A Nice Cheese Lasagna
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From cookbook author Julia Turshen, this cheese lasagna is light, simple, and elegant—a fresh take on a classic that’s as effortless as it is delicious!
This cheese lasagna recipe is adapted from Julia Turshen’s cookbook, Small Victories (2016), and it’s one of the simplest, lightest, and most elegant lasagna I’ve ever made. The recipe includes a few “small victories” that make it both easy and delicious: using no-boil noodles that are ready to use, replacing ricotta or béchamel with crème fraîche stirred directly into the tomato sauce for effortless creaminess (I love this cheat—the sauce is so good it’s hard to resist sneaking spoonfuls!), and a high sauce-to-pasta ratio that lets the noodles soak up the sauce’s flavor as they bake. It’s proof that lasagna doesn’t have to be complicated to be absolutely delicious.
“This is a lovely lasagna.”
What You’ll Need To Make Cheese Lasagna
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands (this is a messy but fun job—it’s a very good one for children) until they are in bite-size pieces.
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the garlic until it begins to sizzle.
Add the tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer, stirring every so often, until it is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.
Whisk the crème fraîche into the sauce and season to taste with salt. Set the sauce aside to cool to room temperature while you conquer the pasta.
Preheat your oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Ladle a thin layer of room-temperature sauce onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-in baking dish. Spread the sauce with a spoon to cover the surface of the dish. Add 3 sheets of pasta in a single layer over the sauce.
Spoon over just enough tomato sauce to cover the pasta and then scatter over some of the Parmesan, mozzarella, and basil.
Repeat the layering process until you’ve used up all of your components, ending with sauce and cheese (not naked pasta or basil, both of which would burn if exposed).
Bake the lasagna, uncovered, until it’s gorgeously browned and the edges are bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This lets the pasta fully absorb all of the bubbling sauce, so you don’t end up with soupy slices.
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A Nice Cheese Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 (28-oz) cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup crème fraîche
For Assembling
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (I like Barilla)
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1½ cups coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- 2 large handfuls fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces if large
Instructions
For the Sauce
- In a large bowl, crush the tomatoes with your hands (this is a messy but fun job—it’s a very good one for children) until they are in bite-size pieces.
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until it begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer, stirring every so often, until it is slightly reduced, about 30 minutes.
- Whisk the crème fraîche into the sauce and season to taste with salt. Set the sauce aside to cool to room temperature while you conquer the pasta.
For the Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Ladle a thin layer of room-temperature sauce onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Spread the sauce with a spoon to cover the surface of the dish. Add 3 sheets of pasta in a single layer over the sauce. Spoon over just enough tomato sauce to cover the pasta, and then scatter over some of the Parmesan, mozzarella, and basil. Repeat the layering process until you’ve used up all of your components, ending with sauce and cheese (not naked pasta or basil, both of which would burn if exposed).
- Bake the lasagna, uncovered, until it’s gorgeously browned and the edges are bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes. Let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This lets the pasta fully absorb all of the bubbling sauce, so you don’t end up with soupy slices.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Question and suggestion
I’ve made this several times and its always a hit.
I use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes. It works well, but do remember to place a paper towel over the bowl to prevent splatter.
My local grocer has stopped carrying creme fraiche. I now have to travel 30 miles to find it. Can you recommend a substitute?
Glad you like this and thanks for the suggestion — I’m sure other readers will appreciate it! You can actually make your own creme fraiche. See how here. If you don’t want to make your own, sour cream should work instead.
I made this tonight and added sauteed mushrooms and baby broccoli and it was just delicious, a lovely summertime lasagna!! I will be making this version again!!
Hi Jenn. Is it ok to make the sauce the day before and keep it in the refrigerator until using? Thank you for all of your amazing recipes. Not only are you extremely talented, but your replies are always so kind and respectful!! Lori
I’m always happy to help (and so glad you like the recipes)! Yes, you can make the sauce a day ahead and refrigerate. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this and served it with your rosemary focaccia and it was a huge success. My youngest son was so taken by the sight and smell of the tomato sauce with creme fraiche in the pot that he wanted to have it as soup so I set a bowl aside for him and he loved it 🙂
Thanks for all of the great recipes, Jenn!
Hi Jen,
Can I add some vegetables to this lasagna? It yes, what vegetables would you suggest and how much?
FYI-I made the almond biscotti and they are a BIG hit. I can’t stop eating them. 😄your recipes are amazing. Thank you for all those amazing recipes.
Hi Janelle, Glad you’re enjoying the biscotti! Yes, you can add veggies to the lasagna. In the cookbook that the dish comes from, the author suggests adding cooked spinach, broccoli rabe, mushrooms, or cubes of butternut squash (or a combination of vegetables) to each layer. Just make sure you saute them first. I’d recommend adding a total of no more than 2 cups. Please LMK how it turns out with the addition of vegetables!
Hi Jen,
I added steamed broccoli and sautéed mushrooms to the lasagna and it was very delicious. Thank you for another wonderful recipe. You are amazing😄
So glad it turned out well with veggies — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
This delicious recipe was a big hit with my family! Can you clarify the amount of mozzarella cheese to use? I purchased a 16 ounce brick of Galbani mozzarella and shredded it myself. Does the recipe call for 12 ounces of mozzarella cheese–as in 1.5 cups before shredding? Or 1.5 cups after shredding? The 16 oz package yields about 4 cups shredded. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it! The 1-1/2 cups of cheese is the volume of cheese you’ll need in dry measuring cups (not the weight). Hope that clarifies. 🙂
Jenn- I want to make lasagna but can’t use the sausage and would like to use meat instead. Would you recommend this recipe or substitute the ground beef in the sausage one. thanks, Love your recipes.
Hi Susan, I’d stick with the other lasagna and use ground beef – just make sure the ground beef is well seasoned. Hope you enjoy!
Made this tonight and it was perfect. I made it with the oven ready lasagna noodles, but the sauce and cheese were so good! Served with green beans with garlic, Parmesan, and bread crumbs (https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/italian-green-beans/) Will DEFINITELY make again. Thanks!!
So good!
Jenn, This nice lasagna is more than nice. It’s awesome and I’ve made it several times. Without the ricotta it’s so light and delicious. It also works well with gluten free No- bake lasagna Noodles, making it easy to make a smaller portion for the gluten free.