Lazy Lasagna with Shrimp

This lazy lasagna with shrimp recipe delivers great lasagna flavor without the hassle of layering lasagna noodles. It’s an easy weeknight meal that’s sure to please. The spinach and mushrooms make it a complete meal in one dish.

About this lazy lasagna recipe

Lazy lasagna tastes like traditional lasagna, but it’s easy to make. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy; it just means you want a tasty, easy-to-make meal that will make everyone at the table happy. And you’ll be happy that you didn’t spend a lot of time on dinner. It’s a win-win.

We like to keep our pantry stocked with ingredients that we can combine for easy meals, so we had macaroni and marinara sauce on hand. I was craving lasagna but I wanted to use up some of our elbow macaroni. I came up with this easy macaroni casserole only to discover that lazy lasagna is a thing. Of course, it makes sense that making an easy meal that tastes as great as lasagna wouldn’t be an entirely new idea. Shrimp, spinach, and mushrooms add more protein and flavor to an already tasty pasta casserole.

Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni – I used elbow macaroni but other pasta types will work.
• Ricotta cheese – Gives this lazy lasagna the classic lasagna flavor. I used the whole milk variety, but you can find low-fat versions.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese – Another classic lasagna cheese that really makes this macaroni casserole taste great.
• Marinara sauce – Use your favorite brand.
• Garlic – Fresh minced or put through a garlic press.
• Spinach – Bagged baby spinach is the quickest, tastiest way to go.
• Mushrooms – Cremini mushrooms were used in this recipe but white or portobello will work also. For more info about mushrooms, check out this link.
• Shrimp cooked – Thaw and cut into small pieces.
• Croutons – Seasoned or Caesar croutons work best.
• Parmesan cheese – An optional cheese that adds some flavor.

Making Lazy Lasagna with shrimp

1. Prepare the ingredients

• Cook the macaroni according to package instructions.
• Clean and slice the mushrooms.
• Put the garlic clove through a garlic press.
• Thaw the cooked shrimp.
• (Optional) Slice the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

2. Sauté the mushrooms and spinach

• Add a little olive oil to a skillet.
• Cook the sliced mushrooms for about three minutes.
• Toss in the fresh spinach and cook the mushrooms and spinach for another 2-3 minutes.
• When the macaroni has finished cooking, drain it and set it aside. (If it’s going to be a while before you finish preparing the other ingredients, add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking to itself or the pan.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Combine the ingredients

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, and mozzarella cheese.

• Stir in the macaroni, cooked mushrooms, spinach, and shrimp.

• Add the marinara sauce and mix the ingredients thoroughly.

4. Cook the lazy lasagna

• Spoon the mixed ingredients into a casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

• (Optional) Crush the croutons up a bit.
• Remove the macaroni casserole from the oven and add croutons and optional shredded parmesan cheese on top.

• Return the casserole to the oven and cook it for another five minutes.

Serving Lazy Lasagna

One of the great things about this macaroni casserole is that it’s a complete meal in one dish. With protein, pasta, and fresh veggies, you don’t really need a side salad or anything else. But it does go well with a nice glass of red wine and some fresh bread like a baguette shown here.

Spoon some onto a plate and dive in.

Tips for making lazy lasagna

• Use canned mushrooms and frozen spinach – To save even more time you can use canned mushrooms and frozen spinach. Be sure to drain the mushrooms and remove most of the water from the thawed spinach.
• Use prepared garlic – The produce section of your grocery store likely has some minced garlic in jars. You can also purchase garlic paste in tubes; it tastes fresh and good with every squeeze.
• Substitute other seafood – Scallops, salmon, or almost any type of seafood can turn this shrimp macaroni casserole into a seafood casserole. It’s a great way to use leftover fish.
• Tastes great leftover the next day – If you eat it as leftovers, try adding a little extra marinara sauce. The macaroni will absorb some of the moisture in the fridge overnight and the additional sauce helps with that.
• Crush the croutons – Put the croutons in a plastic or silicone bag and roll over them with a rolling pin. This breaks up the croutons and makes them easier to sprinkle on top.

Other pasta recipes you might like

It’s no secret that I love pasta. Here are some other pasta recipes that you might enjoy:

• Tangy Pasta with Shrimp
• Salmon with Orzo and Spinach
• Veggie Shrimp Pasta Salad
• Shrimp Pasta Salad with Miso Dressing
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Lazy Lasagna with Shrimp

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy lasagna, lazy lasagna, lazy lasagna with shrimp, macaroni casserole, seafood lasagna, shrimp macaroni casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Julia

This lazy lasagna with shrimp recipe delivers great lasagna flavor without the hassle of layering lasagna noodles. It’s an easy weeknight meal that’s sure to please. 

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup marinara
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup cooked mushrooms
• 16 large shrimp cooked
• ½ cup croutons
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare ingredients

• Cook the macaroni according to package instructions.
• Clean and slice the mushrooms.
• Put the garlic clove through a garlic press.
• Thaw the cooked shrimp.
• (Optional) Slice the shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2: Sauté the mushrooms and spinach.

• Add a little olive oil to a skillet.
• Cook the sliced mushrooms for about three minutes.
• Toss in the fresh spinach and cook the mushrooms and spinach for another 2-3 minutes.
• When the macaroni has finished cooking, drain it and set it aside. (If it’s going to be a while before you finish preparing the other ingredients, add a little olive oil to keep it from sticking to itself or the pan.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 3: Combine the ingredients

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, and mozzarella cheese.
• Stir in the macaroni, cooked mushrooms, spinach, shrimp, and marinara sauce.

Step 4: Cook the lazy lasagna

• Spoon the mixed ingredients into a casserole dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
• (Optional) Crush the croutons up a bit. 
• Remove the macaroni casserole from the oven and add croutons and optional shredded parmesan cheese on top.
• Return the casserole to the oven and cook it for another five minutes.

Notes

• Use canned mushrooms and frozen spinach – To save even more time you can use canned mushrooms and frozen spinach. Be sure to drain the mushrooms and remove most of the water from the thawed spinach.
• Use prepared garlic the produce section of your grocery store likely has some minced garlic in jars. You can also purchase garlic paste in tubes; it tastes fresh and good with every squeeze.
• Substitute other seafood Scallops, salmon, or most any type of seafood can turn this shrimp macaroni casserole into a seafood casserole. It’s a great way to use leftover fish.
• Tastes great the next day – If you eat it as leftovers, try adding a little extra marinara sauce. The macaroni will absorb some of the moisture in the fridge overnight and the additional sauce helps with that.
• Crush the croutons Put the croutons in a plastic or silicone bag and roll over them with a rolling pin. This breaks up the croutons and makes them easier to eat.

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Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.4g | Protein: 7.5g | Fat: 9.8g | Cholesterol: 126.7mg | Sodium: 51.2mg