this to be true? And have found a way to get around that?
Hi Penny, the cast iron pan should be well seasoned when using acidic ingredients. From what I’ve read if cooking acidic ingredients in a cast iron it should only be for a short period of time. So don’t cook a sauce for hours in a cast iron. I used a different pan to cook the sauce and only used the cast iron to bake the pasta.
Great recipe. Follow your YouTube videos and always find something good to make. Favorite is Italian Chicken and Potatoes!
Hi Dominic, thanks for the comment and so happy you liked the recipe. Thanks for watching the videos! The chicken and potatoes is a favorite here too!
A Great change up on a classic recipe.
Hi Gail, I’m so happy you enjoyed and really appreciate the comment!