I think we can all agree that lasagna is great. Like really, really great – but what’s not so great about it is that the preparation can feel a little tedious what with the pasta sheets sticking together, and the sheer number of components, and so on and so forth. This lasagna has none of those drawbacks because it uses just three ingredients (three!!) and takes all of five minutes to get into the oven. Now, your Nonna might smack you if you tried to pass it off as a truly traditional lasagna, but for those of us who are very lazy (or just very busy) and don’t mind a little leg-up in the kitchen now and then, it’ll pass muster just fine. It hits all the right notes – cheesy and comforting and saucy, but it’s simple enough for any given weeknight.

Lazy Lasagna feels almost too easy, but I’m telling you, it’s really surprising how the flavor mimics exactly what you want from the real deal. It starts with marinara – as any good lasagna does – and then it’s time for the big secret, the thing that makes this all work…

… cheese ravioli!

I mean, it’s two layers of pasta with a ricotta-cheese mixture sandwiched in between, and that’s largely what makes up lasagna, so it’s the ideal way to get the same eating experience without much time and effort. You just line them up over the marinara, top them with some more sauce and a bit of cheese, repeat the layers again, and pop it in the oven.

It feels a little bit like cheating, but when it comes out of the oven all golden brown and bubbly on top and you sink your teeth into those layers of tender pasta and ooey-gooey cheese, I don’t think you’re going to feel too bad about it.

Lasagna is always a sure bet when you have a lot of mouths to feed but that doesn’t always mean you have the time to make it happen. I love that this method lets you have lasagna anytime you want it and it still feels homemade, even if you had a little help along the way.