Lasagna is a classic comfort-food favorite with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, creamy cheese, and bubbly melted goodness 🍝🧀 Perfect for family dinners, holidays, or make-ahead meals.
Classic Meat Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef (or beef + Italian sausage)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Cheese Filling
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon parsley (optional)
Lasagna
- 12 lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (for layering)
Instructions
1. Cook the noodles
- Boil lasagna noodles in salted water until al dente. Drain and lay flat on parchment paper.
- Skip this step if using oven-ready noodles.
2. Make the meat sauce
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Cook onion until soft, add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add ground beef, breaking it up, and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in marinara, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer 15–20 minutes.
3. Make the cheese mixture
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley until combined.
4. Assemble
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Layer:
- Noodles
- Ricotta mixture
- Meat sauce
- Mozzarella
- Repeat layers (usually 3 layers).
- Finish with sauce and remaining mozzarella.
5. Bake
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 20–25 minutes more until bubbly and golden.
6. Rest & serve
- Let lasagna rest 15 minutes before slicing.
Tips for Perfect Lasagna
- Letting it rest helps clean slices.
- Use whole-milk ricotta for creaminess.
- Cover foil loosely so cheese doesn’t stick.
- Freeze unbaked or baked lasagna up to 3 months.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Use spinach, mushrooms, zucchini.
- White lasagna: Alfredo sauce + chicken.
- Three-cheese: Ricotta, mozzarella, provolone.
- No-boil shortcut: Use oven-ready noodles.
Serving Ideas
- Garlic bread
- Caesar salad
- Roasted vegetables
If you’d like, I can also share:
- Crock pot lasagna
- Skillet lasagna
- Low-carb or gluten-free versions
- Spinach & ricotta lasagna
Just let me know 😊
