Dumpling Lasagna (Printable)

Juicy dumplings layered with marinara and three cheeses create this fusion Italian-East Asian bake perfect for sharing.

# What You Need:

→ Dumplings

01 - 24 frozen or fresh pork, chicken, or vegetable dumplings (gyoza or potstickers)

→ Sauce

02 - 2 cups marinara or tomato basil pasta sauce
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1 tsp soy sauce
07 - 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
08 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Mixture

09 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
12 - 1 large egg
13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley

→ To Assemble

14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
15 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more.
03 - Stir in marinara sauce, soy sauce, and chili flakes. Simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
04 - In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, basil or parsley, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan until combined.
05 - In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce. Arrange 12 dumplings over the sauce.
06 - Dollop half the ricotta mixture over dumplings, then sprinkle with one-third of remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
07 - Repeat layers: sauce, remaining dumplings, remaining ricotta mixture, another third of the cheeses.
08 - Top with remaining sauce and all the remaining cheeses.
09 - Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
10 - Uncover and bake an additional 10–15 minutes, until cheese is golden and bubbling.
11 - Let rest 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dumplings get this incredible chewy tender texture that pasta just cant replicate
  • Its faster than making lasagna from scratch but feels just as impressive
02 -
  • Letting it rest for 10 minutes after baking is non negotiable or the layers will slide everywhere when you cut it
  • Frozen dumplings work perfectly here and actually hold their shape better than fresh ones
03 -
  • Space your dumplings evenly so the sauce can bubble up between them creating those crispy cheesy edges everyone fights over
  • Use a fork to poke a few tiny holes in the bottom of the dumplings before layering this helps the sauce absorb

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