The Best Lasagna Recipe
This classic Lasagna Recipe is cheesy, saucy and full of flavor! Make this easy lasagna recipe for a family dinner or to feed a crowd.
Lasagna is the best comfort food, made with noodles, ground beef, sauce and cheese. This lasagna is a hearty main dish that you can make ahead or bake right away.
This lasagna recipe is my all-time favorite, and it’s the one that I make most often for my family. This recipe uses a secret ingredient that saves time while still making a delicious lasagna with layers of flavor.
If you’re at all intimidated by making homemade lasagna, don’t be. My easy lasagna recipe is simple to prepare. Below I’ve outlined the steps so that you can make the best lasagna at home.
We love to make homemade lasagna for Sunday dinner. It’s also perfect for entertaining or for when you need to bring a meal to a friend or family member.
Serve your homemade lasagna with garlic bread or dinner rolls and an Italian salad for a delicious Italian feast.
Secret to the Best Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe
My secret for making the best easy lasagna is to use store-bought marinara sauce. As long as you use a good quality sauce that you love, your lasagna will turn out so flavorful, and you’ll have saved a lot of time and effort in the kitchen.
When you take a little help from the grocery store, you won’t have to simmer your lasagna sauce for hours to get the rich, deep flavors that you crave. The best store-bought sauces are perfectly seasoned and will add lots of flavor to your lasagna.
How to Make Lasagna
The steps to making lasagna are:
- Boil the lasagna noodles.
- Brown the ground beef with onion and garlic.
- To the pan, add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and fresh parsley. Simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and an egg. Shred the mozzarella cheese.
- Layer the lasagna.
- Bake until hot and bubbly.
How to Layer Lasagna
- Spread a layer of sauce in the bottom of your baking dish.
- Make a layer of 3 noodles over the sauce.
- Spread 1/3 of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Spoon on half of the ricotta and egg mixture. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the noodle, sauce and cheese layer one more time.
- For the top layer, use the remaining 3 noodles and spread on the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle on the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
Make Ahead & Reheating Instructions
You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking. If you are baking a lasagna that is fully chilled from being in the refrigerator, add about 15 minutes to the baking time.
Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until it is steaming hot.
How to Freeze Lasagna
You can assemble the lasagna and then freeze it before baking. Wrap the lasagna tightly before freezing, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.
You can also freeze lasagna after baking, for up to 3 months. I like to wrap individual servings of lasagna and freeze them for a quick meal. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave before reheating.
Tips for the Best Lasagna Recipe
- Slightly under-cook the lasagna noodles. They will absorb some of the sauce as the lasagna bakes, and become more flavorful. I usually cook the noodles for the minimum time given on the package, or one minute less than the time for al dente noodles.
- Pour the cooked noodles into a colander and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. To keep the noodles from sticking together, lay them in a single layer on a sheet of parchment paper.
- Use a good quality store-bought marinara sauce that you love the flavor of to save time when preparing lasagna. Fresh Italian parsley, dried Italian seasoning and fresh garlic boost the flavor of store-bought sauce.
- Buy a block of mozzarella cheese and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that prevents it from melting well.
- Try adding 1/2 pound of Italian sausage along with the ground beef, for an extra flavorful lasagna.
- For a lighter lasagna, use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
More Homemade Lasagna Recipes
Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 pound ground beef
- salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 48 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese ((about 4 cups))
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions for the minimum cook time. Then, drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. You can lay them out on parchment paper to keep them from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling, until the beef is browned. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and parsley to the skillet and stir. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the temperature to low. Cook at a low simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce simmers, crack the egg into a medium bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. This is also a good time to shred the mozzarella cheese.
- To assemble the lasagna, put about 1 cup of the sauce into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles in an even layer over the sauce. Spread ⅓ of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Place small spoonfuls of the ricotta and egg mixture on top of the sauce, using ½ of the ricotta. Sprinkle ⅓ of the mozzarella and ⅓ of the Parmesan over the top.
- Repeat the same layer one more time: 3 noodles, ½ of the remaining sauce, the rest of the ricotta, ½ of the remaining mozzarella and ½ of the remaining Parmesan. For the top layer of the lasagna, use the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the sauce, and finally the rest of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the lasagna with a piece of foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the underside (to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil).
- Bake the lasagna, covered with foil, for 35 minutes. Then uncover and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling on the sides and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days after baking. You can also freeze lasagna after baking, for up to 3 months. Thaw and then reheat in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven until it is steaming hot.
- To make ahead: You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 24 hours before baking. If you are baking a lasagna that is fully chilled from being in the refrigerator, add about 15 minutes to the baking time.
- Freezer Instructions: You can assemble the lasagna and then freeze it before baking. Wrap the lasagna tightly before freezing, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the lasagna, let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake as directed in the recipe, adding about 15 minutes to the baking time since a lasagna that is cold from the refrigerator will take longer to heat through.
Nutrition
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This came out so great. I followed the recipe and had a really nice dinner that I was proud of. Just a really good lasagna. I want another slice. Thanks for posting this!!
Is there a store bought marinara sauce that you recommend? Which is your favorite? Thank you!
My favorites are Mia’s Kitchen and Mezzetta.
I made last night! It was great. All of them love it.
This exactly how I make it. I do use the sausage with the hamburger. The only thing I do different is i don’t cook the noodles! After I assemble it I pour a little water around the sides. Probably a half to 3/4 cup. Cover and bake. It really works.
For 12 servings, the recipe says 48 ounces of marinara sauce. Is that correct? I plan to make this and freeze. Thanks!
Yes, that is correct. Most grocery store jars of marinara sauce are about 24 ounces, so I use two jars. Enjoy!
I followed the recipe except instead of using shredded mozzarella between the layers, I used sliced mozzarella. I used shredded on top. I like the slices between the layers because it gives a little more bite. I used regular Ragu marinara and the lasagna still tasted like restaurant quality.