Best Lasagna Recipe

This easy lasagna recipe is the best with layers of hearty meat sauce, ricotta and plenty of cheese. Homemade lasagna is a classic, feeds a crowd and is so delicious!

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Ingredients

Red Sauce

1 pound ground beef , or ground turkey
½ pound ground Italian sausage
½ cup finely chopped onion , or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic , minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (32-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning , plus more to taste
Salt , to taste
Ground black pepper , to taste

Ricotta Filling

1 large egg
2 cups ricotta cheese , could use cottage cheese or half of each
½ cup grated parmesan cheese , divided
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil , or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Layers

12 no-boil lasagna noodles , see notes
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Optional: Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound Italian sausage, and 1/2 cup onion until the meat is cooked through. Drain grease. Add 3 cloves garlic, salt and pepper. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the onions are softened.
Stir in 32 ounces spaghetti sauce and 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning. Add 3/4 cup water. Let simmer 15 minutes. Add more Italian seasoning or fresh basil, if desired. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ricotta Filling

In a medium bowl, whisk one egg. Add 2 cups ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and 2 Tablespoons basil and whisk until combined.

Assemble + Bake

In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread about 3/4 cup sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Place 3-4 noodles onto the bottom of the dish. Spread about 1/3 of the remaining marinara sauce on top of the noodles, followed by 1/2 of the ricotta filling and then sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over top.
Repeat the next layer (noodles, sauce, using the remaining ricotta and mozzarella on top). For the top layer you'll place the noodles, spread the remaining marinara over top and then sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella on top.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

Adding vegetables: You can absolutely sneak vegetables into this lasagna. Just add it in when cooking the onions. Some vegetables we like to add are chopped carrots, celery, spinach and/or mushrooms.

Noodles. I like to use no boil noodles to make this lasagna SUPER easy, however you can boil regular noodles as well, just cook them al dante and remove the extra water from the sauce. If you like more noodles use 15. If you prefer a more saucy lasagna, only use 9-12.

Make in crockpot. Rather make this recipe in the slow cooker? Check out my easy crockpot lasagna instructions. It's perfect for busy weeknights.

Assemble ahead of time: You can make this ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before baking. You can also make the sauce up to 3 days in advance.

Freeze half. This lasagna recipe makes a lot, so usually we make this when we're having another family over for dinner or I will freeze half of it and make it in a 9x9-inch pan.

Freezer instructions: This lasagna freezes great for up to 3 months. Simply assemble according to directions in a freezer safe pan. Instead of baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Then cover with foil and label with date. When ready to bake, place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw slightly. Remove plastic (keeping foil on) and bake as directed. Add an additional 20-25 minutes. You can also bake frozen at 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes with foil and bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutrition