The 3-Ingredient, 5-Minute Pasta Recipe You’ll Make Forever

What kitchen tasks can you accomplish in five minutes? You could boil a soft egg, hand-wash a few dishes, or wipe your counters and high-traffic surfaces—or, you could prepare a simple, yet satisfying meal that only requires three ingredients and will have your tablemates asking for seconds. Meet our new favorite weeknight dinner recipe (and soon to be yours): Cheesy Lasagna Sheet Pasta. 

Why We Love It

Aside from its simplicity, Cheesy Lasagna Sheet Pasta utilizes ingredients you likely already have on hand. That box of lasagna noodles hidden in the back of the pantry? We know you’ve been looking for a reason to use it that also won’t require hours of your precious time. 

Using lasagna as a noodle rather than a stacking agent gives the pasta a touch of novelty. Some of the most brilliant recipe tricks of all time involve new ways to use classic ingredients, after all. 

How to Make Cheesy Lasagna Sheet Pasta

You only need three ingredients—eight ounces of lasagna noodles broken in half, a 24-ounce jar of tomato-based pasta sauce (think: marinara or pomodoro), and eight ounces of shredded whole milk mozzarella—and 15 minutes total to whip this meal together. 

Active cooking time takes about 15 minutes and the process is essentially heating and stirring. First, boil lasagna noodles in lightly salted water for 10 to12 minutes (the former will yield al dente noodles, while the latter will make softer pasta). 

Next, strain your noodles and return them to the pot. Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the sauce is heated through, which should take about five minutes. 

Now comes the best part: Add the cheese and stir until it’s melted. For a little extra bite, serve with ground black pepper or red pepper flakes. 

Tips, Tricks, and Tweaks 

The best thing about simple recipes like this is that you can easily adapt them to your tastes or what you have on hand. Nobody ever said you had to follow the blueprint exactly. 

Can’t do tomato sauce because it gives you acid reflux? Then by all means, try pesto or another tomato-less pasta sauce. If you want to accentuate that tomato flavor a bit, try something a bit different, like vodka sauce or spicy arrabiata. This formula also works great with other noodles, so feel free to use fettuccine or spaghetti instead—just be sure to adjust cooking time based on the pasta. 

And if you do have extra time, then by all means, use this recipe as a base for a heartier meal. Brown some ground beef on the stove for a little extra protein, or use your favorite homemade sauce recipe if you want to flex a little. It’s your meal, and the most important factor is your happiness. 

Get the Recipe: Cheesy Lasagna Sheet Pasta