Classic Homemade Lasagna
This classic homemade lasagna recipe is filled with layers of pasta, homemade meat sauce, and lots of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. It’s so cozy and delicious, and easy enough for any home cook to make!
Lasagna is a cozy classic for good reason! It’s so rich, warming, and satisfying, and who can resist a plate of pasta? (Ahem, not me.) Lucky for all of us, making lasagna from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated!
This classic meat lasagna is a simple no-frills recipe. There’s no modern twists, no healthier substitutions, no surprises. It’s just layers of all the delicious ingredients we know and love— lasagna noodles, an easy but super tasty homemade meat sauce, and plenty of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses.
Serve this traditional lasagna recipe at your next dinner party, for Sunday dinner with the family, or even as a weeknight meal. I guarantee everyone will love it!
Table of Contents
- Traditional lasagna ingredients
- How to make homemade lasagna
- Make-ahead instructions
- What to serve with lasagna
- Get the recipe
Traditional lasagna ingredients
This recipe is completely from-scratch and will take a little time to assemble, but I promise it’s not difficult! And it’ll be more than worth it. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 pound combined of sausage, ground beef, and ground pork. Highly recommended! Ask your butcher for 1/3 pound of each so you don’t have extra. Alternatively, you can use 1lb of just one kind of meat.
- Onion and garlic, adds flavor to the sauce
- Canned crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce
- Fresh or dried herbs (such as rosemary, thyme or basil, or you can use Italian seasoning)
- Lasagna noodles. Save yourself a step and use no-boil lasagna noodles. There’s no need to cook them before assembly and they taste the same!
- Ricotta cheese (you can also use cottage cheese)
- Mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese (freshly shredded or pre-shredded)
How to make homemade lasagna
- Make the meat sauce. Brown the meat, then add in and cook the onions and garlic, then add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer until thickened slightly.
- Meanwhile, prep other ingredients. Shred cheese, if needed. And if you’re not using no-boil noodles, you’ll need to cook them.
- Layer everything into your pan. Go in this order: sauce, noodles, cheese, repeat! A standard 9×13-inch casserole dish will fit 3 full layers. If you want a taller lasagna, use a smaller, deeper pan.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about an hour, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes so the top can get a little golden brown.
- Rest, then serve. Don’t serve lasagna straight from the oven! To get clean distinct layers and slices, let it rest for at least 15 minutes (it will still be plenty hot!)
Make-ahead instructions
One of the great things about lasagna is that it’s easy to store both in the fridge and freezer, and it reheats very well. It’s a perfect meal to make ahead of time!
Store in the fridge: Cover assembled unbaked lasagna with plastic wrap and store for up to 3 days. Bake as directed. Leftovers can also be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
Store in the freezer: Cover assembled unbaked lasagna with a layer of plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Remove plastic wrap before baking and add about 10 minutes to baking time. To freeze baked lasagna, make sure it is completely cool and then cover with a layer of plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic wrap and warm in 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes.
What to serve with lasagna
Here are some recipe ideas to turn your baked lasagna into a complete meal:
Get the recipe
Classic Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- â…“ lb sausage
- â…“ lb ground pork
- â…“ lb ground beef
- ½ onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz canned tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs such as basil, rosemary, or thyme , chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried, such as Italian seasoning)
Lasagna Assembly:
- 2 lbs ricotta cheese , preferably whole milk ricotta
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil , chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- About 1 lb lasagna noodles , boiled till al dente or use "no-boil"
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese , shredded
- ½ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil , for garnish
Instructions
To Make Meat Sauce:
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium pot set over medium high heat. Add sausage, pork, and beef and cook until browned and almost done all the way through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion. Cook until onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce into the pan, along with the salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes until thickened slightly. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
To Assemble Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking or casserole dish.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with the basil, salt and pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the bottom of the pan. Top with a single layer of lasagna noodles, breaking a few as needed to cover entire pan. Dollop with ½ of the ricotta mixture and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat these layers one more time, using ½ of remaining meat sauce this time (not a thin layer).
- Add one more layer of noodles. Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Top with parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 15-20 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- You likely will not need all 1 lb of lasagna noodles.
- While a combination of sausage, pork, and beef will produce a richer sauce, it is possible to use 1 lb of just one kind of meat.
- To make ahead: Assembled unbaked lasagna can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Assembled unbaked lasagna can be frozen for up to 1 month, adding 10 minutes to the baking time. Baked lasagna can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Reheat in 350° for 30 minutes till warmed through.Â
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