This classic lasagna recipe has a rich and meaty tomato sauce with layers of pasta and cheese baked until golden and bubbly! It's a family pleaser every single time. Lasagna is an easy dish to customize with your family's favorite vegetables.
When we were dating, lasagna was the first meal I made my husband. I'm not saying lasagna is the reason he married me but it was definitely in my "pros" column. Our kids love it as much as he does. This classic lasagna is far and away my daughter's favorite meal. It freezes beautifully or can be prepared a day or two ahead of time, tucked away in the fridge, and baked the night you need it. In fact, I think it's better if it sits for 24 hours before baking but my family isn't always on board with waiting when they smell the sauce simmering away on the stove.
Check out my Veggie Turkey Meatballs for another crowd pleasing family meal!
Ingredients
- Ground Beef & Italian Sausage - It needs both. It just does. I use mild Italian sausage because my family prefers it but sweet or spicy Italian sausages also work beautifully.
- Onion - medium dice
- Garlic - minced or use a garlic press
- Tomatoes - Go with your preferred canned tomato. I like Bianco DiNapoli's whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand. You can use diced, crushed, or pureed. I like the texture chunky bits of whole peeled tomatoes create in the sauce.
- Tomato Paste - the paste brings a deep rich tomato flavor.
- Beef Broth - or water
- Seasonings - sugar, basil, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, Italian seasonings blend, salt, & pepper.
- Noodles - regular noodles, not no-boil noodles. You can also use gluten-free noodles.
- Cheeses - Mozzarella (fresh is best but shredded is also great), ricotta, and parmesan.
- Egg & Nutmeg - for the ricotta mixture.
How To Make Classic Lasagna
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the Italian sausage and ground beef with onion, garlic, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth (or water), sugar, basil, red pepper flake, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Simmer on low for 1.5 hours, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors develop.
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, undercooking the noodles minus 2 minutes the minimum suggested cook time. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven.
- In a small bowl combine the ricotta mixture: ricotta cheese, egg, salt, nutmeg, and parsley or basil.
- To assemble, make layers as follows:
- 1 cup meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish
- Lay 3 to 4 (I prefer 4) precooked noodles next to one another, slightly overlapping
- ⅓ of the meat sauce
- 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese
- Another layer of 3 to 4 noodles
- ⅓ of the sauce, ricotta cheese mixture, 4 ounces of parmesan
- Repeat the layer of noodles
- ⅓ of the sauce
- 8 ounces mozzarella, 4 ounces parmesan
- Bake at 375 for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then 15 minutes uncovered until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tips & Variations
- Lasagna Trio Pan: Because we are a partially gluten-free household, I've found a workaround that makes everyone happy and I still only have to make one pan of lasagna. Enter the Lasagna Trio Pan. This pan has three separate channels that allow me to make one channel with gluten-free noodles and two with regular noodles. I like to put spinach and mushrooms in one channel because I love them but mushrooms are a tough sell with my tween. One pan, everyone is happy. Mostly me because I'm not scrubbing two pans with baked-on cheese. Happy mom, happy house.
- Rinse noodles in cold water after straining to stop the cooking process and make them easy to handle.
- Another noodle hack is not to boil the noodles at all. Instead, put sheets of lasagna noodles in a 9x13 pan and cover them in hot water. Let them soak for 30 minutes. When you remove them they will be pliable and will cook in the oven.
- Parm rind if you grate your own parmesan and save those rinds in the freezer for something down the road, this is its time to shine! Put a parm rind in the sauce as it simmers. It will melt into your sauce for an extra layer of flavor.
- Variations of classic lasagna are so easy. Add spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini to your layers. Substitute cottage cheese for ricotta! Cottage cheese seems to be having a moment but this is the way I grew up eating lasagna. Ricotta wasn't a common thing in rural grocery stores in the 80s. Puree the cottage cheese to a smooth texture or leave it in curds.
- Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray or a spray oil so the cheese won't stick to the foil when it is removed for the final stage of baking.
- Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The cheese will run out of its layers and all over the pan if it is cut immediately.
- If you are not going to bake it immediately, let the sauce cool before assembling the lasagna to prevent the cheese from beginning to melt.
- Freezing: To freeze just assemble and wrap tightly. Then allow the lasagna to unthaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. Add 15 minutes to the covered baking time.
- Refrigerated: Add 15 minutes to the covered baking time if putting a cold lasagna in the oven.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice, wrap and freeze individual servings for quick meals. Wrap first in plastic wrap, then in freezer bags.
Recipe
Classic Lasagna
My go-to lasagna recipe for years. This homemade meat sauce is so rich and flavorful! Layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce baked to bubbly perfection! A family and crowd pleaser every time.
Ingredients
- 9 to 12 lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
- 8 ounces grated parmesan cheese
For Meat Sauce
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 28- ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes crushed or pureed
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 28 ounces water or broth
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flake
- salt & black pepper to taste
Cheese Mixture
- 16 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the Italian sausage and ground beef with onion, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth (or water), sugar, basil, red pepper flake, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Simmer on low for 1.5 hours, or up to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors develop.
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, undercooking the noodles less 2 minutes from the minimum suggested cook time. The noodles will continue to cook in the oven. *See Notes for more information.
- In a small bowl combine the ricotta mixture: ricotta cheese, egg, ½ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and parsley or basil.
To assemble, make layers as follows:
- 1 cup meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish
- Lay 3 to 4 (I prefer 4) precooked noodles next to one another, slightly overlapping
- ⅓ of the meat sauce
- 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese
- Another layer of 3 to 4 noodles
- ⅓ of the sauce, ricotta cheese mixture, 4 ounces of parmesan
- Repeat the layer of noodles
- ⅓ of the sauce
- 8 ounces mozzarella, 4 ounces parmesan
- Bake at 375 for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then 15 minutes uncovered until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Rinse noodles in cold water after straining to stop the cooking process and make them easy to handle.
- Noodle hack: Don't boil the noodles at all! Instead, put sheets of lasagna noodles in a 9×13 pan and cover them in hot water. Let them soak for 30 minutes. When you remove them they will be pliable and will cook the rest of the way in the oven.
- Parm rind if you grate your own parmesan and save those rinds in the freezer for something down the road, this is the time to use it! Toss a parm rind into your sauce as it simmers. It will melt into your sauce for an extra layer of flavor.
- Variations are so easy with pasta. Add spinach, mushrooms or zucchini to your layers. Substitute cottage cheese for ricotta! That's the way I grew up eating lasagna because ricotta wasn't a common thing in rural small-town grocery stores yet. Puree the cottage cheese to a smooth texture or leave it in curds.
- Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray or a spray oil so the cheese won't stick to the foil when it is removed for the final stage of baking.
- Let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The cheese will run if you slice it immediately.
- If you are not going to bake it immediately, let the sauce cool before assembling the lasagna to prevent the cheese from beginning to melt.
- Freezing: To freeze it, allow the lasagna to unthaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking. Add 15 minutes to the covered baking time.
- Refrigerated: Add 15 minutes to the covered baking time if putting a cold lasagna in the oven.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Slice, wrap and freeze individual servings for quick meals. Wrap first in plastic wrap, then in freezer bags.
Nutrition
Calories: 689kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 44gFat: 34gCholesterol: 192mgSodium: 1075mgPotassium: 924mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11g
Nutrition Facts
Classic Lasagna
Amount per Serving
Calories
689
% Daily Value*
Fat
34
g
52
%
Cholesterol
192
mg
64
%
Sodium
1075
mg
47
%
Potassium
924
mg
26
%
Carbohydrates
53
g
18
%
Fiber
5
g
21
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
44
g
88
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Anonymous says
Anonymous says
Love this one
Anonymous says
Family Fave!
Michael says
Wonderful ingredients... so tasty
Anonymous says
So good