Description
This Best Homemade Lasagna recipe brings authentic Italian comfort food to your kitchen in just 90 minutes—20% faster than traditional recipes. With layers of perfectly seasoned meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, tender pasta, and golden melted cheese, this foolproof method delivers restaurant-quality lasagna that’s easier than you think.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb ground beef (80/20 blend)
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Ricotta Filling:
- 16 oz ricotta cheese (or drained cottage cheese)
- 1 large egg
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Assembly:
- 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked (or no-boil sheets)
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute, then season lightly. Add ground beef and pork, cooking until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 15–20 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasonings.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain and lay flat on clean tea towels to dry.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce, then layer 3 noodles, ⅓ of the sauce, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers twice more, finishing with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more until golden. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Rest lasagna 15–30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Do not overcook noodles; they’ll continue cooking in the oven. Let lasagna rest before slicing to prevent it from falling apart. If sauce is watery, simmer longer until thickened.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Comfort Food, Pasta
- Method: Baking, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of pan)
- Calories: 402
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 857mg
- Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: homemade lasagna, best lasagna recipe, authentic lasagna, Italian comfort food