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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I am not a big tomato sauce type of person and I often feel that lasagnas have too much tomato sauce but in this case I absolutely loved the taste of the sauce and almost felt like I didn’t have enough sauce. It was so simple and absolutely delicious. I only had one can of the whole tomatoes and then 2 small cans of the fire roasted crushed tomatoes so I combined the two and it was really spectacular. I added mushrooms to it and I think if I had a party, I would serve one with sausage added and make the other one with mushrooms and spinach.
I made this recipe with the no boil noodles. Came out very good. This was simple to make and the flavor was good. I added some crumbled cooked Italian sausage meat between the layers.
I’d like to add ground turkey to this. I have several questions. Should I use white meat (my preference) or dark or a combination? Also at what step do I add it in?
Hi Jane, Sure, that that would work. I’d suggest a combination of dark and white turkey because you’ll get a little more flavor than with just white meat. Brown it in the oil with the garlic and then add the tomatoes; then just continue as directed. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much. Other questions are: 1. would like to make this with more vegetables … what would you suggest and how should they be added in. 2. If I want to make this in an 8×8, is it merely halving the recipe? 3. I would like to make this entire recipe and make it half veggie and half meat. Is this possible? Sorry to ask so many questions. Trying to accommodate too many people, I guess!
Hi Jane, 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. And, yes, I think an 8 x 8 dish would work for half the recipe. And regarding making two versions of the recipe, it will be more labor intensive for you, but I think it would work if you baked them in two 8 x 8. Hope everyone enjoys!
No other questions. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate your quick and helpful responses to this and to others I have asked before. Thanks!
My pleasure! 🙂
Jenn, I plan to make this lasagna for Christmas Eve this year, not only for our vegetarian guests, but for everyone! . The answer you wrote to Jane gave me exactly the information I was going to ask for regarding adding veggies. I plan on using spinach, mushrooms, and butternut squash and already have my mouth watering! Reading through the reviews and your additional replies is just another thing that sets your site apart from all others! Thank you for helping me become a more accomplished cook and baker!
Please lmk how it turns out! 😊
Hi Jen! It needs to be said, I came to your site because I was all set to make your lasagna this weekend for my crew, and saw you made Julia’s lasagna! I have her cookbook and LOVE it, but have yet to try this recipe because your sausage lasagna is literally the best we have ever had! But, it’s Julia’s “nice” lasagna for Sunday dinner this weekend! Wanted to thank you for the post! 😊
Jen
Hi Jen! Love your recipes. I plan to make this one but I’m just curious … what’s the reasoning behind letting the sauce come to room temp?
Hi Nicole, I don’t think there’s any reason for it except that she makes the pasta from scratch – so the sauce cools while she goes through that process. If you’re using the no-boil noodles like I do, there’s no need to let the sauce cool. Sorry for any confusion!
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe you could add a note, Jenn, to specify that there’s no need to wait for sauce to come to room temperature if using no-boil noodles?
Good point! I just added it – thanks for the feedback. 🙂
I am about to pop this in the oven, and I can hardly wait! I decided at the last minute to make one 8 x 8 pan because I don’t want it to go to waste, and I stored the rest of the sauce in the fridge…any idea how long I can keep it? Thanks; I’m salivating as I type!
Hope you enjoy it, Ruthie! I think the sauce would keep well for 4 to 5 days. 🙂
Another one of your recipes that was devoured in one meal. So now I make double. An easy, light lasagna that even my picky little people enjoy. Thank you!
I forgot to say I added a layer of cooked ground beef in the middle and it was great.
I made two of these recently and froze one for later use uncooked. Should I defrost overnight then cook or cook from frozen or does it not even matter? Thanks Jenn for this and the other 100 or so recipes I’ve made over the past several years. I am a huge fan😋
Glad you like the recipes, Abbie! I would defrost the lasagna before baking it.
This was sooooo good! I love that it’s not as labor intensive as other lasagna recipes. Only change is that I added chicken sausage. My whole family loved it! More easy recipes please 🙂 Thanks for another winner!
Wonderful! I made half a batch and cooked it in a 8×8 pan- came out great. Next time I may soak the no-boil noodles in warm water while prepping the sauce, although it is not strictly necessary. I also added more cheese than the recipe calls for (personal weakness). I know I will make this again and again.