Julie Clark
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Homemade Lasagna Recipe
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Looking for a classic lasagna recipe? You’ve found it! This homemade lasagna will transform your family’s Italian night. We’ll give you hints and exact ingredients to use for the best lasagna recipe your family has ever had.
Matt is crazy for homemade lasagna (even lasagna soup!) and really never met one he didn’t like. Because I knew he loved it, in our early years of marriage I made it all the time. In fact, I made it so much that Braden ended up not liking lasagna. In order to keep dinnertime fuss-free, I got away from fixing lasagna as one of our regular recipes.
When I was requested to serve a lasagna dinner to Maddie and her friends before prom, I had about 3 days notice to find a tried and true lasagna recipe.
I quickly started researching and found the World’s Best Lasagna on Allrecipes.com. Sounds like the place to start, right? I scoured the reviews, taking copious amounts of notes on what people liked and didn’t like about the recipe. I gathered together what I thought would be my special version from my previous cooking knowledge and that is what I share with you today.
This lasagna was a hit that night of prom. Everyone loved it. And now I can officially say I have a lasagna recipe written down that to make over and over again. Even Braden agrees that it’s not that bad. 😊
About this Homemade Lasagna Recipe:
- Flavor: The flavor of this lasagna is like no other. The 5 cheeses, homemade sauce and combination of beef and sausage ensure that it tastes homemade and is delicious.
- Texture: Lasagna is loaded with texture thanks to the meat and lasagna pasta. The 5 cheeses make it creamy.
- Method: This makes a large pan of lasagna. Use a deep dish lasagna pan or a deep 9×13″ baking dish.
Key Lasagna Ingredients
There are a few key ingredients that I like to use in my lasagna:
- Sweet Italian Sausage. The “sweet” in the Italian sausage really brings out the flavor in this lasagna. I’ve tried this recipe with traditional Italian sausage and we didn’t like it as much. I find sweet Italian sausage in a local grocery store in the fresh meat case.
- Homemade Sauce. In my easy lasagna recipe I use jarred spaghetti sauce for my lasagna. There’s definitely a place for lazy day lasagna recipes, but when you want something really special, make from-scratch meat sauce. The key to this sauce is to make it a day in advance and allow it to cook together for about an hour and a half, or even allow it to simmer in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours. The fresh herbs, spices and tomatoes blend together beautifully if you just plan ahead and take a little time.
- Fresh Basil and Fresh Parsley. I never used to buy fresh herbs, but when you really want to make an impression, grabbing a bunch of green herbs from your produce case can really add a fresh flavor. Use some kitchen scissors or herb scissors to snip the herbs and enjoy their aroma as you do so.
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. I’ll be honest. I’m not crazy about ricotta, but it is a must in traditional lasagna. This recipe calls for just 15 ounces of creamy ricotta cheese which allows for two thin layers. It blends right in with the other cheeses.
- Nutmeg. That’s right. This is a hint I got from reviewers on Allrecipes. Don’t skip it. It’s a little secret ingredient to a great lasagna.
- Whole Milk Mozzarella. Pick up a chunk of whole milk mozzarella and shred it at home with this handy rotary cheese shredder. This will give you the creamiest, cheesiest lasagna around.
- Provolone, Romano and Parmesan Cheeses. Each of these Italian cheeses bring a unique flavor to this lasagna recipe. Using these three cheeses along with the ricotta and mozzarella make this a five cheese lasagna recipe. We’re crazy for cheese!
What to Cook Lasagna In
Because there are so many layers in lasagna, I recommend a large casserole dish that is bigger than the traditional 9x 13-inch baking dish. I highly recommend the Cuisinart Classic Lasagna Pan.
Do I Have to Cook Lasagna Noodles?
I’ve tried this recipe three ways: boiling the noodles, not boiling the noodles, and soaking the noodles in hot water. My findings? If you like the noodles super soft, boil lasagna noodles in advance. It tasted very traditional to me. However…I’m ok with my noodles being a little bit al dente so would rather take the shortcut of not boiling the noodles.
A trick to no boil lasagna is to soak the noodles in hot water for 30 minutes. You can do this easily while you are preparing the sauce, shredding the cheese or getting the ingredients out to put the lasagna together. The hot water softens the noodles ever so slightly and they finish cooking while the lasagna is cooking.
And there’s no need to buy no boil noodles. Buy the more economical lasagna noodles and use our tips.
Here’s my own personal trick
If you put the lasagna together while the sauce is piping hot from simmering for several hours, the noodles will do that little bit of cooking just while the casserole sits, waiting to be baked. Sneaky, right?
And with that, I’ll give you my exact timeline for make ahead lasagna.
Make Ahead Lasagna Recipe
Here’s the timeline for how I make this lasagna.
- Make the sauce. The day before I want to cook and serve the lasagna, I make the sauce.
- While the sauce is cooking, mix together the cheeses and cook the noodles if you’d like.
- Put the lasagna together. Allow the lasagna to sit for 30 minutes or so until the sauce cools, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and slip it into the fridge to sit overnight. If you cover with aluminum foil, the acid in the sauce may eat away at it as it sits. For that reason, I prefer plastic wrap.
- Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator 45 minutes before baking, then bake as the recipe states.
I love preparing lasagna this way because it keeps the mess out of the kitchen the day I want to serve the lasagna and the flavors have time to meld together.
This also gives the noodles time to soften (as long as you put the lasagna together while the sauce is hot) and they’ll finish cooking during the baking.
It’s the perfect company casserole, really. No messy kitchen the day you need it clean for company!
How to Freeze Lasagna
After you assemble this lasagna recipe (after step #3 above), cover the lasagna with plastic wrap 2-3 times to seal well. Store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Allow the frozen lasagna to thaw in the fridge at least 24 hours before baking. Also, pull it out of the fridge 1 hour before baking to take some of the chill off.
Make it a meal.
Serve this lasagna with cheesy garlic bread and a simple salad or side of veggies. I recommend Italian green beans!
Other Lasagna Recipes
You may also love our Mexican lasagna with noodles.
Homemade Lasagna Recipe
If you're looking for the best homemade lasagna recipe, give this a try. Hints and exact ingredients to use for a delicious lasagna.
Servings 15
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground chuck 80/20
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup freshly chopped basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- dash nutmeg
- 1 pound whole milk mozzarella shredded
- 9-10 slices provolone cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated romano cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- This makes a large pan of lasagna. I use a deep dish lasagna pan or a deep 9×13" baking dish.
- In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic until cooked through. Drain the fat. 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, 1 pound ground chuck, ½ cup diced onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the tomatoes, paste, sauce, water, sugar basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir well. 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 12 ounces tomato paste, 15 ounces tomato sauce, ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ cup freshly chopped basil, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.*
- Place the lasagna noodles in a pan of hot water and make certain they are completely covered. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes to soften, then drain the water. 12 lasagna noodles
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg and nutmeg. 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, dash nutmeg
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the Parmesan and Romano cheeses. ½ cup freshly grated romano cheese, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Let’s put together the lasagna!
- Spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan. Place 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce.
- Spoon half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. 1 pound whole milk mozzarella
- Spread another 1 ½ cups of sauce over the mozzarella, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the Parmesan mixture.
- Lay another 4 noodles over the cheese. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture.
- Lay 9-10 slices of provolone cheese over the ricotta, then top with 1 ½ cups meat sauce. 9-10 slices provolone cheese
- Sprinkle ⅓ cup Parmesan mixture over the sauce.
- Top with 4 more noodles, the remaining sauce, 2 cups of mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake immediately for 25 minutes (covered with foil**) and then an additional 30 minutes with the foil removed.
- OR…cover the unbaked casserole and refrigerate to save baking until the next day. If you choose to do this, remove the lasagna from the refrigerator 45 minutes before baking, then bake the same as above.
- Allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
*You can also allow this to simmer on low in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours if you don’t have time to watch it on the stove.
**Spray the foil with cooking spray prior to covering the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Vegetarian Lasagna: Skip the meat and add vegetables such as zucchini and spinach.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the lasagna being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 piece of lasagna. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1254mg | Potassium: 781mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1120IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 465mg | Iron: 3.4mg
My favorite lasagna is White Lasagna, a recipe given to me by a friend. It doesn’t use tomato sauce but 6 cheeses and many herbs make it exceptionally delicious.
Lasagna is the best way to get all four food groups into even the quirkiest of eaters. I use my mother-in-laws sauce recipe that has sausage (out of the casing) and ground beef, flavored with whole stalks of celery and whole carrots for sweetness (never sugar) simmer all day and remove the big veggies. Makes a huge batch-use what you need and freeze the rest. The leftover lasagna can be frozen in individual portions and heated up later for those hectic nights. Lasagna feeds a big crowd-much fancier than pizza, and decadently delicious. Pair it with a size salad, hot… Read more »
I love the flavor and the cheese! If I’m in a pinch and don’t have ricotta cheese, I just use cottage cheese. Love making Lasagna!!!
I love the crispiest bits on the outer edges. So good!
There’s something special about creamy cheese, tomato sauce, and chewy noodles topped with more cheese. I don’t eat a lot of cheese but I can’t keep away from a good lasagna!
Lasagna is the world’s most perfect food. It is rich and generous. When you eat lasagna you can almost imagine that your in a small Italian village. The rich smell of the tomato sauce followed by the smell of the cheeses as they mingle and marry. All brought together by the sweet robust smell of the sweet Italian sausage as it simmers in the oven. For one magical night you become a part of that small Italian village so far away… The best part of the lasagna is when you sit down with family and enjoy the world’s most perfect… Read more »
Years ago when I would make lasagna it would always come out like soup. So it made me not want to make it. My husband and son LOVE lasagna. So I decided I would try one more time. I used no boil lasagna noodles. It turned out amazing. So I have stuck to this recipe and now I love lasagna as well. I would love to
I always use ricotta mix an egg in with it, along with parmesean cheese. And add a little rosemary in with it as well. It gives the ricotta a nice flavor.
My tips for great lasagna – Don’t bother with those no-boil lasagna noodles, their texture just doesn’t complement the dish, fresh made is easy and the effort is so worth it. When boiling the noodles, heavily salt your water. Always use good quality cheese, I mean….who doesn’t love cheese with a red sauce made of fresh herbs, making sure the meat is well crumbled when cooking it. Lasagna should have multiple layers of goodness. This is one of the most comforting foods anyone can eat and served with fresh warm garlic bread. Oh, my mouth is watering…………..think I know what… Read more »
This recipe looks perfect! I make a homemade sauce for my lasagna and cook it low and slow till it is reduced by half. I make sure to strain the ricotta for a few hours and add salt and a little lemon juice while it’s straining. I use fresh whole milk mozzarella, Parmesan, herbs and sweet Italian sausage. If I add sautéed spinach I squeeze out any excess moisture before layering. Thanks for the giveaway, this lasagna pan is gorgeous!
Lasagna is the most versatile dishes ever. I don’t eat meat and make a mouth watering meat substitute with gooey cheese an mushrooms. How about amazing vegetable lasagna with tons of of vegetables and feta cheese…omg! I make with ground turkey and turkey sausage fresh herbs fresh fresh tomatoe sauce. I even made a whit fish with white sauce lasagna…a delicately decadent dish. Lasagna is my go to dish for dinner parties, potlucks great comfort dish..
Hubby usually makes lasagna but I make the sauce with nutmeg! I love lots of cheeses and a good ricotta!
I am a messy cook (lots of pans and bowls) so I like to make my lasagna a day in advance of serving. I’ve used a variety of sausage, ground beef and occasionally use pepperoni. I even tried a butternut squash recipe that used thin slices of the squash between cooked noodles, topped with a white sauce and 3 grated cheeses. Yummy!
I use a roasting pan filled with water in a 300 degree oven to cook my noodles. Single layer. Repeat for additional as needed.
And, what is there not to love about lasagna? Tomatoes, cheese, pasta! True comfort food!
My hints for the best homemade lasagna is to make sure that you don’t use too much sauce and don’t be afraid to mix it up a little. Two of my favorite lasagnas, other than traditional meat sauce lasagna, are seafood lasagna and chicken alfredo lasagna.