This fresh and easy summer lasagna requires sweet summer veggies and exactly NO baking in a hot oven! The perfect summer supper.
Jump to:
Why we love this recipe
This recipe for summer lasagna makes me happy in so many ways. First of all, it is one of those recipes that looks like you slaved over it for hours when really you messed around in the kitchen for about 20 minutes.
Second, it takes full advantage of some of our favorite fresh and wonderful summer veggies — young fresh basil, sweet cherry tomatoes, and zucchini.
Third, it is yet another recipe that calls for ricotta cheese, thereby helping me satisfy my obsession with making my own ricotta (and as always, you feel free to buy your ricotta at the supermarket, the way well-adjusted people do.)
Fourth, the reason it is called “Summer Lasagna” is because you don’t bake it. Nope, no oven required. Let’s do this thing!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Lasagna Noodles: Make sure you get the regular ones and not the “no-bake” kind.
- Ricotta Cheese: Get the very best kind you can…this cheese plays a starring role in this recipe! 🌟
- Tomatoes: We find that cherry tomatoes work best for this recipe, but you can also use chopped large tomatoes
- Zucchini: You can also swap the zucchini for yellow summer squash if that’s what you have on hand.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe 👩🏻🍳
STEP 1: Break 8 lasagna noodles into thirds and cook them in salted boiling water according to package directions (usually around 12-15 minutes). Drain them in a strainer, tossing them gently with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking.
STEP 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet over medium high and add some halved cherry tomatoes. tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
PRO TIP: You can also cook the lasagna noodles whole and then cut them into thirds after they are cooked. Whatever works best for you!
STEP 3: Add some chopped zucchini to the skillet (with a little more oil if needed). Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer to another bowl.
STEP 4: Combine ricotta, parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix it all up.
STEP 5: Now for the assembly! Scatter a few tomatoes over four plates. Top with one noodle, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, zucchini and more tomatoes. Repeat layering twice, ending with noodle and tomatoes. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top.
Garnish with basil and serve it up!
Recipe FAQs
You can! Any wide flat noodle will work – think pappardelle, fettuccine…even bow ties.
Nope…they are pre-treated to soften in a casserole, so they get too mushy when they are boiled. You need the good old standard noodles.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Add or substitute absolutely any veggie you like. Just cook them to your liking (if they need cooking at all) and they will work just fine.
I love to make mine fresh at home (here is my homemade ricotta recipe – it is super easy and takes about 10 minutes!) but you can also sometimes find fresh ricotta in the fancy cheese section of your supermarket. And if you use the regular kind in the dairy section, we advise going for the full-fat kind for maximum flavor!
Pop your question in the comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto
Equipment we used for this recipe 🥣
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Measuring Cup: We love these angled cups that show the measurements on both the inside and outside of the cup.
- Measuring Spoons: These handy magnetic spoons are not on a ring, so you can just pick the one you need.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls: These classic sturdy bowls come in all different sizes and are great for everything from mixing ingredients to being casual serving bowls.
- Cutting Board: These sturdy, dishwasher-safe cutting boards come in all different sizes.
- Tongs: We have this essential kitchen tool in all sizes from short to extra long.
- Medium Skillet: We have a drawer full of these, but this one is our fave.
- Strainer: This classic strainer is just right for these lasagna noodles and your favorite pasta recipes (one of ours is pasta with egg sauce!)
Other summer pasta dishes we love ❤️
Summer Lasagna
This fresh and easy summer lasagna requires sweet summer veggies and exactly NO baking in a hot oven! The perfect summer supper.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup torn basil leaves
Instructions
- Break 8 lasagna noodles into thirds and cook them in salted boiling water according to package directions (usually around 12-15 minutes). Drain them in a strainer, tossing them gently with a little olive oil to keep them from sticking. (You can also cook the lasagna noodles whole and then cut them into thirds after they are cooked. Whatever works best for you!)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet over medium high and add some halved cherry tomatoes. tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add some chopped zucchini to the skillet (with a little more oil if needed). Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer to another bowl.
- Combine ricotta, parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix it all up.
- Now for the assembly! Scatter a few tomatoes over four plates. Top with one noodle, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, zucchini and more tomatoes. Repeat layering twice, ending with noodle and tomatoes. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Garnish with basil and serve.
Notes
-
- Lasagna Noodles: Make sure you get the regular ones and not the “no-bake” kind.
-
- Ricotta Cheese: Get the very best kind you can…this cheese plays a starring role in this recipe! 🌟
-
- Tomatoes: We find that cherry tomatoes work best for this recipe, but you can also use chopped large tomatoes
-
- Zucchini: You can also swap the zucchini for yellow summer squash if that’s what you have on hand.
Mimi Rippee says
This is fabulous! What a brilliant idea. And I just picked zucchini and some cherry tomatoes from my garden!
http://www.chefmimiblog.com
Hi Mimi and hurray! I think this is a sign that you need to make some Summer Lasagna!
Ellie says
Yummy!!May I suggest that your boil the lasagna noodles first and then break them into thirds. Much easier to break cooked lasagna noodles than dry ones.
Thank you again for a another fabulous recipe.
Hi Ellie! Yes, that is definitely a good option and I will add that to the recipe – thank you! Hope you love this one as much as we do!
EZ Flash IV says
Anyway, I am adding this RSS to my email and could look out for much more of your respective interesting content. Make sure you update this again soon.
Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says
Yes! Yes! YES! Gorgeous photos as always, Kate! This looks beautiful!
Kate says
Aw, thanks! This is going on my menu (again) next week…I can’t stop making it in the summer! :)
Jill@TeenageBride says
thank you thank you thank you!!! I was looking for the perfect summer dinner party dish . Both impressive and delicious!
Jill@TeenageBride says
Thank you thank you thank you…. i was looking for the perfect summer dinner party dish! Both impressive and delicious!
Kate says
Hurray! Hope it’s a great party!
Cheryl says
4 out of 5 in my house loved this. Most recipes have a hard time passing 3 out of 5, we all have such different tastes and my youngest says it is even good enough for company. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Kate says
4 out of 5 – I’ll take it! Glad it was such a hit at your house. :)
Anna says
Just wanted to write and say that I made this dish over the long weekend for my family and they ADORED it. My mom couldn't stop raving about how easy making the fresh ricotta was, and how she would never buy store-bought again. I just recently stumbled onto your blog and will most definitely be coming back for more your wonderful recipes and fabulous wit and humor :) Thanks!
Anna
Washington, DC
Inversiones en oro says
Hello, i think that this post is very good, i would like to read more about it
cialis online says
Looks good, but it is not my kind of food, Im young, so I still can afford the steaks, the pork shops, the ribs, all the grease foods.
Marisa says
This was delicious! I always crave lasagna in the summer but don't want to heat up the house. Thank you for showing us a summer alternative.
I even made the ricotta and really surprised myself. So simple! And so much better than store-bought.
I posted my photos on my blog…but I like yours much better. Yours really captures the freshness. (I included a link to this post, of course.)
Thank you!
Anonymous says
I made this last night and it was great!!! I added some finely chopped spinach to the ricotta for some color and the a slice of fresh mozzarella on the top layer. Delicious!
Katie @ goodLife {eats} says
I am going to make this tonight…can't wait! I've had it bookmarked since seeing it featured on TLC.
Framed says
You can use either one. Cherry tomatoes (at least the ones I usually get) are little smaller and more fragile than the grapes (which I DID use, good eye!) so you might want to cook them a teeny bit less, depending on how firm you want your tomato in this dish. As you can see from the picture, my grape tomatoes only broke down a little during cooking. But either one will work just fine — I tend to grab whichever variety looks best at that particular moment in the supermarket!