This homemade classic lasagna is the ultimate Italian comfort food and a family favorite. Made with layers of pasta, a flavorful meat sauce, creamy ricotta and gooey mozzarella cheese. I love ricotta cheese which makes this lasagna recipe so cheesy and creamy. If you prefer using cottage cheese in your lasagna keep reading, I have a tip for you plus a few others.
There is just something so comforting about homemade lasagna. It’s warm, cheesy and so filling. This lasagna recipe is a family favorite and I know you will love it too.
What Everyone Should Know About Homemade Lasagna
Lasagna is so versatile! There are so many different ways to prepare your lasagna to prepare and make it to your liking. Here are some tips and tweaks to help you make this lasagna recipe your own.
- Use gluten free noodles.
- Go meatless. In place of the meat use diced carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, spinach.
- Use turkey sausage.
- Cheese. Add more cheese! Also try adding a different kind of cheese like provolone or even white cheddar.
- Use cottage cheese. If you like the flavor of cottage cheese but like the creaminess of ricotta, puree the cottage cheese in a blender or a food processor.
- Increase the amount of seasoning. Taste test your sauce as it simmers and add more seasoning until it tastes just right. I love, love basil and always add more to the sauce and if I have fresh basil I add it to the top of the lasagna just before serving.
Time Saving Tips
So I have to be honest… making homemade lasagna can be a bit of a time commitment, for me anyway. But lasagna is a favorite in our house so it definitely makes it worth it. And, we usually have left overs so dinner the next night is a breeze. Here are a few tips to save you time:
- Make the sauce the day before. A good sauce needs to simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Prepare the entire lasagna the day before. Pull it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes while the oven is preheating. This is such a great tip to reduce the amount of clean up if you are inviting guests to join you for dinner.
- Freeze it. After the first bake let it cool completely. Then wrap tightly with saran wrap and foil. Defrost the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour.
- Double the recipe. Enjoy one pan tonight and freeze one for another night.
Classic Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
Cheese Filling
- 16 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
Layers
- 15 lasagna noodles - Do Not use no boil noodles
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. Place lasagna noodles in a long pan. Pour hot tap water over noodles until they are fully submerged. Let them soak approx. 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the lasagna. 2. In a large pot cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is browned. Drain.3. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.4. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.5. Bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. 6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.7. In a mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg.8. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of baking dish. Arrange 5 noodles covering all the meat sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese followed by 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers (meat, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan) 2 more times. You will have a total of 3 layers. To finish, top with remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese. The pan will be very full.9. Cover with foil. Spray foil with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Place baking dish on a baking sheet.10. Bake for 30 minutes.11. Remove foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes.12. Remove from oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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