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!

Dutch Oven Lasagna recipe

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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.
Easy dutch oven recipe to make lasagana
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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.

Best dutch oven recipe for lasagna

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

Recipe Card

Dutch Oven Lasagna Recipe

4.62 from 244 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Becky Hardin
This Dutch Oven Lasagna recipe, or Stove Top Lasagna, will blow your mind! You'll never make a fully traditional lasagna recipe again after making this easy stove-top version.
This Dutch oven lasagna recipe will blow your mind. Made in one pot on the stovetop, it's melty, cheesy, and ridiculously simple!
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
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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
  • 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
    seasoned ricotta cheese in a glass bowl with a spoon.
  • 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
    browned ground beef and sausage in a dutch oven.
  • 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
    a ladleful of marinara sauce over a dutch oven.
  • 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
    layering meat sauce and lasagna noodles in a dutch oven.
  • 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
    overhead view of cheese-topped lasagna in a dutch oven.
  • 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
    dutch oven lasagna topped with basil.

Video

Becky’s Tips

Storage: Store Dutch oven lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Calories: 924kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 52gFat: 56gSaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 1759mgPotassium: 1168mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1390IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 488mgIron: 5.2mg

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.

seasoned ricotta cheese in a glass bowl with a spoon.

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.

browned ground beef and sausage in a dutch oven.

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.

a ladleful of marinara sauce over a dutch oven.

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.

layering meat sauce and lasagna noodles in a dutch oven.

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.

overhead view of cheese-topped lasagna in a dutch oven.

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.

dutch oven lasagna topped with basil.

More Lasagna Recipes to Try!

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.62 from 244 votes (213 ratings without comment)
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Shannon
Shannon
November 1, 2017 9:55 pm

How big is your dutch oven? Could I make this in a 4.5L size one?

ash
ash
August 20, 2017 8:53 am

I made this yesterday exactly by the recipe. it was wonderful and looked just like the recipe photos.

Hannah
Hannah
June 8, 2017 3:43 pm

Looks SO yummy! Things just always seem to taste better when they are cooked/baked in a dutch oven :)

ruby singh
ruby singh
June 6, 2017 2:15 am

Good looks so delicious.

Alicia Vorrei
Alicia Vorrei
June 6, 2017 1:49 am

The perfect, weeknight family meal. Absolutely love this!!

Katherine
Katherine
June 3, 2017 6:07 pm

Oh wow. These pictures… I wouldn’t have thought of making lasagna in a Dutch oven! Sounds so incredible. And yeah, noodles/cheese/basil/tomatoes…yep, doesn’t get much better.

Joni
Joni
June 3, 2017 1:38 pm

Can you make it without the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture? I LOVE everything else about this recipe and how easy it looks. I just don’t like this cheese!! Please let me know as I would love to make it..
Thank

Leslie
Leslie
March 17, 2019 12:25 pm
Reply to  Joni

Did you make it without the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture?

Mary // chattavore
Mary // chattavore
June 2, 2017 7:06 pm

Um, yes please! That looks SO rich and cheesy! I love that it’s a stovetop method. Those are my favorite!

Lexi @ Sempre Dolce
Lexi @ Sempre Dolce
June 2, 2017 5:47 pm

Ooh, this looks AMAZING! I loove easy meals like this, pinning!

cakespy
cakespy
June 2, 2017 7:45 am

My mind is blown and my appetite is ignited by these cheesy gooey photos and this brilliant recipe. I think I might love you.

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