Lasagna Recipe

This is the Lasagna Recipe that I’ve been making for years! Filled with a hearty meat sauce and lots of cheese, this layered pasta is a favorite classic.

If you’re a fan of a good pasta dinner, you’ll want the perfect lasagna recipe in your recipe collection!

This is my all-time favorite lasagna recipe. This is one I’ve actually been making for years – one of those tried and true recipes. I’ve tried others over the years, and keep coming back to this one.

I have changed is up slightly since I first posted the recipe back in 2008. The worst part of lasagna for me is always cooking the noodles, having to fish them out, trying to keep them intact. And then having to keep them from sticking together as you rush to assemble the lasagna.

So I’ve made a change in the last few years, and I don’t cook the noodles beforehand anymore. If you have enough moisture in the dish, the noodles will cook as the casserole cooks. And it actually makes the noodles perfectly al dente.

You can always boil your noodles beforehand, but trust me – once you start making it this way, you’ll never go back!

Ingredients

• Ground Beef & Sausage: I like to use a mixture to deepen the flavor of the sauce. You could use all ground beef, but the sausage will add in a lot more flavor.
• Onion & Garlic: These are both for flavor. I use a yellow onion.
• Tomato Paste: This might seem like a lot of tomato paste, but it really deepens the tomato flavor.
• Diced Tomatoes: You can also use crushed tomatoes if you don’t want the bigger chunks in your sauce.
• Brown Sugar: I know this isn’t a traditional lasagna ingredient, but I’ve been making it this way for years and I wouldn’t change it! It doesn’t make the lasagna sweet, but just adds another layer of flavor.
• Spices/Herbs: I use fresh basil, when I have it, but dried basil works, as well. You’ll also need salt and oregano.
• Eggs: The eggs help to stabilize the filling.
• Ricotta Cheese: My original recipe called for 1 pint, but they sell it in 15 oz containers now, so that is what I use.
• Mozzarella & Parmesan: I like to freshly grate both of these – they will melt much better this way.
• Pasta: You can’t have lasagna without lasagna noodles!
• Beef Broth: Since we aren’t cooking the noodles beforehand, the broth will add some extra moisture to soften the noodles as the lasagna bakes.

How to Make Lasagna

STEP 1: Start by making your meat sauce. Brown the ground beef and sausage, then add in your onion and garlic. Add the tomato paste and let it cook for a minute or so (this wakes it up, in a sense), then add in the rest of the sauce ingredients. Now you want to let this simmer for a bit, to thicken up and for the flavors to meld together.

STEP 2: In another bowl, mix together the eggs, ricotta, parmesan, parsley, and sauce.

STEP 3: When it’s time to assemble the lasagna, add a layer of sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. You want enough to cover the bottom.

STEP 4: Place a layer of noodles over the top. You can see that because of the size/shape of my dish, I’m breaking a few pieces to fit them on the top. It doesn’t need to be perfect, though!

STEP 5: Now, since we are adding dry lasagna noodles, I drizzle some beef broth over the noodles. Again, this doesn’t have to be perfect – we are just adding some extra moisture to soften up those noodles when they bake.

STEP 6: Take 1/2 of your ricotta mixture, and spread it over the noodles.

STEP 7: And then take 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the top. Then add 1/3 of the meat mixture to the top. Now you’ll repeat those layers – another layer of noodles, beef broth, the remaining ricotta mixture, half of the remaining mozzarella, and half of the remaining meat sauce.

STEP 8: Add one last layer of noodles to the top, then more broth. Top this with the remaining meat sauce.

STEP 9: Add the remaining cheese to the top, along with the 2 tablespoons of parmesan. Place the dish in the oven and bake. It will take 45-60 minutes – you want to make sure it heats well all the way through, and that your noodles have time to soften up. Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips and Tricks

• If you don’t want to drizzle the beef broth over the noodles, you can add it to the sauce and have a looser sauce that will soak into the noodles. 
• You can also boil the noodles ahead of time, if desired.
• You’ll want to make sure all edges of the noodles are covered in sauce. You can tell in the photo above that I didn’t get the bottom edges of the top layer of noodles very well, and they will end up crispy.
• This an be made the day before, up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate, and when ready to bake, add an additional 15 minutes of baking time.
• As with most lasagna recipes, this makes great leftovers. In fact, I usually like it better the second day!

More Lasagna Recipes

Chicken Lasagna with Green Chile and Cheese
Skillet Lasagna
Spaghetti Lasagna

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Lasagna Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

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This is the Lasagna Recipe that I’ve been making for years! Filled with a hearty meat sauce and lots of cheese, this layered pasta is a favorite classic.

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef
• ▢ 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 (6 oz each) cans tomato paste
• ▢ 1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 2 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 15 oz ricotta cheese
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 10-12 dry lasagna noodles
• ▢ 3/4 cup beef broth
• ▢ 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• In a large skillet or in a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the ground beef and the sausage. Cook, breaking it up as it cooks, until it starts to brown.
  1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• When it starts to brown, add the onion and continue to cook until the onion is soft and the meat is fully cooked. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Drain any excess fat, if needed.
  1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic
• Make a well in the center and add the tomato paste. Let it cook for about 30 seconds before stirring into the meat mixture. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes.
  2 (6 oz each) cans tomato paste
• Add the diced tomatoes, brown sugar, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and oregano. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes.
  1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, 1/2 cup parmesan, parsley, and salt.
  2 eggs, 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon salt
• Spread a layer of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of dry lasagna noodles. (Depending on the pan I use, I will sometimes have to break a piece to cover the surface.)
  10-12 dry lasagna noodles
• Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the beef broth on each noodle.
  3/4 cup beef broth
• Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Then add 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce.
  1 pound mozzarella cheese
• Repeat with another layer of noodles, broth, the remaining ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella, and 1/2 of the remaining sauce.
• Add one last layer of noodles, drizzle with broth, then spread the remaining sauce over the top. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and the 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
  2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes. Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Recipe Notes:

If you don’t want to drizzle the beef broth over the noodles, you can add it to the sauce and have a looser sauce that will soak into the noodles. 

You can also boil the noodles ahead of time, if desired.

You’ll want to make sure all edges of the noodles are covered in sauce.

This an be made the day before, up to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate, and when ready to bake, add an additional 15 minutes of baking time.

This recipe was originally posted in 2008. The only changes that have been made is adding uncooked noodles and the broth.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 477kcal (24%), Carbohydrates: 36g (12%), Protein: 32g (64%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 115mg (38%), Sodium: 1074mg (47%), Potassium: 359mg (10%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 10g (11%)

Keywords: lasagna