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Home » Blog » Recipes » Individual Lasagne Cups (Beef and Ricotta)

Published: Apr 27, 2022 Last Updated: May 29, 2020 by Andrea Geddes

Individual Lasagne Cups (Beef and Ricotta)

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These individual lasagne cups are perfect when you don’t have the time or energy to make a full-sized lasagne! With a rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling and the perfect amount of gooey mozzarella, they are the ultimate comfort food. Make them in your muffin tray or pie maker in less than 25 minutes and serve them for quick dinners, entertaining or a handy packed lunch.

mini lasagne on a white table

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Quick and easy – the easiest lasagne you’ll ever make! Mini lasagne cups are made with a handful of ingredients and take around 25 minutes to make, compared to a traditional lasagne which can take hours to prepare and bake.
  • Conveniently made into single-serve portions.
  • Versatile – make them in your pie maker or oven.
  • Freezer-friendly – make them ahead and freeze or reheat for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner.
  • Completely delicious! All the delicious flavours of a whole lasagne, with minimal effort!

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

ingredients for mini beef lasagne laid out on a table
ingredients for ricotta filling laid out on a table
  • Ground beef – is used to make the meat sauce. I recommend using lean beef mince, but you can use whatever you have available. Just be sure to drain the excess fat if using regular ground beef. Alternatively, use Italian sausage (minus the casings) or a mixture of beef and pork mince. Or 3 cups of your favourite chopped veggies for vegetarian lasagne!
  • Passata – pureed, strained tomatoes with no additives or flavourings. It is used to make the gorgeously rich meat sauce. Store-bought passata works great, or you can make your own!
  • Dried herbs – store-bought Italian herbs are a mix of; garlic, tomato, basil, onion, pepper, oregano, parsley and red bell pepper. Alternatively, you can use a mix of fresh or dried oregano and basil.
  • Ricotta – is used for the creamy filling, along with parmesan cheese, salt + pepper and nutmeg. I recommend using regular, full-fat smooth ricotta for best results.
  • Egg – helps to thicken the cheese filling.
  • Fresh lasagne sheets – make sure you use fresh, store-bought or homemade lasagne sheets, rather than dried lasagne. The fresh version will cook quickly and become lovely and crispy on the edges. For an even faster version, you can swap the pasta sheets for wonton wrappers! There is no need to soak or cook them ahead of time. I use Latina pasta sheets, which are also available in gluten-free.
  • Mozzarella – for the gooey cheese topping. Freshly grated mozzarella is best, or use whatever cheese you have handy (tasty cheddar, parmesan, Colby).

Step by step instructions

To make them in the oven;

Follow these steps to prepare individual lasagne in a muffin tin;

  1. Make the ricotta filling; mix all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Make the meat sauce over the stovetop. This step can be done ahead of time and the sauce stored in the fridge, ready to assemble.
a bowl with ricotta, cheese, egg and seasoning
ricotta filling in a glass bowl
fried garlic in a pan
beef mince browned in a pan

3. Cut the pasta; cut the pasta sheets into 16 x 12cm and 16 x 10cm circles. I use a pie maker pastry cutter as a guide, but you can roughly cut them to size.

4. Assemble the lasagnes; coat your muffin tin with a coating of oil spray. Then add a layer of pasta for the base. Add some meat sauce, followed by another layer of pasta. Finally, top with the ricotta and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella.

meat sauce in a pan
lasagne sheets cut into circles on a board
pasta sheets layered with meat and cheese in a muffin tray

5. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the edges of the pasta are crisp and the cheese has melted and become golden. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and your favourite sides.

mini lasagne topped with grated cheese
finished mini lasagne in a muffin tin

To make them in a pie maker;

Follow the steps above to prepare the meat and ricotta filling layers.

  1. Assemble the lasagnes in a hot pie maker as follows; add a layer of pasta for the base. Add some meat sauce, followed by another layer of pasta. Finally, top with the ricotta and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella.
  2. Cook – close the lid and cook for around 5 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and the cheese has melted over the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve with your favourite sides.

Reheating lasagne cups

Reheating lasagne is easy and can be done in an oven, microwave or air fryer.

For this mini version, place them into an oven or air fryer at 180°C/356 F for around 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, heat individual portions in the microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.

mini lasagne on a table with basil and tomatoes

Tips for success

  • Prep ahead – both the meat and the ricotta filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. This makes assembly when you are ready to cook much easier.
  • I recommend using lean mince instead of regular mince. If you use regular, be sure to drain the excess liquid from the meat before adding the tomato paste and passata.
  • This recipe yields 16 individual lasagne cups. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, or individually wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Add some finely diced vegetables or chopped spinach to the meat.

FAQs

What can I use instead of lasagne sheets?

While fresh lasagne sheets are best, you can use pre-cut wonton wrappers to save time. Since they are already cut to size, you just need to layer and cook! Don’t use dried lasagne sheets.

What to serve with mini lasagne?

These lasagnes can be eaten on their own as a complete meal, or served with a side salad, this super tasty roast pumpkin salad, or steamed vegetables. Some garlic bread is also a great addition!

mini lasagne arranged on a white plate

Related recipes

  • Creamy Chicken Pie with Puff Pastry
  • Spinach Ricotta Cannelloni
  • Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
  • 15 Minute Spaghetti Carbonara

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mini lasagne arranged on a white table

Individual Lasagne Cups (Beef and Ricotta)

These delicious individual lasagne cups are perfect when you don’t have the time or energy to make a full-sized lasagne! With a rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling and the perfect amount of gooey mozzarella, they are the ultimate comfort food. Serve them for quick dinners, entertaining or a handy packed lunch. Make them in your muffin tray or pie maker in less than 25 minutes.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 18
Calories: 361kcal
Author: Andrea Geddes
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Ingredients 
Metric – US Customary
 

  • 12 fresh lasagne sheets 1.5 x 375 gram packets

For the bolognese sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 500 grams ground beef (1.1 pounds) minced beef. Or use Italian sausage, or a mixture of pork and beef mince.
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Italian herbs dried
  • salt and pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 ⅓ cups passata

For the ricotta filling

  • 1 ½ cups soft ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
  • salt and pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

To top

  • 2 cups mozzarella grated

Plus

  • fresh basil to top

Instructions

For the ricotta filling

  • Stir all of the ricotta filling ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

For the bolognese sauce

  • Heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
  • Add the beef to the pan, along with the salt, pepper and herbs and stir until browned. Add the tomato paste and passata and simmer for a further 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cut the pasta sheets

  • Using scissors or a pastry cutter, cut 16 x 12cm and 16 x 10cm circles in the lasagne/pasta sheets. Use your pie maker pastry cutter (large and small) as a guide, if you have one.

For oven baking

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200 °C. Coat muffin trays (enough to make 16) with light oil spray, to prevent sticking.
  • Layer each muffin hole with the 12cm pasta bottoms, followed by 2 tablespoons of bolognese. Then, add the second layer of pasta, followed by a heaped tablespoon of ricotta and the mozzarella.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the pasta are crisp and the cheese has bubbled and browned. Carefully remove the lasagnes from the tray.
  • Top with fresh basil and serve hot.

For pie maker

  • Set up your pie maker on a bench and turn on.
  • While warming, add the 12cm pasta bottoms to the pie holes. (You will need to cook in batches).
  • Add 2 tablespoons of bolognese to each pasta case. Then, add the second layer of pasta sheets, followed by a heaped tablespoon of ricotta and the mozzarella.
  • Close the pie maker and cook for around 5 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and the cheese has melted. The edges of the pasta will be crispy, just like a pie casing, but the pasta in the middle will be cooked through.
  • Continue to cook the pies in batches, until the mixture has run out (this recipe makes 16). Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve hot.

Video

Notes

  1. Prep ahead – both the meat and the ricotta filling can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. This makes assembly when you are ready to cook much easier.
  2. I recommend using lean mince instead of regular mince. If you use regular, be sure to drain the excess liquid from the meat before adding the tomato paste and passata.
  3. This recipe yields 16 mini lasagnes. Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, or individually wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
  4. Add some finely diced vegetables or chopped spinach to the meat.
  5. While fresh lasagne sheets are best, you can use pre-cut wonton wrappers to save time. Since they are already cut to size, you just need to layer and cook! Don’t use dried lasagne sheets.
  6. These lasagne can be eaten on their own as a complete meal, or served with a side salad, this super tasty roast pumpkin salad, or steamed vegetables. Some garlic bread is also a great addition!

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 569IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 3mg
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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in May 2020, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in April 2022.

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