Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe
This easy homemade lasagna features layers of rich meat sauce, creamy cheese, and tender pasta for a satisfying, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for any gathering.
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Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles uncooked
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
Tomato Sauce
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 36 ounces pasta sauce *see note
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cheese Mixture
- 2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Fill a large pot with water, season with salt, and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook them according to the package instructions until they are al dente, or slightly firm to the bite. Drain, rinse with cold water to prevent sticking, and set aside.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat is fully browned and no pink remains. Drain any excess fat to avoid a greasy sauce.
- Add the pasta sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper to the skillet. Stir well and let the mixture simmer uncovered over medium heat for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to slightly thicken. Taste the sauce, and adjust with additional salt if needed.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of the mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, parsley, beaten egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix until smooth and well-blended.
- To assemble, spread 1 cup of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce, then layer with ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture and another cup of the meat sauce. Repeat this layering process two more times. Finish with a final layer of 3 noodles topped with the remaining meat sauce.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Return the lasagna to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, browned, and bubbly. For a golden finish, broil for 2-3 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving, ensuring the layers hold together beautifully.
Notes
- Sauce Tip: Each layer in this recipe uses about 1 cup of meat sauce. For a saucier lasagna, increase the pasta sauce to 48 oz. Adjust salt based on the pasta sauce brand; taste and season after simmering.
- Cheese Layer: The cheese layers are thin. For thicker layers, divide the cheese in half for the first two layers, adding only meat sauce to the third. Avoid adding extra ricotta, as it can overpower the lasagna’s flavor.
- Time-Saving Tip: Use fresh lasagna sheets from the deli section to skip the boiling step. Fresh lasagna doesn’t need to be pre-cooked.
- Resting Tip: Let the lasagna sit for at least 15 minutes after baking (up to 30-45 minutes if possible) to help it set and maintain its shape when cut. Resting is unnecessary for reheated servings.
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Substitutions:
- Ricotta cheese can be swapped with cottage cheese.
- Use all beef or ground turkey instead of sausage if desired. If using all beef, add ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning (and ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds if desired) to the meat for flavor.