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Perfect Homemade Lasagna Recipe - Step-by-Step Guide

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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Comfort Food, Dinner, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 402
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 15–20 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasonings.
  3. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, basil, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
  4. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain and lay flat on clean tea towels to dry.
  5. 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.
  6. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10–15 minutes more until golden. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.
  7. 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.