This comforting, cheesy homemade lasagna features layers of rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella — baked to golden perfection. It’s a crowd-pleasing favorite that tastes even better the next day!
Recipe Details
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1 (9×13-inch) pan
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
- 2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Cheese Mixture:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
Other Layers:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- ¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Cook the Meat Sauce:
In a large pot, cook ground beef, sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Add sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Cook the Noodles:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 8–10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and lay flat on parchment paper or lightly oiled foil to prevent sticking. - Prepare the Ricotta Mixture:
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and salt. Mix until smooth and creamy. - Assemble the Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread 1 ½ cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.- Layer with 4 noodles.
- Spread half the ricotta mixture on top.
- Add a layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon another layer of sauce over it.
- Repeat layers once more.
Finish with remaining noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan on top.
- Bake:
Cover with foil (to prevent sticking, spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray). Bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 25 minutes until bubbly and golden. - Cool and Serve:
Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing. This helps it hold together when served.
Tips
- For deeper flavor, simmer the sauce longer (up to an hour).
- Make it ahead — lasagna tastes even better the next day!
- To freeze: assemble but don’t bake. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake frozen lasagna at 375°F for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
