Giada’s Sheet Pan Lasagna is Weeknight Dinner Perfection

If you were to ask me what my top three comfort foods are, one would be my husband's lasagna. It's so good! Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, with its gooey layers of pasta, melty cheese and hearty sauce it’s the perfect cozy meal. Each bite is a journey of delicious textures and flavors. Whether it’s a family recipe passed down for generations or a quick store-bought version, lasagna brings people together around the table. It’s the star of Sunday dinners, the hero of potlucks and the ultimate leftover (next to pizza).

That said, lasagna isn’t ideal for a quick weeknight meal because it’s time-intensive. Layering ingredients, baking for an hour and cooling before eating take patience—and time. Plus, prepping sauce, pasta and cheese adds to the workload. Because of the time and effort involved, lasagna is a dish better suited for weekends or pre-made freezer batches.

Unless you make Giada's sheet pan lasagna.

Giada De Laurentiis—the renowned Italian-American chef, TV personality and cookbook author— shared her shortcut lasagna recipe on Instagram (@giadadelaurentiis) and we couldn't believe how delicious it looked and how easy it sounded. Here's what you need to know.

Related: Ina Garten's Simple But Fancy Lasagna Trick

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Get Crispy Edges and Quick Lasagna With This Recipe

I don't know about you, but for me the crispy edges are the best part of a lasagna. The crunchy pasta plus the melty cheese and meaty sauce are the perfect bite. And Giada agrees! "Lovers of crispy lasagna edges, this Sheet Pan Lasagna is for u!" she said in the caption. We're listening, Giada!

You can find the full recipe on Giada's site, Giadzy, but we can give you the gist: you will need to combine ricotta cheese with sauteed spinach, red pepper flakes and garlic. Next, cook spicy Italian sausage with some diced onion. Combine that with your favorite marinara sauce.

Next, boil mini lasagna noodles or larger noodles broken into halves or thirds. Transfer the cooked noodles to the sauce mixture and stir to combine, adding some Parmesan cheese and mozzarella to the mix as well.

Next, spread the pasta mixture onto a baking sheet—no layering required! Top the lasagna with dollops of the ricotta-spinach mixture and sprinkle more shredded cheese on top.

Bake until the cheese is brown and bubbly. You'll get gooey cheese, crispy edges and a meal that took less than 30 minutes to make! And becuase it was baked on a sheet pan, it will cool faster so you can enjoy it sooner! Win win!

Related: Jessie James Decker's Secret to Making the 'Most Amazing Lasagna of Your Life'

Other Ways to Make Sheet Pan Lasagna

We think Giada's recipe sounds delicious, but it's also easy to riff on this genius technique using your favorite lasagna ingredients. You can use whatever cheese you want and you can even go meatless, which will save time. Don't like spicy food? Skip the red pepper and choose a mild sausage. Want a creamy version? Replace the marina with jarred alfredo sauce. This is one of those dishes you can easily tweak to make it exactly the way you like it.

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