Homemade Lasagna
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs
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Servings
12 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Homemade Lasagna
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The Best Lasagna recipe that’s rich, satisfying, comforting, flavorful, perfectly proportioned and will end your search for the best homemade meat lasagna recipe! It’s loaded with three layers of pasta, homemade Bolognese, creamy ricotta (with a secret trick), nutty Parmesan and gooey mozzarella cheese. Each and every bite is hot, meaty, cheesy, saucy perfection. I’ve also instructions on how to make lasagna ahead of time as well as how to freeze lasagna.
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Ingredients
Bolognese
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage bulk or casings removed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6-8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon sugar more or less to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, salt, pepper
- 1 whole bay leaf
Cheese Filling
- 3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Layers
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella (4 cups)
- 15 classic lasagna noodles (NOT no-boil)
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Instructions
- Place lasagna noodles into the bottom of a long pan. Pour hot tap water over the noodles until they are submerged. Let them soak while you prep the lasagna – at least 30 minutes. Agitate the noodles with your hands occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown ground beef, sausage, onion, carrots and celery over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 more seconds. Drain grease.
- Add all remaining Bolognese ingredients, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until Bolognese is reduced but still saucy.
- While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add all of the Cheese Filling ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined.
- To assemble, lightly grease a deep 9x13 pan. Spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan (layer will be thin). Place 4 noodles lengthwise and part of a 5th noodle on top to cover. Spread with a third of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese followed by 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers (meat, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan) 2 more times for a total of 3 complete layers. To finish, top with remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella (1 cup) and remaining Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup). (Pan will be very full.) Tent lasagna with foil and secure tightly all around the edges.
- Place lasagna pan on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Don't miss the "how to make" recipe video at the top of the post!
- Italian Sausage. Italian Sausage comes seasoned with Italian seasonings, primarily fennel. Fennel is crucial for authentic Italian flavor so if you skip the Italian sausage, make sure you add some fennel to your meat sauce.
- Lean Ground Beef. Take care you are using (93/7) lean ground beef so that the sauce doesn’t end up greasy. You will also want to drain your meat of any excess grease after cooking.
- Mozzarella. I prefer shredded mozzarella cheese over fresh mozzarella balls because I find them too watery for lasagna. I also prefer shredded mozzarella cheese over sliced because its so much easier to evenly distribute. If you want to use mozzarella slices, then I suggest asking your deli counter to very thinly slice the mozzarella.
- Parmesan. You don’t want to use the powdered or pre-shredded Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan tastes far superior and melts much better.
- Assemble and Refrigerate. You can make and assemble the entire lasagna a day in advance and refrigerate. I actually think the lasagna tastes better this way because the flavors have more time to develop and meld.
- Make Sauce in Advance. You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you use cold, thawed sauce in your lasagna, you will need to bake your lasagna an addition 15 minutes or so.
- Assemble lasagna according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish.
- Cover lasagna tightly all around the dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap.
- Cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil.
- Label lasagna.
- Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator the night before to thaw completely.
- Remove plastic wrap and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake lasagna according to directions, adding an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Bake lasagna according to directions in a freezer safe dish.
- Let cool on the counter for one hour.
- Cover lasagna with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture).
- Cover lasagna tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish.
- Cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil.
- Label lasagna.
- Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator the night before to thaw completely.
- Remove plastic wrap and cover lasagna tightly with foil.
- Bake entire lasagna according to directions, adding an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Bake lasagna according to directions.
- Let lasagna cool completely then slice into individual servings.
- Freeze lasagna in freezer safe plastic bags.
- To reheat, bake individual servings at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove plastic wrap from lasagna and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake lasagna covered at 350 degrees F for 1 ½ hours.
- Uncover and bake an addition 15-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
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