We’re kicking up Garfield’s favorite meal with Genoa salami and hard-boiled eggs, the secret ingredients in this classic Sicilian lasagna. Pure happiness in layers!
This uncomplicated recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight meal, by boiling eggs and making the ragù Bolognese sauce (meat sauce) in advance, and using oven-ready lasagna noodles.
I can never get enough of this Sicilian lasagna. It is not without reason that this is one of the most popular dishes all over the planet and one of the symbols of Italian cuisine.
Why it Works
- There are four different kinds of cheese in this Sicilian-style recipe, which eliminates the need for béchamel sauce, and the middle layer replaces the use of Italian sausage.
- The recipe is quick to prep.
- There are fewer pans to wash after prepping this meal.
- This dish freezes well uncooked and cooked and doesn’t taste like leftovers at all.
- It’s easy to keep your freezer stocked with homemade lasagna for busy weeknights.
This Sicilian classic is simply balm to the soul, pure comfort food, and good food takes time.
Each of their layers has to be filled with devotion; otherwise, lasagna is not the queen of pasta, but just a sticky pasta dish.
Did you know the term "lagana" was used in Roman times and referred to square or rectangular-shaped thin wheat-flour dough sheets baked or fire-cooked?
The introduction of egg in the dough, cheese, and tomatoes came centuries later.
🛒Ingredients and Notes
Marinara sauce: Use your favorite brand's pasta or Marinara sauce, or make your own. I'm fortunate to know Mr. Pellegrino, who makes the best authentic Italian tomato sauce (pictured in ingredients above), but we also like Rao's Tomato Basil Marinara.
Another option is to use plain tomato sauce; however, you'll need to add onions, basil, oregano, and other spices to it as it is rather plain.
Lasagna noodles: Oven-ready or no-boil noodle sheets cut down on prep time, however, if you have time and don't mind boiling, you can use regular noodle sheets.
Ground beef: I always use lean (90/10). Nobody likes their food sitting in a pool of fat.
Cheeses: I recommend small curd cottage cheese. You can use reduced-fat for cottage and ricotta, although ricotta tends to be watery if not full-fat.
🔪Step by Step Instructions
*Details and the printable recipe are available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1
Make the meat sauce: Brown the meat, add Marinara sauce, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Make the spinach layer: Sauté the minced garlic, add chopped spinach and cook until just wilted.
Prep the cheese mixture: Mix shredded mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, egg, and parsley until blended.
Step 3
Assemble:
- Spread some meat sauce onto the bottom of the baking pan. Layer with oven-ready noodles, cheese mixture, and more meat sauce.
- Repeat the layer.
- Add cottage cheese on top of noodles and layer with spinach, Genoa salami, hard-boiled eggs, fresh mozzarella, and meat sauce.
- Finish by spreading the reminder of cheese mixture and meat sauce over the top layer of noodles and sprinkling with shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Bake.
💡Top Tips
- The noodles will most likely not cover the whole bottom of your baking pan. Have no fear: they will expand by cooking and fill up the pan.
- When you're spreading the meat sauce, make sure to place some on the noodle outside edges too. It's easy to forget and just dump everything in the middle.
- If your pan is a bit shallow, and you think the cheese is going to stick to the foil, insert toothpicks over your lasagna and rest the large piece of foil onto them, making sure to tuck the foil around the pan.
- To prevent the sauce from boiling over and burning in the oven, causing it to smoke, place the pan on a large foil-covered cookie sheet.
* This will only happen if your pan is shallow (less than 2 ½-inches).
❓FAQs
Lasagna is a freezer-friendly meal. You can make it ahead and freeze before baking or freeze baked leftovers.
To freeze lasagna without baking:
Assemble lasagna in a freezer and oven-safe container, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to three months.
When you're ready to bake, defrost lasagna in the refrigerator for 24 hours, remove the plastic wrap and follow baking directions in the recipe card below.
Or, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake frozen lasagna (plastic wrap removed) for 1 hour or until the center is hot. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
To freeze baked lasagna:
Separate it into individual servings or freeze whole. Place leftover lasagna into freezer bags or an airtight plastic container and freeze for up to three months.
Frozen lasagna:
Unwrap the frozen serving and place it on a microwave-safe dish. Drizzle with extra Marinara sauce or water to keep moist.
Cover the dish and microwave at medium heat for 2 minutes. Check to see if it's warmed all the way through. If necessary, continue to microwave in 20-second increments until thoroughly heated.
You can warm up defrosted lasagna in the oven at 375 F. Cover and heat until the edges are sizzling.
Refrigerated lasagna:
Microwave a serving for 1 minute, then in 15-seconds increments until thoroughly heated.
Luckily, oven-ready noodles are also available free of gluten.
1. Place eggs in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cover them with cold water, making sure the tops of eggs are covered by at least an inch of water.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. If your eggs crack, the salt will prevent them from leaking out.
3. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-10 minutes.
4. Run cold water over boiled eggs until they’re completely cool. Why do this? Because it makes peeling eggs a breeze.
Other Amazing Recipes to Try
- Low-Carb Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
- Easy Ravioli Lasagna
- Lasagna-Inspired Sausage Slab Pie
- Apple and Butternut Squash Autumn Lasagna
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Classic Sicilian Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- cast-iron or nonstick skillet
- lasagna pan
- Mixing bowl
- saucepan
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef best a mixture of pork and beef
- 1 24 oz. jar Marinara sauce or more if you like extra sauce
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper
For the Spinach Layer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups spinach chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
For the Cheese Mixture
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 1 16 oz. container ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese divided
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
You will also need:
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 3 hard-boiled eggs sliced
- 1 cup chopped Genoa salami ca. 4 oz.
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced
- 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- In a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound ground meat and brown, breaking down pieces with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink.
- Drain the fat and stir in 24 oz. of marinara sauce. Add 1 cup water to the empty sauce jar; cover with a lid and shake well. Toss the liquid with the meat mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
Spinach Layer
- In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 4 cups of chopped spinach and heat through until just wilted. Set aside.
Cheese Mixture
- Meanwhile, mix 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella, 16 oz. Ricotta, ¼ cup of Parmigiano Reggiano, 1 beaten egg, and ¼ chopped fresh parsley until blended. Set aside.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Assemble Lasagna
- Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the 13x9-inch baking pan. Top with a layer of 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles (don’t worry if they don’t cover the entire pan).
- Top the noodles with ⅓ of the cheese mixture and about 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat the same layer once again (3 noodles, ½ of the remaining cheese mixture, and 1 cup meat).
- For the third layer, top the noodles with 1 cup cottage cheese and spread with the wilted spinach, 1 cup chopped salami, 3 sliced hard-boiled eggs, and 8 oz. sliced fresh mozzarella. Add 1 cup of the meat sauce.
- Place another layer of noodles and cover with the remaining cheese mixture and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano).
- Cover the pan with foil greased with cooking spray (so that cheese doesn't stick to it). Bake 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil after 45 minutes. Before cutting, let stand 15 minutes.
Expert Tips
- The noodles will most likely not cover the whole bottom of your baking pan. Have no fear: they will expand by cooking and fill up the pan.
- When you're spreading the meat sauce, make sure to place some on the noodle outside edges too. It's easy to forget and just dump everything in the middle.
- This lasagna is not drenched in sauce like your ordinary lasagna. If you prefer, add more marinara.
- If your pan is a bit shallow, and you think the cheese is going to stick to the foil, insert toothpicks over your lasagna and rest the large piece of foil onto them, making sure to tuck the foil around the pan.
- To prevent the sauce from boiling over and burning in the oven, causing it to smoke, place the lasagna pan on a large foil-covered cookie sheet.
* This will only happen if your pan is shallow (less than 2 ½-inches).
Nutrition
NOTE: This post was originally published in 2013 and has been updated in January of 2020 for photos and content.
FrugalHausfrau says
Thanks for bringing this incredible lasagna to light! I use hard boiled eggs in my tuna casserole, so for me it's not a mind jarring thing, but I can't wait to try this! And the salami, that was a twist I never expected, either!! This sounds fabulous!
Jas says
Thanks, Mollie! Now you have me craving tuna casserole, lol. I have to try it with boiled eggs. I bet it's delicious!
Matt says
Delicious looking lasagne! And beautiful photos, not easy to make rustic food look this good 🙂
Jas says
I really appreciate reading your note, Matt! Thank you so much. 🙂
Kushigalu says
Drooling over this lasagna. So creative and looks amazingly delicious
Jas says
Thank you so much! We highly recommend it! 🙂
Veena Azmanov says
A list of awesome and delicious combinations to making this Classic Sicilian Lasagna. Your presentation is yummy. Best meal for a Happy Day.
Jas says
I appreciate your kind feedback, Veena! Thank you and have a great weekend!
Colleen http://www.thefoodblog.net Milne says
I haven't ever heard of or tried boiled eggs in a lasagna, but it looks good! Thanks for sharing.
Jas says
Definitely recommended! Thanks for stopping in!
Katie says
Oh this has all the flavors I'm looking for. Thanks for sharing!
Jas says
You're welcome, Katie. Enjoy!
Irina says
I often make lasagna, but I see that you add some egg to the cheese mixture. To tell the truth, I have never added it. I love your version of the recipe. Cannot wait to try!
Jas says
We definitely recommend the eggs and Genoa salami. Hope you'll give it a try!
Ron says
Jas, I'm glad you reposted this one as I've not seen it and boy does it sounds good. Boiled eggs in lasagna, that's a new on me. I put boiled eggs in my fish pie and like that, so why not in lasagna. The ricotta and cottage cheese is a nice touch as that's the type of lasagna I was raised on. Here it's always made with béchamel sauce. Your Sicilian Lasagna is a must-try dish.
Jas says
I love eggs in my fish pie too! Thanks for the reminder, I haven't made it in a while. I also put hard-boiled eggs inside my meatloaf (an old recipe somewhere on the blog) and they are in my recent recipe Chilean-style skillet shepherd's corn pie. Hope you'll like this lasagna as much as we do! 😀
Anonymous says
uncooked eggs on toast? .... that must have been your other, less smart daughter...
Jas says
lol, I only have one daughter and she turned out pretty ok 😉 Love you!
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Jas says
Thank you for the invite! Your site is amazing and I'd be happy to share my recipes there.