Save I stumbled on this idea during grad school when my grocery budget had shrunk to basically nothing and I was craving something that felt like real comfort food. The ramen packages sat in my cabinet for weeks until one rainy Tuesday when I just started layering them like lasagna noodles and hoped for the best. When I pulled that bubbling dish from the oven and took that first cheesy, tomatoey bite, I literally laughed out loud because it worked so beautifully.
My roommate walked in while this was baking and actually asked what restaurant Id ordered from because the kitchen smelled incredible. We stood around the counter with forks straight from the pan, steam rising into the air, and suddenly that pack of instant ramen felt like something entirely different. Now whenever Im broke or just lazy and want something satisfying, this is the first thing that comes to mind.
Ingredients
- 3 instant ramen noodle bricks: Toss the seasoning packets we are building our own flavor here and curly noodles hold sauce beautifully
- 2 cups tomato pasta sauce: Grab whatever jar is on sale but check that it does not have any weird additives
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs: Optional but worth it if you have them gathering dust in your spice cabinet
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder: Fresh garlic is great but powder distributes evenly through the sauce without any chopping
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese: The cheese that makes everything stretchy and gooey so do not skimp here
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese: Adds that salty sharpness that cuts through the rich layers
- 1 cup ricotta or cottage cheese: Cottage cheese is the budget hack that actually tastes amazing in this
- Fresh basil leaves: Totally optional but makes it look fancy and adds a fresh pop
Instructions
- Get your oven ready:
- Preheat to 375°F and grab your 8x8 baking dish because this comes together fast once you start
- Boost the sauce:
- Mix the tomato sauce with Italian herbs and garlic powder in a medium bowl until it smells amazing
- Make the creamy layer:
- Combine ricotta or cottage cheese with half the Parmesan in a separate bowl until smooth and spreadable
- Start the foundation:
- Grease your baking dish lightly then spread about 1/4 of the sauce across the bottom so nothing sticks
- First layer down:
- Lay one ramen brick on top breaking it to fit if needed because we want full coverage
- Add the creamy goodness:
- Spread 1/3 of your ricotta mixture over the noodles then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella
- Repeat the magic:
- Do the whole layering thing two more times with sauce ramen ricotta mozzarella until you are nearly out
- Finish strong:
- End with the remaining sauce on top then pile on the rest of the mozzarella and all the Parmesan
- The secret trick:
- Pour 1/2 cup water around the edges so the noodles cook perfectly in the oven
- Cover and bake:
- Tightly cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes so everything gets steamy and melty
- Get that golden top:
- Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown in spots
- The hard part:
- Let it sit for 5 minutes because cutting too early makes a mess and nobody wants that
Save Last month I made this for a friend who had just had a rough week and she literally asked for the recipe before even finishing her first serving. There is something about taking the cheapest ingredient possible and turning it into something that feels cozy and special that just hits different.
Make It Your Own
I have added sautéed spinach mushrooms even leftover cooked chicken between layers when I had them on hand. The beauty of this recipe is that it is basically a lasagna blueprint that happens to use ramen as the base so go wild with whatever you need to use up.
The Make Ahead Magic
You can assemble this entire thing the night before cover it tightly and just pop it in the oven when you get home. Actually I think it tastes even better when the flavors have time to hang out together for a while.
Serving Ideas
A simple green salad with whatever dressing you have in the fridge cuts through the richness perfectly. Garlic bread would not hurt either but honestly this is pretty filling on its own so keep it simple.
- Let everyone add their own red pepper flakes at the table
- Extra Parmesan on top is never a bad decision
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day
Save Sometimes the best recipes come from having almost nothing and making something anyway. This ramen lasagna started as a broke student experiment and ended up being one of those comfort foods I keep coming back to year after year.
Kitchen Q&A
- → Can I use fresh ramen noodles instead of instant?
Fresh ramen can be used but may alter cooking times since instant noodles are designed to cook quickly. Adjust baking time accordingly to ensure noodles are tender.
- → How do I prevent the dish from drying out in the oven?
Adding water around the edges of the baking dish helps steam the noodles and keeps the layers moist during baking.
- → What cheese options work well in this layering?
Mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta provide creaminess and melt beautifully, but you can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta or add other mild cheeses.
- → Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Yes, it can be assembled ahead and refrigerated. Bake just before serving, adding a few extra minutes if baking from cold.
- → Is this suitable for vegetarians?
Using vegetarian-friendly cheese and sauce makes this dish suitable for vegetarian diets without compromising flavor.