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Lasagna Cups Recipe

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4.3 from 4 reviews

These Lasagna Cups are a fun and delicious twist on traditional lasagna, perfect for portion-controlled servings. Layers of tender pasta, rich meat and vegetable tomato sauce, and creamy cheese filling are baked in muffin tins to create individual lasagna servings that are easy to serve and enjoy. The sauce is simmered slowly for deep flavors, while the cheese filling combines cream cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella for a luscious texture. Ideal for family dinners or entertaining guests.

  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 ounces tomato paste (1 can)
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce + 1/2 can water to wash out can
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

Cheese Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg

Pasta

  • 21 lasagne pasta sheets

Instructions

  1. Prepare the sauce: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef, onions, red bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic. Sauté together until vegetables are tender and the meat is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes.
  2. Simmer sauce: Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for at least 30 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and flavors to deepen.
  3. Make cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, whole milk, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, half of the grated mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, black pepper, and egg. Stir until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Cook pasta sheets: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna sheets and boil for 2 minutes less than the package instructions to keep pasta firm.
  5. Drain and prep pasta: Drain the pasta sheets and lay them out on a greased baking sheet to prevent sticking while preparing the lasagna cups.
  6. Prepare muffin tins: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 12 jumbo muffin tins with parchment paper squares that cover the entire inside of each tin. Overlapping the edges is fine as the pasta will hold them in place.
  7. Line muffin cups: Place one entire pasta sheet to line the edges of each muffin cup, allowing it to overlap about 2 inches.
  8. Add sauce base: Spoon about half a tablespoon of the prepared sauce into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
  9. Add pasta bottom layer: Cut 9 pasta sheets into quarters. Press one quarter piece into the bottom of each muffin cup on top of the sauce.
  10. Layer sauce and cheese: Spoon a generous tablespoon of sauce over the pasta piece, followed by a generous tablespoon of the cheese filling. Press down gently to remove any air pockets.
  11. Repeat layering: Repeat the pasta, sauce, and cheese layering once more, pressing down to ensure air bubbles are removed.
  12. Top lasagna cups: Finish with a third piece of pasta, more sauce, and sprinkle the remaining grated mozzarella cheese over the top.
  13. Bake: Cover the muffin tins with a loose aluminum foil tent to prevent the edges from crisping too much. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cups are hot and bubbly.
  14. Serve: Remove from the oven and serve hot for an easy, delightful individual lasagna portion.

Notes

  • The sauce can be cooked longer than 30 minutes if desired, which will deepen the flavor even further.
  • If the parchment paper doesn’t stay in the muffin tin on its own, the pasta sheets will help hold it in place during baking.
  • Be sure not to overcook the pasta sheets to avoid mushy texture in the final cups.
  • For a vegetarian version, omit the ground beef and add more vegetables such as mushrooms or spinach.
  • These lasagna cups can be made ahead of time and refrigerated before baking to save time on a busy day.
  • Author: Monica
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Find it online: https://monicarecipes.com/lasagna-cups-recipe/