A Perfectly Portioned Lasagna Recipe for 2!
We have a lot of love for lasagna here at the PWWB House, but my go-to recipes – Christmas Eve Lasagna and Eggplant Lasagna – are really designed to feed a crowd.
Since I’m typically cooking for our cozy family of 2, making an entire pan of lasagna feels like a lot of work for an average dinner (and it leaves us stuck with leftovers for days 😩).
So, I set out to create the perfect solution: an EPIC small batch lasagna recipe.
Rather than starting with a large baking dish, I grabbed my favorite loaf pan and – much to my delight! – realized that it would be the perfect snug fit for a standard sheet of lasagna.
All that was left to do was fill the lasagna loaf pan with decadent layers: al dente pasta, hearty Italian sausage meat sauce, and creamy spinach ricotta cheese.
While it might be smaller in size, it definitely doesn’t skimp on flavor. The result is rich, gooey, and super luscious – everything you want from a comforting lasagna dinner. It’s the perfect small batch dinner to feed two hungry adults for date night, Valentine’s Day, or any chilly winter evening with just the right amount of leftovers.
Turn this small lasagna recipe into a feast by pairing it with Garlic Bread and a Mixed Greens Salad to balance all the richness. All you need is a glass of your favorite wine and you have the perfect dinner for two!
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Buy Now → Easy Lasagna Meat Sauce
This easy pasta sauce is an absolute dream for rich and hearty sausage lasagna. It’s inspired by our well-loved Sausage and Peppers Pasta recipe, which is designed to pack in tons of restaurant-worthy flavor in no time. It takes 30 minutes, tops!
Brown the veggies and sausage. Sauté the bell peppers, celery, and onion until soft, then add the sausage. You can use either bulk ground sausage or sausage links with the casings removed. Either way, break the sausage into fine crumbles as it cooks with the veggies. This step builds the foundation of flavor in the entire sauce – don’t rush it!
Deglaze. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, and tomato paste then deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Why? ⇢ These browned bits (aka fond) are full of flavor!
Simmer the sauce. Allow the wine to reduce, then add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 15 more minutes over medium heat. That’s it!
Make Ahead Lasagna for Two
Whether you’re making a big or small batch, lasagna still requires a few key components. To make assembly quicker and easier, prep the meat sauce and spinach ricotta ahead of time. Another great option? Assemble your lasagna on a slow, cozy Sunday, then bake it later in the week. This not only saves time but lets the flavors develop even more as they sit—a big bonus!
Check out the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
How to Make Lasagna for Two
Gather the prepared meat sauce, pasta sheets, spinach ricotta and cheese to get ready for the small batch lasagna assembly. Then the layering can begin! Smart layering is key to any successful lasagna, big or small.
The best lasagna noodles ⇢ Lasagna sheets are slightly wider than standard lasagna noodles and fit into a loaf pan really well. Plus, since they’re oven ready, there’s no need to boil and drain them beforehand. You can find lasagna sheets from brands like Creamette and Barilla or buy fresh pasta sheets from the grocery store. Bonus points if you make your own!
The best way to layer lasagna in a loaf pan is to spread some meat sauce on the bottom to prevent any sticking. From there, add the loaf pan lasagna components as follows…
- One lasagna sheet. If you have to break the pasta to make it fit then do so, but most lasagna sheets neatly fit into a standard loaf pan.
- More sausage meat sauce, spread into an even layer.
- Another lasagna sheet layered with spinach ricotta.
- Repeat steps 1-3 using the remaining sauce and ricotta mixture. You should end up with 4 layers of meat sauce and 3 layers of spinach ricotta. Top the last layer with one more lasagna sheet and a generous sprinkle of both mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Then bake the lasagna for 45-50 minutes until it’s gooey and bubbling! A few baking tips…
- Cover the loaf pan with aluminum foil to ensure an even bake. Be sure to spritz the foil with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the melty cheese from sticking to the foil.
- Place the loaf pan lasagna on a sheet pan to capture any sauce or cheese that bubbles over!
- Finish the lasagna under the broiler for the ultimate golden-brown finish. Be sure to remove the foil and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
I can’t wait for you to try this Lasagna for 2! Whether it’s date night or a weeknight dinner, Chris and I love prepping an easy small batch of lasagna and we hope it’s the perfect fit for your cozy family too.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Lasagna for Two (Small Batch Lasagna Recipe)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Optional Overnight Rest: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: serves 2 generously 1x
- Category: Pasta Recipes, Main Dishes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
We LOVE a good ol’ lasagna night here at the PWWB House, but since most recipes are designed to feed a crowd, making an entire pan of lasagna feels like a big undertaking for our cozy family of two (and results in more leftovers than we know what to do with!).
This small batch lasagna recipe is the perfect solution. It’s assembled in a loaf pan, which fits standard lasagna sheets beautifully and has enough height to build picture-perfect layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese.
The meat sauce used here is based on our popular Spicy Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta, a recipe that was designed to result in restaurant-worthy richness in less than 30 minutes. Feel free to use spicy or mild sausage, or a combination of both to best suit your tastes. While the sauce simmers, you’ll have just enough time to mix up a creamy layer of ricotta cheese and wilted spinach.
While it isn’t necessary, if time permits, I highly suggest assembling the lasagna the day before you plan to serve it. An overnight rest in the refrigerator allows the lasagna to soak up any excess moisture, making it much easier to cut into picture-perfect slices.
This recipe yields 2 very generous portions, though I suggest stretching it out into 3-4 portions with a couple of simple sides. Leftovers reheat and freeze beautifully, and you can never go wrong with garlic bread, roasted broccoli, or a Caesar salad. ♡ Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- Italian sausage meat sauce, below
- spinach ricotta filling, below
- 8 ounces oven-ready lasagna sheets (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
for the Italian sausage meat sauce:
- 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper, diced (approx. ½ cup diced)
- 1 small stalk celery, diced (approx. ¼ cup diced)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (approx. ½ cup diced)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup dry, unoaked white wine
- one 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
for the spinach ricotta filling:
- 4 ounces fresh spinach (approx. 4 cups packed)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Begin the Italian sausage meat sauce – soften the vegetables: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the bell peppers, celery, and onion. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 4-5 minutes.
- Brown the sausage: Once softened, push the veggies to the outer edges of the skillet and add the Italian sausage to the center, such that it’s surrounded by the veggies. Brown the sausage 5-7, using a wooden spoon to break it into bite-sized crumbles as it cooks.
- Build and simmer the Italian sausage sauce: Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and tomato paste to the skillet, stirring to coat the sausage and vegetable mixture. Cook 2-3 minutes, until fragrant. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine is almost completely cooked off, add in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until slightly thickened and fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside for lasagna assembly.
- Prepare the spinach ricotta filling: Meanwhile, as the meat sauce simmers, prepare the spinach ricotta filling. To wilt the spinach, spread it over a large dinner plate and microwave until it’s softened, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, if you do not have a microwave, you can wilt the spinach in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.) Finely chop the wilted spinach, then transfer to a medium bowl with the ricotta & parmesan cheeses. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ground black pepper as desired, then fold everything together, mixing to combine well. Set aside for lasagna assembly.
- Lasagna for two assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Spray a medium piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Spray a 9×5 or 8.5×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the Italian sausage meat sauce, spinach ricotta filling, shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated parmesan cheese within arm’s reach for assembly.
- Layer 1: Spread about ¼ cup of the meat sauce over the bottom of the loaf pan – just enough to coat the bottom and prevent sticking. Place a lasagna sheet over top, breaking the pasta as needed to ensure it fits in the pan. Spoon ¼ of the remaining Italian sausage over top, spreading it into an even layer.
- Layer 2: Place a lasagna sheet over top Layer 1. Spoon about ⅓ of the spinach ricotta filling over top, spreading it into an even layer.
- Layers 3-7: Repeat Layers 1-2, creating alternating layers with the remaining meat sauce and spinach ricotta filling, each separated by a lasagna sheet. You should have 4 layers of meat sauce and 3 layers of ricotta. Nestle one last lasagna sheet over top, finish the lasagna with a sprinkling of the shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan cheeses. Cover the lasagna with the prepared foil, taking care to avoid pressing it against the cheesy top.
- Bake the lasagna for two: Place the loaf pan on top of a small baking sheet, then transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the small batch lasagna is bubbling and the cheeses appear well melted. Carefully remove the foil and turn the oven’s broiler on high. Broil the lasagna on the center rack for about 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it as it broiled to make sure it doesn’t burn, until it’s as bubbly and golden brown as you like.
- Rest, slice, and serve: Carefully remove the lasagna from the oven. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing into individual pieces and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient and Equipment Notes:
- Lasagna: This small batch lasagna recipe was tested and developed using oven-ready lasagna sheets – Creamette and Barilla are widely available brands that works great here! Lasagna sheets are slightly wider than standard lasagna noodles, so they fit into the loaf pan really well without needing to break pieces to create an even layer. Oven-ready lasagna also comes with the benefit of not requiring boiling prior to assembly. If you prefer to use fresh pasta – go for it! You can make homemade pasta sheets with just a couple of staple ingredients. Many conventional grocery stores also carry fresh pasta sheets these days – look for them near other refrigerated pastas. If you’re working with fresh pasta, you also do not need to boil the noodles ahead of time – just assemble as detailed in Step 5 of Recipe Notes, above.
- Baking dish: This small batch lasagna recipe was tested and developed using an 8.5×5 loaf pan roughly 3 inches in depth, though a standard 9×5 loaf pan will work wonderfully too.
- Make-Ahead Small Batch Lasagna: Since there are a couple of different components involved in this small batch lasagna recipe, prepping it ahead of time is a great option for weeknight cooking or an effortless date night. There are 2 make-ahead approaches you can take depending on the amount of time you have to prep:
- Make-Ahead Approach #1 – Prepping components in advance. If you prefer to prep individual components and assemble the lasagna later, this approach is for you. Simmer the meat sauce (Steps 1-3) and prepare the spinach ricotta filling (Step 4). Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, until you’d like to assemble and bake your small batch lasagna.
- Make-Ahead Approach #2 – Assemble the lasagna in advance. Assemble the small batch lasagna in full (Steps 1-5), then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. As a bonus, the lasagna soaks up any excess liquid as it sits, making it much easier to slice and serve picture-perfect pieces! At dinnertime, simply preheat and bake according to Step 6, noting you may have to add 5-10 minutes of baking time to ensure the lasagna warms through.
- Storage, Reheating, and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: This small batch lasagna recipe yields 2 very generous portions or up to 4 smaller portions. Leftovers store incredibly well – the flavors of the sauce richen even more with time. Allow the lasagna to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: Leftover small batch lasagna is also very freezer-friendly. Transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions – these are my absolute favorite freezer containers! – and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
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I decided it was time to skip the store-bought frozen lasagnas and finally make my own, and I’m so glad I did! The sausage-pepper sauce was so hearty and full of robust flavour and the spinach ricotta really brought it to another level!
This is one of our favorites too, Amanda! So glad you loved it!
Greetings! Can I line the loaf pan with parchment paper without any changes to oven temp/bake time/etc.? TIA!
Hi Audrey, that should work just fine! Make sure to let us know how it turns out for you!
SO GOOD! I have been wanting to make a lasagna for a while, but kept putting it off due to the endless amount of leftovers it would create. This was the perfect size for two! The flavors were spot on without having to spend hours in the kitchen developing them.
I look forward to making this recipe again.
That’s exactly why we created this recipe, Emily! So happy that you loved it, too! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
Hi Jess,
Would you send me the recipe for Lasagna for Two? When I go to print it out and select large print or any size print, it comes out way too small to read.
Looks Delicious!
Hi Sherry, I’ll email a copy to you now!
Hi! I loved this recipe!
I omitted the white wine in the sauce and it was still good. My only question is that my lasagna flavor was excellent but why was it falling apart? In the sense that it was not firm – can you please provide any feedback?
I really like how this recipe DOES NOT use egg!!
🙂
Hi G! So glad to hear that you loved this recipe, thank you so much for taking the time to comment – it means so much!
As for your question on why the lasagna was falling apart, were you able to allow the lasagna to rest for a full 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven? Allowing the lasagna to take a bit of time to cool can really help create a beautiful clean slice. Let us know! 🙂
This was phenomenal – so delicious. I think it is the best lasagna I have ever had. Certainly the best I have ever made myself. I would love to know how to scale this up and what type of pan would be best to use – this is entertaining worthy. And unlike a lot of lasagna recipes, it doesn’t take hours to prepare, very approachable prep! A true 5 start recipe!!!
Hi Jennifer, so happy to hear this recipe turned out great for you! We love this one, too. You can definitely scale this recipe up! If you were to double it, it would fit well in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. 🙂
My first time making this recipe and making lasagna in general was a few months ago, and it was such an amazing success! I often get overwhelmed with cooking, and it is just me and my boyfriend in the house. This was the perfect size for our small family and tonight I will be making it again. My boyfriend is so excited, I am nervous I won’t make it as good this time 😉
Hi Grace, we’re so happy to hear the lasagna turned out great for you, and that you’re making it again! Enjoy!!
Terrible! I followed directions exactly, and my lasagna turned out crunchy and dry! I should have never used “oven ready” noodles and should have boiled them regardless. And I had all the noodles covered in sauce and the dish covered in foil as directed. And it took more like an hour and a half, not 30 minutes to prep. So disappointed as this was my first time making lasagna. Now after all that time and effort I couldn’t even eat it. Waste of money and time and ruined my Sunday. I had to throw it all in the trash.
Hi Diana, we’re so sorry to hear about your experience with this recipe and your first time making lasagna. This recipe was thoroughly tested & has been successfully made & enjoyed by other readers so we’d love to help troubleshoot & figure out what may have happened.
It’s great that you covered the noodles in the sauce & covered the dish in foil as directed – these steps do help ensure a well baked lasagna! Could you share a bit about the size of the dish (eg. loaf pan) you used and the brand of oven ready noodles?
The recipe is so good, but best of all the portion size is perfect. I love lasagna but often don’t make it because it makes so much. This was the right amount!
That’s exactly why we set out to create this recipe!! Glad to hear it was the perfect amount for you, too 🙂
WOW this was wonderful. And I’m picky on lasagna. The creamy layers were perfect – creamy, not congealed. And the amount was great, looking forward to freezing a serving for a rainy day.
I did cheat and use premade sauce, but added the seasonings and wine in the order suggested. It was phenomenal!
Hi Michelle! Sounds like it turned out perfect – so glad you loved it & thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! 🙂
I made this for my husband and daughter (I don’t eat meat) and they liked it very well. I could not fit it all into my loaf pan, so I froze the extra meat sauce to use for a second lasagna at a later date. It was a good Sunday night dinner, with leftovers that will last for a few more meals. Thanks for the recipe!
This is the perfect size lasagna for my little family of 2. Was perfect for dinner plus 1 day of leftovers. It does take a little time to prep and assemble, but the make ahead option was great!
So glad to hear it, Sara! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review – we’re so glad it was a hit!