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Lasagna

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The absolute best lasagna recipe — easy to make, layered up with the most delicious flavors, and so incredibly cozy and comforting.

The BEST Lasagna Recipe

I’m officially declaring this Italian Week here on the blog!

Yep. Get ready to do some seriously delicious recipe bookmarking this week, because I’m going to be sharing some of my all-time favorite recipes for a few of the classics, beginning today with…

…this life-changing lasagna recipe. ♡

So here’s the thing. For years and years, I always admittedly tended to avoid making homemade lasagna in favor of other quicker and easier pasta recipes because — well, frankly — none of the homemade lasagna recipes that I tried seemed to be worth all of the effort! As Barclay would say, they were always just kind of “whelming” — not overwhelming, not underwhelming, not particularly memorable, and definitely not worth all of the prep time. And you know me, if I’m going to invest more than 30 minutes in a recipe, it had better knock my freaking socks off.

Well, our trip to Italy this spring convinced me that seriously good lasagna could indeed be worth the extra effort. So once we arrived home from Amalfi, I set to work on a mega lasagna recipe testing spree. And today — many many batches later — I’m happy to report that I have finally landed on a classic lasagna recipe that I legit love.

You guys, this lasagna recipe is simply THE BEST.

Mainly, I’m convinced it is the best because it is so dang flavorful. It’s made with a rich, complex and deeply delicious meat marinara sauce, which is slow simmered with zesty Italian sausage (way more flavor than ground beef), easy canned tomatoes, a few special veggies, dry red wine, and lots of herbs. It also includes three different cheeses (because lasagna), easy no-boil lasagna noodles (to save us all from having to mess with boiling them), and lots and lots of fresh basil (baked into and sprinkled on top of the lasagna). The ingredient list isn’t complicated, but I’m telling you, all of these delicious layers are magic when baked together into a bubbly, melty, hot pan of lasagna. And 100% worth the effort.

Speaking of effort, I also want to note that this recipe isn’t difficult at all to make technique-wise. It just requires a solid hour or so of prep time. So find an evening when you’re not in a rush, turn on some music, maybe pour yourself a glass of wine or some good fizzy water, and let’s make a pan of the most delicious lasagna together. I’m certain you’re going to love it.

The BEST Lasagna Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Meat Marinara Sauce for Lasagna

Lasagna Ingredients:

Alright, let’s load up your shopping cart! To make this homemade lasagna recipe, you will need to the following easy lasagna ingredients:

  • Italian sausage: I’m a big believer that good-quality Italian sausage — with all of its rich, herby, zesty flavors — is the key to a stellar pan of classic lasagna. So buy a good one! That said, if you really prefer to add in some ground beef, you are welcome to do a 50/50 split.
  • Veggies: We will chop up an onion and lots of garlic for our sauce. Plus you will also need 1/2 cup (about half a regular-sized jar) of diced roasted red peppers, which will add some nice smoky and sweet hints to the sauce.
  • Tomatoes + tomato paste: Three cans of good-quality whole tomatoes — I especially recommend the fire-roasted variety if you can find them — plus a few tablespoons of tomato paste. The quality of your tomatoes will really make a difference here, so it’s worth the extra few dollars to splurge on some go
  • Dry red wine: Which will add the yummiest depth of flavor to our sauce. Or if you prefer not to cook with wine, you are welcome to sub in beef, chicken or vegetable stock instead.
  • Dried herbs + spices: Crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, bay leaf, sea salt and lots of freshly-cracked black pepper.
  • Fresh basil: When it comes to fresh basil, I vote the more the merrier with this lasagna recipe. We will chop and stir a good amount of basil into the cheese mixture. But then I also recommend adding extra on top as a garnish.
  • Cheeses: Lots of ricotta (you can use either whole milk or part-skim ricotta), Parmesan (freshly-grated for maximum flavor!), and shredded mozzarella.
  • Egg: This will help to bind the cheese mixture to the noodles.
  • Lasagna noodles: Finally, noodles! I much prefer the ease and texture of the no-boil noodles for this lasagna recipe. But if you purchase the classic noodles, just let them soak in hot water for about 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, before layering them into the lasagna.

How To Make Lasagna

How To Make Lasagna:

As I mentioned above, homemade lasagna is not at all difficult to make. It just requires about a solid hour or prep time. So gather your ingredients, settle in, and I promise it will be worth the extra effort. To make lasagna, simply…

  1. Make the sauce: Follow the sauce instructions and then let it simmer until the liquid has reduced about by half. You want the sauce to still be a bit juicy (so that it will cook the noodles), but not super liquidy. Meanwhile…
  2. Make the cheese mixture: Stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, basil and egg until combined.
  3. Prep oven and baking dish: Heat the oven to 375°F and mist a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Assemble the lasagna: In this order:
    • First layer: Sauce + noodles + ricotta + mozzarella
    • Second layer: Sauce + noodles + ricotta + mozzarella
    • Third layer: Sauce + noodles + ricotta
    • Fourth layer: Sauce + mozzarella
  5. Bake: Loosely tent aluminum foil to cover the pan (try to avoid touching the cheese). Bake for 45 minutes covered, followed by another 15-20 minutes uncovered, until the cheese is melty and golden. Transfer pan to a wire baking rack to cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Serve: Sprinkle on your desired toppings, slice, serve warm, and dig in!

Easy Lasagna Recipe

Possible Lasagna Recipe Variations:

Guys, the options for how to customize this lasagna recipe are practically limitless. So feel free to get creative and experiment with whatever sounds best to you. For example, feel free to:

  • Use a different meat: Ground beef, turkey or chicken would also be delicious in this recipe. (I just recommend adding in a tablespoon of Italian seasoning if you use any of these, to replace some of the seasonings that are usually mixed into Italian sausage.)
  • Make it vegetarian: Nix the meat entirely to make vegetarian lasagna. And in its place, feel free to sauté some finely chopped veggies (such as mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, etc) instead. Just be sure to cook off any of the extra juices from the vegetables, otherwise your veggie lasagna may be too watery.
  • Add veggies: Even if you are still using meat in your lasagna recipe, feel free to add some extra veggies too. I’m especially partial to chopping up a handful of baby bella mushrooms to the sauce.
  • Add spinach: Just thaw a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, squeeze as much of the moisture out of the spinach as possible, then stir it into the ricotta mixture to make spinach lasagna.
  • Add more fresh herbs: Feel free to add in any other fresh Italian herbs that you happen to have on hand too! Chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage would all be delicious in addition to the basil in this homemade lasagna.
  • Add more cheese: If you like an extra cheesy topping, feel free to double the amount of mozzarella on top. Also, feel free to add in any other cheeses that you love too. (I’m especially partial to smoked mozzarella, or a touch of crumbled goat cheese added in.)
  • Make it spicy: Feel free to double or triple the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to make your lasagna recipe a bit spicy.
  • Use veggie noodles: In lieu of traditional pasta lasagna noodles, feel free to very thinly slice zucchini (lengthwise) and layer them in to make zucchini lasagna. Or do the same with eggplant to make eggplant lasagna. For either recipe, you will need to drain the veggie noodles first. Just sprinkle them with salt and lay the veggie noodles out on paper towels to drain for 30 minutes. Then rinse off with water, pat dry, and add to the lasagna.

Lasagna Recipe Easy

Freezer Instructions:

How To Freeze Lasagna (Before Baking): If you would like to prep the lasagna ahead of time and freeze it for later, just prepare the lasagna as instructed below. But instead of baking it, cover the pan tightly with a layer of plastic wrap, so that it is actually sticking to the cheese on the top layer. Then cover the entire top of the pan with aluminum foil, and freeze the whole pan for up to 3 months. Remove the pan from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then bake according to the instructions below, adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the covered cook time if needed for the lasagna to completely cook through, and enjoy!

How To Freeze Lasagna (After Baking): You can also freeze an entire pan of lasagna (or individual servings that you might have as leftovers) after the lasagna has been baked. Just let the lasagna cool to room temperature. Then wrap the entire pan as directed above, or store individual servings in food storage containers, and freeze for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Frozen (Cooked) Lasagna: To reheat a pan of frozen lasagna that has already been baked, remove any plastic wrap and cover the entire pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F until the lasagna is heated through (the internal temperature should be around 165°F). Remove the foil and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes to crisp up the top layer, then serve.

Lasagna Recipe

What To Serve With Lasagna:

Looking for sides to serve with this homemade lasagna recipe? I would recommend:

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The BEST Lasagna Recipe

The BEST Lasagna!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 63 reviews
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Description

The absolute best lasagna recipe — easy to make, layered up with the most delicious flavors, and so incredibly cozy and comforting.  See notes above for potential ingredient variations.


Ingredients

Scale

Meat Sauce:

  • 1 ½ pounds ground Italian sausage (or you can do half sausage + half ground beef)
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine (or beef stock)
  • 3 (15-ounce) cans whole tomatoes*, drained
  • 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Cheese Mixture:

  • 2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese (part-skim or whole milk)
  • 1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup tightly-packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 egg

Remaining Layers:

  • 4 cups (1 pound) shredded mozzarella
  • 15 no-boil lasagna noodles (or however many needed to make three layers in your pan*)
  • optional toppings: extra basil, Parmesan cheese and/or crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Make the sauce: In a large sauté pan or stockpot, cook the sausage and onion over medium-high heat until the sausage is completely browned, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks.  Add the garlic, tomato paste and crushed red pepper flakes and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and stir to combine.  Use the wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes into small pieces as the sauce continues to cook.  Once the sauce reaches a simmer, reduce heat to medium to maintain the simmer.  Then let the sauce continue to simmer and reduce down for about 10-15 minutes, or until about half of the juices have evaporated.  (You still want the sauce to be fairly juicy, just not overly so.)  Discard bay leaf.  Remove pan from heat and set aside until ready to use.
  2. Make the cheese mixture: Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, basil and egg until combined.
  3. Prep the oven and baking dish: Heat the oven to 375°F and mist a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  4. Assemble: Next, it’s assembly time!
    1. First layer: Spread 1.5 cups of the sauce mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan.  Then add on a layer of lasagna noodles (so that the surface of the pan is covered, more or less), followed by 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (which I recommend adding in small spoonfuls, which you can then spread out into an even layer), followed by 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.
    2. Second layer: Evenly layer 1/3 of the remaining sauce, 1 more round of lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella.
    3. Third layer: Evenly layer 1/2 of the remaining sauce, 1 more round of lasagna noodles, all of the remaining ricotta mixture.
    4. Fourth layer: Evenly layer all of the remaining sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella.
  5. Bake: Loosely tent aluminum foil to cover the pan (try to avoid touching the cheese).  Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 more minutes, until the sauce is bubbly around the edges and the top of the cheese starts to bubble and turn golden. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and cool for 5 minutes.
  6. Serve: Sprinkle with your desired toppings, slice, serve warm and enjoy!


Notes

Italian Sausage: Feel free to use whatever kind of sausage you prefer — hot, mild or sweet.

Tomatoes: If available, I recommend buying the cans of fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.

Lasagna Noodles: Just use however many lasagna noodles are needed to fully cover your pan in three layers.  Different brands vary in size/shape, so the number 15 is just an estimate.  If using classic (not no-boil) noodles, you will need to submerge and soak the noodles in hot (not boiling) water for 30 minutes before adding them to the lasagna.

Source: Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

The BEST Lasagna

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110 comments on “Lasagna”

  1. I just made this recipe of lasagna & have WAY too much cheese mixture with spinach. I literally “buttered” each noodle with the cheese mixture- using all 13 no-boil noodles (2 pans). Any ideas of what to do with the leftover? I added spinach to it but I’m sure it didn’t expand it that much. Would it work as a base for a dip? Can I freeze it to use for my next batch of lasagna??

  2. Outstanding!!!!! We are all on a stay home order. I wanted to make something that we could reheat the next few days. Our family nearly finished the entire pan. The prep was very manageable. I’m going to make this again very soon!






  3. Delicious






  4. Amazing! I just love how you broke down the steps to assemble it. Super easy and delicious!






  5. Hey everyone! First time making this, or any lasagne for that matter, and accidentally bought “diced” fire roasted tomatoes instead of whole ones! I got 3 796ml cans (to be sure I had more than enough) is there a different amount I should use because of this? I’m trying to make it now so if someone could please get back to me ASAP you’d be a life saver and I’d be forever in your debt ?

    • (1) can per recipe. If you are doubling the recipe then (2) cans. You can is about 26 ounces per can. and the recipe calls for (2) 15=ounce cans.

  6. This recipe is amazing–ESPECIALLY this sauce. Would it work as is on spaghetti noodles? Or what changes would be necessary? I would really appreciate it.






    • I was thinking the same thing, and I saved a little in a bowl for me to eat. I think it would be delicious as a spaghetti sauce!!!!

    • It’s a red pasta and should work very well over spaghetti noodles.

  7. I made this maybe a month ago and my husband said it was the best lasagna he’s ever had. He’s a fairly picky critic, so huge compliment! I just made two today for siblings dinner tonight and (I’m such a clutz) I bought crushed tomatoes and gluten free noodles? hopefully it doesn’t stain my reputation ? but honestly, I murdered a Pyrex dish earlier this week by accident so I guess this is what people will have to come to expect from me

    • I just had to write and say how much I loved this comment. Came for a lasagna review and got it but was not expecting to bust out laughing! You should keep writing, you’ve got a way with words and a great sense of humor.

  8. My favorite lasagna!!!!!! Ever






  9. Truly the best, as the title suggests! I was glad for the warning about the prep time, because it did take a while, but was well worth it. So flavorful. My 8-year old son said it was “AMAZING” and my husband gobbled it up. It makes a very tall lasagne! Will never need any other recipe.






  10. Hello. Lucks like a great recipe. I have a question about the ingredient instructions. Is it 3 15oz cans of fire of whole tomatoes, or total should add to 15 oz? Also, can I used diced tomatoes instead?

  11. I love this recipe.






  12. Question: my grocery store has 1) whole tomatoes, or 2) diced fire roasted tomatoes – better to use plain whole or diced fire roasted?
    Also, the ingredient list calls for 4 cups of shredded mozz, but the assembly instructions only includes 3 cups – where does the 4th cup go? Maybe an optional garnish?
    Please advise, thanks!

  13. Hi! First of all, I’ve made this lasagna twice and it is now a family favorite!!! I absolutely love it.

    Question: I’m counting macros and am wondering if you have any nutrition info to go with this recipe?

    Thanks!!






  14. Best ever!






  15. i dream about this lasagna! the first time i made it turned out to also be the first time i cooked my Italian boyfriend homemade sauce! this recipe was easy to follow and it surpassed any and all my expectations. will definitely be making this again. boyfriend approves :)






  16. This is a great recipe but it’s too heavy on the ricotta mixture. Super rich and could use a little more sweetness from the tomato sauce. I think it would be better with 1/2 to 2/3 (max) of the ricotta mixture.

  17. Amazing recipe – quick and easy prep for all that flavour pay-off! Quick question – Would baking time and temperature be different if I were to bake the lasagna in a dutch oven instead? Thanks!






  18. I have made this lasagna several times and it is truly delicious, also freezes well.






  19. The printable recipe is different than the video/blog portion of the recipe






  20. So I may come off as full for asking this but, who wrote it?! The instructions are so clear and concise that I …. I mean I!!! Was able to make bomb Lasagna for the fam!! Everyone loved it, can’t wait to try it with the peppers! But seriously, thank you for this, made my whole year better ?






  21. Very solid recipe. We’ve made it for dinner with friends twice now, and they loved it both times. One question, though—did anyone else notice that in the steps for the recipe, she only tells you what to do with 3 out of the 4 cups of mozzarella? Are we to assume, as she suggests in the possible alterations, that we should double the mozzarella on top?






  22. I was wondering if i could just make the sauce then assemble the lasagna the following day?






  23. I forgot to add the basil in the cheese mixture. Have I ruined the Lasagna?

    • This recipe is a big help and it easy to follow because I plan to make it for this Christmas thank you for sharing this!

  24. I have an aversion to roasted red peppers texture- can you taste them in the sauce or do they breakdown? Wondering if I should omit or not, thank you for sharing another amazing recipe!

  25. For some reason my sauce was really lacking tomatoes and the lasagna isn’t saucy at all. What did I do?? I checked the recipe and I followed it exactly. I felt like I should have kept the juices from the can in there or used diced tomatoes instead. My sauce was way more meat to sauce than what is pictured here.

  26. Would I be able to substitute crushed tomatoes for the meat sauce instead of whole tomatoes?

  27. I tried this recipe on Christmas Eve and it was a hit! I added mushrooms and eggplant to give it some more veggies. My friend said its his new favorite meal that he will be requesting on his birthday!






  28. I’ve made quite a few lasagna recipes in my life, this one is by far THE BEST ONE EVER. It’s a new family favorite, I’ve made it several times now!






  29. Our family’s new favorite lasagna. Hubby said best ever!
    I didn’t have whole canned fire roasted tomatoes, but used diced instead. Turned out great.






  30. Amazing!! The homemade sauce is my favorite part. I accidentally bought fire-roasted crushed tomatoes instead of fire-roasted whole tomatoes but it seemed to work well and it was delicious. I also added frozen spinach to the cheese mix and a couple sauteed chopped zucchini as recommended. Very helpful explanations of all the ingredients and steps. This will be my go-to lasagna recipe!






  31. Ali:

    I’ve been baking this recipe for over two years, now. It’s a big hit around the Holiday’s & special events, such as my granddaughter’s upcoming birthday on, 3/19/19. My oldest daughter asked me to make it again for our get-together, this upcoming weekend. It is absolutely, hands down, the best Lasagne recipe. I enjoy making this & thanks for sharing. God bles.

    Steve

  32. This literally is the BEST lasagna recipe!! Who doesn’t love lasagna?? I used fresh store bought noodles that don’t need to be boiled, so it saved a little off the prep time. Make this, you won’t be disappointed! Also, I had enough leftover to make a small personal size casserole dish as well which was great.






  33. Made this and loved it. It’s a keeper!!! Best I’ve ever had.






  34. I’ve made this recipe twice now. The flavor is definitely there it’s amazing. But I had to double the tomato sauce to get enough. The amount that is given here is hardly enough.

  35. Takes forever to make, expensive, high in calories, does NOT fit in a 9×13 pan, unbelievably exhausting with no reward in the end. Sauced boiled over in oven so now I get to clean that and my kitchen… Nothing in this is worth it.






  36. Best lasagna recipe I’ve ever tried! I was a little nervous about using no boil noodles, but they came out perfect. I used a combination of italian sausage and ground elk, which was delicious. I forgot to drain the whole tomatoes, but it all worked out because I simply simmered the sauce a little longer. I did find that I was a little short on sauce and needed to use a jarred variety that I had on hand for the last layer. This lasagna is flavorful, hearty, and absolutely delicious!






  37. I just recently made this Lasagna and it was excellent !!! I have always on the search for a good Lasagna recipe and was so happy to find this . It’s my new favorite . The only thing different I did was use whole milk cottage cheese instead of ricotta , I purée the cottage cheese in my blender with the egg so was more creamy. Thanks for sharing your recipe 😊






  38. My FAVORITE lasagne!! I use 1/2 mild and 1/2 spicy Italian.
    Sauce is perfect! ALWAYS get compliments when I make this recipe.






  39. Great step by step recipe! I changed a couple of things, I only used one container of ricotta for the filling, and one can of whole tomatoes, I also used crushed basil tomatoes and canned tomato sauce rather than three cans of whole tomatoes. I used half mild Italian sausage and half hot Italian sausage. Definitely put on a pan with foil incase of spillage. I used a 9×13 pan and if I’d used two containers of the ricotta it wouldn’t have all fit! Using just the one container for filling my lasagne was filled to the rim! I also cooked some mini red bell peppers in butter and threw them in the sauce. Very tasty!! The sauce was the perfect amount to evenly distribute. Overall a very good recipe!

  40. Made this for Christmas. Used 1/2 hot and 1/2 sweet Italian sausage. Hands down, the best lasagna I’ve made. The WHOLE family (23 people) approved!






  41. This IS the best lasagna!! I love to cook, and don’t mind a recipe being a little extra work if it is worth it. I added extra tomato products (crushed fire roasted tomatoes and a small can of tom. paste) to my sauce, which is good bc I feel like I would have ran out. The amount of basil in the ricotta mixture absolutely made this dish for me (used whole milk ricotta), as did the roasted red peppers and the use of fire roasted tomatoes. I have a hard time brining myself to eat ground beef/sausage products, but my husband loves them, so I used hot Italian sausage and it was fantastic!






  42. I went half ground chuck half spicy sausage used pino noir this turned out amazing….definitely the best lasagna recipe….I followed it to the tee






  43. The most sturdy lasagna while being cut and forked with perfect moisture I EVER had. And i cooked it 🥲 I didn’t have Oregano or Thyme to substitute so i used sage from my garden. Also used more ricotta almost an entire 48oz… i added ground beef and cooked extra pasta, extra veggies and my own seasoning. Did not follow the rules after making the meat sauce and ricotta basil mix honestly was too tired standing 4hrs making this. Thank god i had pre shredded cheese. Either way, amazing. Most amazing lasagna meal i ever had in my life. I wish I had a joint to go with it 🤤 I recommend if you want to impress someone or a party






  44. I always get the most amazing recipes from your site. Thank you. My friends and family think I’m a good cook, but I credit that to this website. Please tell me the brand of Italian sausage you use. I don’t use it very often and I want to buy a quality brand (organic if possible).