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My best Lasagna recipe has three kinds of cheese, lots of ground beef, and one fantastic homemade sauce. Pre-cut the lasagna before baking for easier, cheesier, slices.
I entered the Lasagna Arena with my popular Make-Ahead Lasagna, a recipe I created because I was interested in bypassing the step where you boil lasagna noodles (and the way that oven-ready, pre-boiled lasagna noodles shredded on your fork grossed me out).
The noodles go in dry and you let the whole thing sit for a few hours before baking (or overnight, making it a fun way to prep a meal ahead of time). It works perfectly, tastes great, and people love it.
But for everyone else, here’s the recipe you’ve requested: Similar flavors and equally delicious, but you cook the noodles first. There is no added wait-time, so you can pop it in the oven as soon as you’re done building it.
Table of Contents
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Lasagna noodles: NOT “oven-ready” or “no-boil noodles.” Those pre-cooked noodles will shred on your fork in the most unappetizing way, while the “real” noodles will not.
- Ground beef: This recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef, but doing 1 pound each of ground beef and ground Italian sausage is delicious, too.
- Sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of sugar in your meat sauce, please leave it out. In my family, people add ¼ cup or even up to ½ cup.
- Italian seasoning: It’s easy to make your own homemade Italian seasoning with dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
- Ricotta cheese: Make your own ricotta with just 4 ingredients: Milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the noodles and the cheese filling:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large stockpot or Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking (this also removes the starch so the noodles won’t stick to each other).
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and chill until assembling the lasagna.
To make the meat sauce:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
To assemble and bake the lasagna:
- In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of noodles over the meat sauce (I do 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and then a partial noodle crosswise).
- Spread with a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 ½ cups (5 ounces) of mozzarella. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of noodles, ricotta mixture (heaping 2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 ½ cups) and Parmesan (⅓ cup). Repeat layers 1 more time, for a total of 3 layers (you will have extra sauce which you can pass separately).
- Cut lasagna into twelve pieces (this makes it much easier to serve later; you can remove a piece without pulling the melted cheese off the entire lasagna). Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer.
- Cool 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley or fresh basil if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: As written, the lasagna is made in a 9” by 13” baking dish, enough for 12 servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make this recipe up to 3 days before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 25 minutes with foil, 25 minutes without foil). To bake the frozen lasagna straight from the freezer, bake 1 hour covered with foil and 24 minutes without the foil (the lasagna must reach 165 degrees on an internal thermometer).
- Pesto: Got a jar of pesto in the pantry, or homemade pesto in the refrigerator? Add a surprise layer somewhere for lots of extra flavor.
- Lasagna as a soup: Dinner in 30 minutes with my stove top Lasagna Soup, or set and forget my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with only 10 minutes of prep.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use store-bought sauce in this lasagna recipe?
You’ll need 2 quarts of sauce for one pan of lasagna, so look for 1 (32-ounce) jar at the store. No shame in store-bought!
Can I make this lasagna recipe in disposable aluminum pans?
Yes, I’ve made this recipe in disposable aluminum pans, and it worked really well. Cleanup was obviously easier too!
Italian Feast
Introducing: My favorite Italian feast! Featuring spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, Caesar salad, bruschetta, an antipasto platter, and pizzelle, this menu will have your grandma pronouncing it “Eye-talian” in no time. I know mine always…
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Lasagna
My best Lasagna recipe has three kinds of cheese, lots of ground beef, and one fantastic homemade sauce. Pre-cut the lasagna before baking for easier, cheesier, slices.
Ingredients
For the noodles and cheese filling:
- Salt
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese (see note 1)
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
For the meat sauce:
- 2 pounds ground beef (see note 2)
- 1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or to taste (see note 3)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see note 4)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For assembly:
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- fresh parsley minced, or basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
To make the noodles and the cheese filling:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large stockpot or Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil.
- Add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking (this also removes the starch so the noodles won't stick to each other).
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and chill until assembling the lasagna.
To make the meat sauce:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
To assemble and bake the lasagna:
- In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of noodles over the meat sauce (I do 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and then a partial noodle crosswise).
- Spread with a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 ½ cups (5 ounces) of mozzarella. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of noodles, ricotta mixture (heaping 2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 ½ cups) and Parmesan (⅓ cup). Repeat layers 1 more time, for a total of 3 layers (you will have extra sauce which you can pass separately).
- Cut lasagna into twelve pieces (this makes it much easier to serve later; you can remove a piece without pulling the melted cheese off the entire lasagna). Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley or basil if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Ricotta cheese: Make your own ricotta with just 4 ingredients: Milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
- Ground beef: This recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef, but doing 1 pound each of ground beef and ground Italian sausage is delicious, too.
- Sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of sugar in your meat sauce, please leave it out. In my family, people add ¼ cup or even up to ½ cup.
- Italian seasoning: It’s easy to make your own homemade Italian seasoning with dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
- Yield: As written, the lasagna is made in a 9” x 13” baking dish, enough for 12 servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make this recipe up to 3 days before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 25 minutes with foil, 25 minutes without foil). To bake the frozen lasagna straight from the freezer, bake 1 hour covered with foil and 24 minutes without the foil (the lasagna must reach 165 degrees on an internal thermometer).
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 497kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 30gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 528mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 350IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 323mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
