Ahhh, lasagna — layers of comfort, cheese, and saucy goodness 🍝🧀. Here’s a classic beef & cheese lasagna that always hits.
🍝 Classic Beef Lasagna
Ingredients (9×13-inch pan)
Meat sauce
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz / 680 g) jar marinara sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (optional, richer flavor)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Cheese filling
- 15 oz (425 g) ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Pasta
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
(or no-boil noodles)
Instructions
- Make meat sauce
- Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain fat.
- Add onion and garlic; cook 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in marinara, tomato paste, seasoning, salt & pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Mix cheese filling
- Combine ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley.
- Assemble layers
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan.
- Layer: noodles → ricotta mixture → meat sauce → mozzarella.
- Repeat layers (usually 3), finishing with sauce and mozzarella.
- Bake
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 15–20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Rest & serve
- Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing (important!).
Pro Tips
- Extra cheesy: Add provolone or fontina.
- No watery lasagna: Don’t over-sauce; let it rest before cutting.
- Make ahead: Assemble, refrigerate overnight, bake next day.
- Freeze-friendly: Freeze baked or unbaked for up to 3 months.
If you want, I can give you:
- 🍝 White (Alfredo) lasagna
- 🥦 Vegetable lasagna
- 🥩 Meat-lovers lasagna
- ⏱️ 30-minute skillet lasagna
- 🧀 Extra creamy béchamel-style lasagna
Just tell me 😄
