The Best Classic Lasagna Recipe – Homemade lasagna full of pasta, ricotta, a homemade meat sauce, and tons of cheese. This is the world’s best lasagna recipe!
I’ve been working on this meat lasagna recipe for over a year.
I set out to make the best traditional lasagna recipe. Every time I made it, I’d make little tweaks here and there until I thought it was just right.
I think I finally nailed it!
How to make lasagna:
- Make the meat sauce
- Make a ricotta cheese mixture
- Boil the pasta
- Assemble the lasagna
- Bake
- Cool
- Enjoy
How to layer lasagna:
- Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish
- Make a layer of cooked lasagna noodles
- Spread an even layer of the ricotta cheese mixture
- Spread an even layer of meat sauce
- Repeat those layers two times
- Top it with a final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese
How to bake lasagna:
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes
- Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes
- Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing
Wondering what to serve with this amazing lasagna recipe? Try these.
- Cream Cheese Italian Pinwheels from Amanda’s Easy Recipes
- Salad with Homemade Garlic & Herb Vinaigrette
- Zesty Tomato Broccoli Salad – From Inspire a Creation
- Homemade Garlic Bread – From Recipe Tin Eats
You may also like:
- The Best Classic Meatloaf Recipe
- The Best Classic Chili Recipe
- The Best Classic Buttermilk Banana Bread Recipe
Watch the step by step video for The Best Classic Lasagna recipe below.
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Best Classic Lasagna Recipe
The Best Classic Lasagna Recipe - Homemade lasagna full of pasta, ricotta, a homemade meat sauce, and tons of cheese. This is the world's best lasagna recipe!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion -chopped
- 2 garlic cloves -minced
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 teaspoons salt -divided
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning -divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves -divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley -divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese -divided
- 15 oz. (1 ¾ cups) whole milk Ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese -divided
- 1 large egg
- 12 lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the meat sauce. Add beef and sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat. Return the meat to the skillet.
- Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon basil, and the black pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the minced parsley.
- As the sauce cooks, make the ricotta mixture. In a large bowl, add 1 cup mozzarella, the ricotta, ¼ cup parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon basil. Stir until well incorporated.
- Cook the pasta al dente, according to it’s package directions.
- Assemble the lasagna. In a 13x9 inch baking dish, add a very thin layer of meat sauce (about ¼ cup). Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, and 1 ½ (level) cups of meat sauce. Repeat the layers twice.
- Add a final layer of the remaining noodles, meat sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and ¼ cup parmesan.
- Cover with foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake 15 more minutes.
- Let the lasagna cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/12th of the recipe | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1420mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 274mg | Iron: 3.7mg
Check out all of my great ground beef recipes.
The sauce recipe is very similar to what I have always made for many of my dishes. I used to just throw a lasagna together without measing anything and the family loved it. I decided to follow this recipe very close and the family went crazy over it and asking if I did something different. So, I will definitely be using this recipe in the future. Thank you for posting!!
Tried recipe as written – using fresh ricotta and parm (used regular kraft shredded mozz) and it was delish. whole family loved it, ‘specially the sauce!
Oh my god! I faught taking a piece BEFORE the 15 minute “rest time” – and lost. So eating it, scalding my mouth, I thought, “not bad (& OUCH!)”..
But later on.. if I hadn’t KNOWN I was the one who made it, I would’ve NEVER believed I cooked it! It was/is DELICIOUS!!! And that’s coming from someone who’s eaten at more than a few “Two Guys from Italy” restaurants in the San Fernando valley! (Very authentic, home style Italian cooking)
Thank you so VERY much.
THE ABSOLUTE BEST LASAGNA EVER!!! My husband couldn’t quit eating it and bragging on it.
My family’s favorite. For me I like more cheese so I double the cheese part, but everything else is spot on.
I thought I’ve been using this recipe for years but today when I opened it up I thought it was a bit different. Did this recipe used to say simmer for an hour and half? Also didn’t use to mix the ricotta with the mozzarella and there was a layer of sprinkled parm after each meat sauce layer. Everything else was exactly as I remembered it. Our family’s favorite!! Thank you!
Okay I have been tripping trying to figure out the exact same thing. I could’ve sworn the simmer time was an hour and a half and that it said to sprinkle the parm just like you said. I found this recipe a while ago, never saved it (like a noob) and have been scouring the internet to find it again and I thought this one was it but the simmer time was really throwing me off
I makes this all the time. I tweak it a little bit to my family’s taste, but not very much.
I prepared this lasagna according to the recipe – no alterations. Perfection! The seasoning is balanced, the ratio of cheese to sauce to meat is spot on, it bakes evenly, and the slices actually maintain their shape on the plate. This will be my go to lasagna from now on. Thank you, Amanda!
These ratings do NOT lie. The tastiest sauce, held its shape after resting, definitely my absolute favorite! Thank you
Our family favorite! I use unsalted tomato sauce and paste for lower sodium. All 6 of my kids love this!
Does this work in a store boat aluminum pan? I’m making lasagna for a family though Lasagnalove. Want to give them good. Just wondering about the pan size/recipe quantities.
Yes, I also do lasagna love with this recipe.
Hi Jason, I am doing a Lasagna Love drop off on Sunday and was wondering the same thing. Did you end up using a foil pan?
This was the best recipe, we used 1lb of hot Italian sausage and .5 lb of bison. Also added little more Italian seasoning. Family lived it and will make again!
Lasagna is a favourable dish in my family and I thought I was good at it until I used this recipe. It’s tuned out AMAZING!
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out amazing. I used our home grown tomatoes for the tomato sauce. Great recipe and husband loved it
My Family just raved about this lasagna. I’ll always use this recipe.
Can this be frozen and cooked later?
Best sauce. I´ll definitely keep using this recipe.
Can you use oven ready lasagne noodles?
Yes, I used for the first time the Barilla oven – ready lasagna pasta, 👍👍/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.🤓
This was a great recipe, but a little too salty. Also, I would add 3 cups of mozzarella cheese to the cheese mixture to make it creamier and less grainy. Otherwise, very flavorful and sets up well!
Did you use store bought shredded cheese? I find shedding my own, especially parmesan, makes a world of difference in the grainy factor.
Can this lasagna be frozen?
This sauce is the most authentic Italian
tasting. It is delicious and easy to make. It is the only sauce recipe I use for every pasta dish. The lasagna is easy and a crowd pleaser every time. The only lasagna and sauce recipe you will ever need!