Yes, it’s true you can have lasagna in the summer and not be completely utterly hot after. This Lazy Summer Lasagna is light, creamy, with notes of basil and lemon. I have made this about 5 times in the past two weeks and no one at my house is complaining!

Key Ingredients for a Lazy Lasagna

All the ingredients for Lazy Summer Lasagna on a white counter. Shell noodles, fresh mozzarella cheese, lemon, basil, egg, tomato sauce and meat.

Basil and Lemon zest

Let me introduce you to the stars of the show…. Basil and Lemon zest. These two are what turn this dish into a light enjoyable summer meal.

Grass-fed beef

I urge you to reach for the 100 percent grass-fed beef. Besides the helth benefits related to grass-feed beef. I’m a big believer in energy and the energy that comes from grass-fed beef has to be better than cows that were raised in a tiny pen eating corn. I get my meat from Redmond’s farms, Alder Springs or Butcher Box. In the end its better for you and the animal.

Shell noodles are perfect for Lazy Summer Lasanga

I mean… this is Lazy Summer Lasangna. Let’s not bother with the lasagna noodles, shells are the noodles for the job. They will hold the sauce and ricotta in and on their surface. Other noodles might cause the sauce to slide off and not have the inside of the shell to hold liquid

Looking for other quick dinners? Date Night Sloppy Joes, Vodka Sauce, or Enchalada‘s are Perfect!

Lazy Summer Lasagna

Print Recipe

Author: Abe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Scale

1 box of shell noodles
1 pound of grass-fed ground beef
15 ounces of ricotta cheese
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup of basil
1 egg
1 minced clove of garlic
25 ounce jar of marinara sauce
1 cup of fresh or shredded mozzarella cheese
arugula (optional)

Instructions

Pre Heat your oven to 375º
Cook the noodles: In a large pot boil and cook the shell pasta. Strain and set aside.
Brown the Meat: In a saute pan brown the ground beef. After the meat is fully cooked add 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce.
Make the filling: In a food processor blend ricotta, lemon, basil, egg, and garlic. Blend until just combined.
Assemble: In a casserole dish assemble from the bottom up.
1. Noodles
2. half of the sauce
3. meat
4. ricotta mixture
5. noodles
6. sauce
7. cheese
Bake: bake for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

*If using fresh mozzarella cheese please be careful when serving young children. After it has been melted it is very chewy and can be tricky to eat. I absolutely love fresh melted mozzarella!