Description
This Best Homemade Lasagna recipe features layers of rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese mixture, and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses baked to perfection. Using Italian sausage, ground beef, and a flavorful homemade tomato sauce simmered for 1.5 hours, this classic Italian dish is hearty, comforting, and perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- ¾ lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
- 2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 ½ tsp dried basil leaves
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (divided)
Lasagna Layers
- 12 pre-cooked lasagna noodles
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¾ lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the meat sauce: In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sweet Italian sausage, lean ground beef, minced onion, and crushed garlic until the meat is browned and fully cooked. Drain excess fat if necessary to prevent greasiness.
- Add tomatoes and seasoning: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, dried basil leaves, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and white sugar. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. Reduce heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally to develop rich flavors.
- Prepare the ricotta mixture: While the sauce simmers, in a small mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese, egg, remaining 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Mix until well blended to create a creamy layer for the lasagna.
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to get it ready for baking the assembled lasagna.
- Assemble the lasagna: Using a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, start layering your lasagna. Begin with 1½ cups of meat sauce spread evenly on the bottom. Next, arrange enough precooked lasagna noodles to cover the sauce layer.
Spread half of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
Top the ricotta with one-third of the sliced mozzarella cheese.
Spoon another 1½ cups of meat sauce over the mozzarella layer and sprinkle with ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Repeat these layers once more ending with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. - Bake the lasagna: Cover the assembled dish with aluminum foil sprayed lightly with oil to prevent sticking. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 375°F. Remove the foil carefully and bake uncovered for an additional 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Rest before serving: Allow the lasagna to cool for 10 minutes once out of the oven so it sets properly for better slicing and serving.
Notes
- Pre-cooking the lasagna noodles saves time during assembly and prevents the noodles from becoming mushy.
- Simmering the meat sauce for 1½ hours develops deep, rich flavors; avoid shortening this time if possible.
- Spraying the aluminum foil with oil prevents the cheese from sticking and tearing when removing it after baking.
- Let the lasagna rest before slicing to maintain clean layers and easier serving.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 870mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
