Name: Italian Ham & Cheese Lasagna (Lasagna di Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 24 ounces high-quality Italian tomato passata (700g) (sub finely chopped tomatoes); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste (30g); 1/2 medium onion, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, smashed; 1/2 medium carrot, finely diced; salt to taste; 1 pound egg pasta lasagna sheets, fresh or dried (500g); 7 ounces prosciutto cotto, sliced paper thin (200g) (sub cooked country ham); 3 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (400g); 1 cup grated DOP Grana Padano cheese (sub Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan)

Jump to Recipe

This is the easiest lasagna recipe you'll ever make and it could not be more delicious. Mama A's melty delicious Italian ham and mozzarella lasagna is filled with layers of fresh egg lasagna, delicate slices of prosciutto cotto (Italian cooked ham), generous helpings of shredded mozzarella, grated Grana Padano cheese, and a quick homemade tomato sauce -- this is everything we love about simple Italian cooking. As always, step-by-step recipe photos follow.

Closeup of a golden brown bubbling cheesy ham and mozzarella lasagna just after baking.

Perfectly golden brown and cheesy tomato and prosciutto cotto lasagna (Italian cooked ham and tomato sauce lasagna)

Nonna Anna's Lasagna con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella

This Italian ham and mozzarella lasagna recipe is based on my Italian mother-in-law's 'lasagna con prosciutto cotto e mozzarella' (see below photos) which I've mentioned in previous posts because it's so delicious and really simple to make.

In fact, like so many authentic Italian recipes, it seems almost too simple to taste this good which is a testament to traditional Italian home cooking and the quality of the ingredients. This recipe is regional Italian home cooking at its best.

⇓ Anna's Lasagna con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella ⇓

A serving of Anna's ham and mozzarella lasagna. — Anna's Lasagne con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella

A closeup fork full of Anna's lasagna showing the impossibly thin layers and the simplicity of the lasagna with it's melty layers. — Another one of Anna's Lasagne con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella

Star Ingredients Plus the Best Substitutions

I've used a high-quality ingredients for this ham and mozzarella lasagna including:

prosciutto cotto di Campagna (Italian country ham)
organic Pera d'Abruzzo tomato passata from La Giara (one of our favorite Italian Slow Food producers Roberto and his family
a reserve extra virgin olive oil from Juliis Timando (another one of our favorite awarded olive oil producers in Abruzzo)
a 20-month DOP Grana Padano
locally made mozzarella
and locally made Pinton fresh lasagna pasta sheets

Don't worry if you don't have access to these specific Italian ingredients -- below are perfect substitutions you can easily find in the States and elsewhere.

Deep bright red homemade tomato sauce with extra virgin olive oil, La Giara Pera d'Abruzzo tomato passata, onions, carrot, and garlic.

Thin layers of Italian cooked ham being layered on top of lasagna pasta sheets covered in tomato sauce.

Grana Padano cheese sprinkled over the top of the tomato sauce

Grana Padano cheese sprinkled over the top of the tomato sauce and crumbled shredded mozzarella cheese all over the top.

This ham and mozzarella lasagna can easily be replicated wherever you are in the world as long as you can find a high-quality shaved cooked country ham and good (preferably Italian) canned tomatoes. Here are my favorite ingredients to use as substitutes that you can easily find in the US:

Boar's Head Italian Roasted Uncured Ham with Seasoning (authentic prosciutto cotto produced in Italy).
Petit Jean Smoked Ham (it may be a bit smokier in flavor, but will still taste great).
Mutti Italian Tomato Passata
Bianco Di Napoli canned tomatoes (produced in California)
If you can't find fresh egg pasta lasagna sheets, use this homemade egg pasta recipe to make your own, or use dried oven-ready lasagna.

Ham and mozzarella lasagna completely assembled but not yet baked -- with lots of chunks and shreds of mozzarella cheese

Why We Love This Lasagna Recipe

For starters, it's probably the easiest lasagna recipe you'll ever make
It's an authentic Italian recipe given to me by my Italian mother-in-law
Homemade tomato sauce is ready in 25 minutes
Fresh egg pasta sheets add nice “chew” and flavor to each bite
A great lasagna recipe for kids to help make
A great make-ahead and freeze lasagna recipe (baked or unbaked)
Uses just 9 total ingredients (and this includes everything needed for the homemade tomato sauce)

Closeup of ingredients needed to make this lasagna on the countertop (Italian cooked ham (aka prosciutto cotto, torn balls of mozzarella, grated Grana padano cheese, homemade tomato sauce, and fresh egg pasta lasagna sheets).

Lasagna Ingredients

For this lasagna, you just need to make a quick Italian tomato sauce and shred the mozzarella (or use pre-shredded which is even quicker), and then layer the ingredients and bake. You don't even need to precook the noodles -- it's so easy!

For the Simple Italian Tomato Sauce

high-quality Italian tomato passata (sub finely chopped tomatoes)
extra virgin olive oil
onion
garlic
carrot
salt to taste

For the Rest of the Lasagna

fresh egg lasagna sheets (sub ready-to-bake lasagna sheets)
prosciutto cotto (sub shaved cooked country ham)
mozzarella cheese
Grana Padano DOP (sub Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan)

Pasta sauce and grana padano cheese spread out and sprinkled on top of fresh lasagna pasta sheets.

Mozzarella added to the sauce and grana padano lasagna layer.

Paper-thin fresh slices of Italian prosciutto cotto (cooked shaved ham) added on top of the lasagna sauce and cheese.

Fresh lasagna pasta sheets added to cover the first layer of sauce, cheese, and ham.

Reheated prosciutto cotto and mozzarella lasagna sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

How to Make Ham and Mozzarella Lasagna

Feel free to make the 30-minute tomato pasta sauce the day before you assemble and bake the lasagna. But even if you're crunched for time, this entire recipe can be made and ready to eat in just about 1 hour -- it really is the quickest lasagna you can make. And don't let the simplicity of the ingredients fool you, it's worthy of Sunday supper, date night, dinner parties, or just a good old-fashioned family night.

Make the pasta sauce. To a medium-sized pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, carrots, onions, and a little salt, and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until onions are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the tomato passata and season with salt to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly reduced and thickened. Adjust the seasoning adding more salt if needed.
Assemble the lasagna. Add a ladle full (about ¼ cup) of tomato sauce to a 9x13-inch oven-proof baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top the sauce with slightly overlapping sheets of lasagna. Add a little more sauce, spread it out, and sprinkle the top with Grana Padano and mozzarella cheese and top with a layer of prosciutto cotto (or cooked ham). Add another layer of lasagna noodles, a little more tomato sauce, Grana Padano cheese and mozzarella, and a layer of lasagna sheets. Continue repeating these alternating layers ending with the last layer of lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake the lasagna. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbling and the cheese has melted. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 8 to 10 minutes longer. During the last 5 minutes or so of baking time, you may turn the broiler function on to slightly crisp up the cheese until golden brown. Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving and Enjoy!

Step-by-Step Recipe Photos

A photo collage of 25 step-by-step photos showing you exactly how to make ham and mozzarella lasagna.

The Easiest & Best Way To Reheat Leftover Lasagna So It Tastes Just-Baked

Portioned slice of leftover refrigerated lasagna about to be reheated.

Two slices of portioned leftover refrigerated lasagna topped with extra mozzarella about to be reheated in the oven.

Here are the best ways to reheat leftover lasagna so it tastes like it was just baked and never dries out. Of course, you may also reheat lasagna in a microwave for up to 1 minute or until hot.

To reheat lasagna on the stovetop. Add a little olive oil to a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) set over medium heat and add lasagna slices. Cover them with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook until the lasagna is melty and warmed through. Contrary to what I've read online, reheating lasagna on the stovetop has never (ever) dried out the lasagna. In fact, I prefer this method because it's not only quicker than preheating the oven and then re-baking the lasagna for 30 minutes, it's always melty and delicious with little bits of cheese that crisps up on the sides around the bottom which tastes great (see below photos of reheated lasagna in a crêpe pan).
To reheat lasagna in the oven. You can choose three different temperatures to reheat leftover lasagna in the oven. First, add desired slices to an oven-proof baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Then bake at any of the below times and temperatures depending on how quickly you want to eat (FYI, I usually reheat at 375°F/190°C for 25 minutes):
- Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 325°F/160°C for 40 minutes, or until warmed completely through.
- Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes, or until warmed completely through.
- Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 375°F/190°C for 25 minutes, or until warmed completely through. Pro tip -- Add a little extra tomato sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before adding the lasagna slices, then sprinkle the tops with a little extra mozzarella or parm before reheating.