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This Dutch oven lasagna recipe totally blew my mind. I don’t think I’ll make lasagna any other way ever again! I am positively addicted to this melty, cheesy, and ridiculously simple Italian recipe. Everything is made in one pot, and it all comes together right on the stove. Layered with creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan, there’s plenty of cheese to go around!
I am a big lasagna lover, and this Dutch oven lasagna recipe has simplified my life so much! Doing the dishes is the last thing on my mind after a long work week, and this recipe saves me so much time, hassle, and cleanup. This is comfort food at its finest. Nothing better than noodles, tomatoes, cheese, and basil. It’s just that simple!
What’s in This Dutch Oven Lasagna Recipe?
- Egg: Helps bind the ricotta so it doesn’t turn out runny once cooked.
- Ricotta Cheese: Adds creaminess to the filling. You can also use cottage cheese if you prefer.
- Parsley: Adds a pop of fresh herbal flavor to the ricotta.
- Meat: I used a mixture of ground chuck and Italian sausage, but any combination of ground meats will work.
- Onion + Garlic: Create a savory base for the sauce.
- Red Wine: I prefer to use a dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. If you’re not a drinker, you can replace this with an equal amount of water or broth instead.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Add a touch of spice to the sauce.
- Marinara Sauce: Forms the base of the meat sauce. Use your favorite store-bought sauce to make things easy.
- Lasagna Noodles: Using no-boil noodles means you can skip the boiling part and get right to assembling the lasagna. If you can’t find no-boil lasagna noodles, you can use regular noodles for this recipe. You’ll just have to boil them beforehand, and then follow the recipe as is.
- Cheese: Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese make this dish super rich and cheesy.
Tips for Success
- I like to keep a large mixing bowl next to the stove so I can use it to mix the meat and sauce between steps.
- When assembling the lasagna, start with a layer of sauce, otherwise the noodles will stick to the bottom
- The lasagna is done when the noodles have hydrated/softened, everything is fully heated through, and the cheese will be hot and bubbly.
- I like to broil my lasagna with the lid off for a few minutes to get the cheese brown and bubbly.
- It will be very hot when you dig in, so I recommend letting the lasagna rest 10-15 minutes before serving.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Dutch oven lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating covered in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this Dutch oven lasagna with classic Italian sides, like garlic bread, cheese focaccia, Caesar salad, or lemon Parmesan roasted broccoli,
5-Star Review
“I bought a Dutch oven and have been trying new recipes. I made this last week and it was fabulous! This is the best Lasagna I’ve had and I will definitely be making again and again. I sent our guest home with a couple of servings as she really loved it as well. Wish I had taken a pic but we were to eager to try it out, but it looked great as well!” -Dawn
Dutch Oven Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (1 tub)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 32-48 ounces marinara sauce (2 jars)
- 9 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles (1 box)
- 2 cups freshly shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- Chopped fresh basil optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg, ricotta, and parsley. Set aside.1 large egg, 15 ounces ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- In the Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, brown the beef and sausage. Drain the meat reserving 2 tablespoons fat (add 2 tablespoons olive oil, if there isn’t enough reserved fat). Transfer the drained meat to a large, heatproof bowl and set aside.1 pound ground chuck, 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- In the same pot, sauté the diced onion until it becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add red wine, red pepper flakes, and marinara sauce, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Transfer the marinara mixture to the bowl with the meat and mix to combine.1 medium yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, ½ cup dry red wine, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 32-48 ounces marinara sauce
- With the Dutch oven over low-medium heat, ladle 2 cups of the marinara meat mixture into the bottom of the pot and cover the sauce with a layer of lasagna noodles (breaking the noodles to fit). Then, ladle the noodles with a layer of the marinara meat mixture.9 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
- Place spoonfuls of the ricotta/egg mixture over the marinara mixture and then add some mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Repeat the layers three more times (except there will be only three layers with the ricotta mixture). The lasagna should be layered like this from the bottom layer to the top layer: sauce, noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, noodles, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, noodles, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, noodles, marinara, mozzarella and finish with Parmesan.2 cups freshly shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Switch heat to low and cook, covered, 30-40 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through, and the lasagna is hot & bubbly. When the lasagna is cooked through and the noodles have softened, it can be placed under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese.
- After removing the lasagna from the heat, garnish it with fresh basil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.Chopped fresh basil
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Dutch Oven Lasagna Step by Step
Mix the Ricotta: In a small bowl, beat together 1 large egg, 15 ounces (1 tub) of ricotta cheese, and 1 tablespoon of minced fresh parsley. Set aside.
Brown the Meat: In the Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, brown 1 pound of ground chuck and 1 pound of ground Italian sausage. Drain the meat reserving 2 tablespoons fat (add 2 tablespoons olive oil, if there isn’t enough reserved fat). Transfer the drained meat to a large, heatproof bowl and set aside.
Make the Sauce: In the same pot, sauté 1 medium diced onion until it becomes translucent. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add ½ cup of dry red wine, ⅛ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and 32-48 ounces (2 jars) of marinara sauce, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Transfer the marinara mixture to the bowl with the meat and mix to combine.
Protect the Pot: With the Dutch oven over low-medium heat, ladle 2 cups of the marinara meat mixture into the bottom of the pot and cover the sauce with a layer of no-boil lasagna noodles (breaking the noodles to fit). Then, ladle the noodles with a layer of the marinara meat mixture.
Layer the Lasagna: Place spoonfuls of the ricotta/egg mixture over the marinara mixture and then add some mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Repeat the layers three more times (except there will be only three layers with the ricotta mixture). The lasagna should be layered like this from the bottom layer to the top layer: sauce, noodles, sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, noodles, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, noodles, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, noodles, marinara, mozzarella and finish with Parmesan. Make sure to use all 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, leaving enough to top off the lasagna.
Cook the Lasagna: Switch heat to low and cook, covered, 30-40 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through, and the lasagna is hot & bubbly. When the lasagna is cooked through and the noodles have softened, it can be placed under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the cheese. After removing the lasagna from the heat, garnish it with fresh basil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Maybe I did something wrong, but the recipe was super easy, but it’s been cooking for an hour and my noodles are still not done. Can I make it with already cooked noodles?
Hi Kimmy, this recipe requires no-boil lasagna noodles, not dry ones!
That’s what I used. They were gummy. I had to cook it for like an hour and a half and then some of the bottom burned. I was wondering if I bought regular lasagne noodles and cooked them then layered it, if it would work out better for me.
Hi Kimmy, we recommend soaking the no-boil noodles in warm water for a few minutes before layering to help them cook through more evenly!
What can I use instead of red wine?
Hi Kim, beef or vegetable broth works well!
Thank you
Thank you for listing out the layers and steps with an eye to the technical
My family really enjoyed this recipe, and I loved the ease of using the Dutch oven. I may use a bit of italian seasoning or medium/hot italian sausage (I used sweet italian sausage this time) to add a bit more flavor and kick it up a notch. definitely a keeper!
Hi, could you make this a few hours ahead of time?
Sure!
The family agreen this is hands-down the best lasagna I’ve made to date! I added just a pinch more red pepper, but otherwise stuck to the recipe! Soooooo good.
Can you do this in a 5.5 quart? I have a 3.5 as well and was going to do the rosemary bread at the same time so need to utilize both. Any suggestions????
Hi Paul, we made this recipe in a 5.5-quart Dutch oven!
Thanks!!!
This meal came out excellent. Made exactly as recipe statedexcept I used all beef. Making again but I am going to do half beef and half sausage just to see if there is a difference. This is by far my go to lasagna recipe now. Ty❤️
We’re so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Barbara! Thanks so much for sharing!
Is there anyway to prepare this ahead of time for a camping dinner? Would I ruin it by completing all steps prior to baking it? Ever tried this in a fire?
We think you could assemble ahead before baking, but we have never tried cooking it over a fire.
Hi Nichole, you could cook the meat ahead of time, and freeze before packing it for camping. The rest I would prepare as indicated in a standard camping Dutch oven over coals (not flames)
Works well. Stuck it in the oven for 10 minutes to brown it off. Super crispy and smells delicious….
That looks delicious, Ollie!