This classic lasagna recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Made with rich tomato-meat sauce, three cheeses, and Italian spices, it’s easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser!
The bittersweet side of appreciating life’s most precious moments is the unbearable awareness that those moments are passing.
Marc Parent
Why This is the Best Lasagna Recipe!
For over a decade, this homemade lasagna recipe was a staple in our catering business, from small gatherings to corporate events. I can’t tell you how many people told us that this was the best lasagna they’d ever had!
Eventually, this became the meal I would make family and friends who needed a home-cooked meal dropped off when life became overwhelming, or there was a hardship.
Homey and comforting, it is perfect for potlucks, Sunday supper, or a family needing a bit of nourishment. Here is why this lasagna recipe is the best!
- Simple ingredients: This classic homemade lasagna recipe uses the simplest ingredients you can find anywhere! Use ground beef, pork, turkey, ground chicken or ground lamb. (Or even plant-based “meat”.)
- Easy to meal prep: Prepare the meat sauce a few days ahead of time so you can assemble and bake! Or assemble ahead and store until ready to bake.
- Freezer-friendly: Freeze unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months!
Homemade Lasagna Ingredients
- Lasagna noodles: Use one pound oven-ready or no-cook lasagna noodles. We use Rummo oven-ready lasagna noodles. You can use regular lasagna noodles and boil to al dente in a large pot.
- Marinara: Buy good, high-quality marinara or make our simple homemade marinara sauce from scratch!
- Ricotta cheese: Or sub vegan tofu ricotta and skip the salt and egg for a plant-based version—simply use vegan parmesan and mozzarella and a meat substitute.
- Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese: For decadent layers of melty cheese! You can sub pecorino cheese for parmesan.
- Egg: Helps bind and lighten the ricotta mixture together so it stays intact when the lasagna is sliced.
- Onion and garlic cloves: For savory, aromatic flavor in the Italian sausage.
- Ground beef and ground pork: You can use all ground beef or sub ground turkey or ground lamb. Or make it vegan with a plant-based ground “meat”.
- Spices: Nutmeg, oregano, sage, ground fennel (or fennel seeds), smoked paprika, red pepper flakes (optional), salt, and black pepper.
- Broth: Use your favorite—chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth. This extra liquid ensures the noodles get perfectly tender.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients.
How to Make Lasagna Step by Step
Preheat oven to 350F.
1. Make the Italian sausage. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet until just soft, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for a minute. Add ground beef, pork, salt, pepper, oregano, sage, fennel seed, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring, until the meat browns.
2. Prepare the meat sauce. Add 3 cups of the marinara sauce and the broth into the skillet with the seasoned meat. Cover, bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. You’ll have roughly 4 ½ cups of tomato meat sauce. Tip: Taste; if it tastes acidic, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey to taste.
3. Mix the cheese filling. Mix the ricotta, egg, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella and 1/2 cup grated parmesan and stir. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella for the top.)
4. Assemble the lasagna. Spread one cup of the reserved marina sauce on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan or casserole dish. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread a third of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly on the noodles, then cover with a third (1 ½ cups )of the meat sauce. Repeat this layering sequence 2 more times.
5. For the top layer: Place the final layer of lasagna noodles on top and cover with the remaining reserved marinara. Sprinkle with reserved parmesan, and then mozzarella last!
How to Layer Lasagna
Begin with a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish, then follow this layering sequence 3 times.
- Lasagna noodles: Arrange the noodles on top of the sauce.
- Ricotta cheese mixture: Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over top of the noodles.
- Meat sauce: Cover the cheese layer with 1 cup of meat sauce.
Finish with a top layer of lasagna noodles, the remaining cup of marinara sauce, and the remaining cheese.
6. Bake. Cover the pan with a layer of parchment paper and foil so the foil doesn’t touch the lasagna. Bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes until it is bubbling. Uncover and bake 15 minutes until golden. Optional: Broil for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly and browned.
7. Cool. Let lasagna cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with chopped fresh chopped herbs like parsley, basil, thyme or oregano.
Classic Lasagna Recipe Tips
- Spread prep time out over a few days: If making homemade marinara sauce, do this 3 days beforehand. Make the sausage 2 days before, and grate the cheese 1 day before. Then simply assemble and bake!
- Meal prep: Prepare and assemble the lasagna up to 2 days in advance, storing in the refrigerator. Bring to room temp while the oven preheats (about 30 minutes).
- Use good, high-quality marinara sauce: Buying a good brand of store-bought sauce makes all the difference! Or better yet, make your own homemade marinara sauce.
- Use cottage cheese: Sub cottage cheese for the ricotta if you’d like! But strain it first if it’s juicy.
- Make it vegan: Use tofu ricotta, skip the extra salt and the egg, sub vegan parmesan and vegan mozzarella, and sub a plant-based meat substitute.
What to Serve with Lasagna
Serve with warm, crusty Homemade Sourdough—and make it into garlic bread! Or try these Soft Sourdough Rolls. Serve with simple greens and our Italian Dressing, or serve with the Best Caesar Salad or Little Gem Salad. Lasagna also goes great with vegetable sides like Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Broccoli, or Baked Zucchini.
Storing Homemade Lasagna
Store cooled leftover lasagna in an airtight container for 4 days. Rather than wrapping the baking dish in plastic wrap, cut individual slices and store in sealed containers.
Freeze unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. Freeze baked lasagna for up to 3 months and thaw completely before reheating.
FAQs
In a 9 x 13 baking dish with a thin layer of marinara, start with a layer of lasagna noodles, then the ricotta cheese mixture, and finally the meat sauce. Repeat twice.
In southern Italy lasagna is made with dried sheets of pasta, meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella, much like this recipe! In northern Italy, it is common to see lasagna made with fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with meat sauce, bechamel, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Lasagna is the Italian word for a single flat sheet of pasta. Lasagne refers to the dish as a whole.
Lasagna typically has 3-4 layers. Here we do 3 layers, which we find to be ideal!
Italians do use ricotta, but you will also see Italian lasagna made with béchamel sauce instead.
For 45 minutes of baking time, the pan should be covered with foil. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes before broiling.
We hope you love this easy lasagna recipe! Please let us know what you think. Enjoy!
More Favorite Lasagna Recipes!
Classic Lasagna Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
- Category: main, pasta, dinner idea
- Method: various
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Description
This classic lasagna recipe is absolutly delectable! Made with a rich tomato-meat sauce, three kinds of cheeses, and savory Italian spices, it’s easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles: oven-ready or no-cook noodles (we used Rummo oven-ready lasagna noodles)- or use regular lasagna noodles and boil to al dente. ( You’ll need enough for 4 layers of noodles)
- Optional garnish: sprinkle with fresh basil or Italian parsley.
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound ground beef (or sub-ground turkey)
- 1/2 pound ground pork (you can use all ground beef, or ground lamb, turkey or a meat substitute)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried sage (or Italian seasoning)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel (or 1 teaspoon fennel seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 40 ounces marinara sauce (5 cups), divided. ( This is slightly less than two jars of store-bought)
- 1/4 cup broth (omit if using preboiled pasta noodles)- use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or beef broth. This extra liquid ensures the no-cook noodles get perfectly tender.
Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese (or sub vegan tofu ricotta- If using the tofu ricotta, no need to add more salt or egg.) *see notes for using cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or pecorino cheese, divided
- 2 & 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F
- Make the Italian Sausage: Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat in a large pan or skillet until softened, 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir in for a minute. Add ground beef, pork, salt, pepper, oregano, sage, fennel, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir regularly, incorporating the spices into the meat for 7- 8 minutes until the meat browns.
- Meat Sauce: Add 3 cups of the marinara sauce and the broth to the browned meat. (Reserve two cups of plain marinara for the bottom and very top of the lasagna.) Cover, simmer five minutes and remove from heat. You’ll have 4 ½-5 cups of meat sauce. Tip: Taste; if it tastes acidic, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey to taste.
- Cheese Filling: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Add 1 & 1/2 cups of grated mozzarella and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan (we aren’t adding all of the cheese here-saving part of the cheese for the top) and stir until combined. Save the remaining cheese for the top of the lasagna.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread one cup of the reserved marinara on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly on the noodles, the spread 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce. Repeat this layering sequence 2 more times, pressing down lightly with each layer.
- For the top layer, place the last of the lasagna noodles, spread the remaining reserved marinara over the noodles, sprinkle with parmesan, and lastly, sprinkle with the mozzarella.
- Bake: Cover with parchment paper and aluminum foil, so the foil doesn’t touch the lasagna. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until golden. Optional: Broil for 3-5 minutes until cheese gets bubbly and brown, keep a close eye!
- Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Tip: Prep the lasagna in stages over a few days. Make homemade marinara sauce 3 days ahead, make the meat sauce 2 days ahead, make the cheese mixture 1 day ahead. Assemble and bake in no time!
Short on time? Skip making the sausage and buy 1 pound of premade sweet Italian sausage or 1/2 each sausage and beef. Adjust salt to taste. Saute with onions and garlic for the best flavor.
If you prefer cottage cheese over ricotta, strain it first if it’s juicy.
Lasagna can be assembled up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge before baking. Let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats for about 30 minutes and add 10 minutes to covered baking time.
Freeze unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen lasagna in the fridge overnight before baking. Freeze baked lasagna for up to 3 months and thaw completely before reheating.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (1/12th of the lasagna)
- Calories: 363
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 506.4 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.2 g
- Fiber: 5.3 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 68.5 mg
Question: Classic Lasagna Recipe is confusing! It calls for 1/4 cup of Parm Reg, but at (4) it says “half a cup”.
And, how much grated mozzarella? Recipe is “1/2 1/2 Cups”!!
Thank you
Hi Mary! The ingredients list the full amount of the cheese used in the recipe and then it says “divided”. In step 4 just part of the cheese is used. The remainder is saved for the very top layer. The mozzarella is 2 & 1/2 cups, we add 1 & 1/2 cups in the cheese mixture and save 1 cup for the top. Same idea with the parmesan. I added a note in the instructions to help make that more clear.:)
I really love how this lasagna turned out! Moist, flavorful and just the right amount of cheesiness. Perfect fall comfort food and the leftovers were even better.
Thanks for giving it a try Nia!
Excellent. I made this using ground turkey for a lighter version, and it came out delicious. Perfectly saucy with good flavor from the spices.
Wonderful! So glad to hear this Stefani.
An old Martha Stewart tip: soak the lasagna noodles in hot tap water for 5 or so minutes before assembling (they should be a bit pliable). It helps the noodles take up liquid and cook through without needing to add the extra broth so your lasagna never turns out too wet or too dry. I find this easier than guessing the amount of extra liquid to add. I also add a layer of chopped fresh basil (or spinach) for color and flavor. And I am a bechamel fan for the top (but I don’t always go the extra mile)…. Nice recipe!
That is a great idea Bri, I will give it a try with regular noodles! Though I do love how easy it is to spread the ricotta on dry noodles and turns out great. good to play with all the options!
Looks good…one recommendation, or alternative…just use regular lasagna noodles…I use Barilla…no need to pre boil at all…all the moisture in the ingredients will cook the noodles and give it a great, non soupy texture…just cover with aluminum foil when you bake it…
Thanks Colin!
So good
On step 2, is it 3 cups of marinara AND 3 cups of broth, or are the two combined 50/50 and use 3 cups of that?
“ 2. Prepare the meat sauce. Add 3 cups of the marinara and the broth into the skillet with the seasoned meat. (Reserve 2 cups marinara.) Simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat.”
The recipe card at the bottom of the post has the ingredient amounts listed and more detailed instructions.
Delicious. A keeper for sure. I love this topping. I used to use béchamel sauce.
Thanks Janice!