Learn how to make The Best Lasagna complete with a homemade hearty beef and sausage sauce, ricotta, layered with lots of mozzarella and parmesan. With my step-by-step instructions you are guaranteed the perfect lasagna every time!
The Best Lasagna
I’ve been making lasagna for a long time. I think by this point I can call myself a master in the art of layering to create the perfect ratio of sauce to meat to noodles to cheesiness! Lasagna is the perfect baked pasta dish. Each bite is loaded with comforting warm flavors.
Another amazing part about this recipe is that it’s also great to prep, freeze, and pop in the oven for those busy weeknights. Spend a Sunday making a freezer full of lasagnas that will keep everyone happy for a month! Now it’s time for the most important decision: will you take an edge piece or a center piece?
Why Make This Lasagna
- Easy to prep in advance. You can make the meat sauce and even the cheese mixture in advance, then all you have to do is layer and bake when you’re ready to serve it.
- Enough to feed a crowd. If you don’t have a crowd to feed, this lasagna makes for the perfect leftovers to eat throughout the week for lunch or dinner.
- Crowd pleaser. Yep, I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a good lasagna. It will definitely make your family happy.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Italian sausage – Choose mild or hot, whichever you prefer.
- Ground beef – Use lean or extra lean so you don’t have to drain any fat.
- Onion and garlic – I like to use white onion for this recipe. Use as much or as little garlic as you like!
- Tomatoes – I use a can of each crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.
- Water – Use as much or as little as you need to get your preferred consistency.
- Sugar – The sugar cuts through some of the acidity from all the tomatoes, so use as much, as little, or none at all if you prefer.
- Seasonings – Fresh basil and parsley, fennel seeds, and Italian seasoning.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Ricotta – You can use fromage blanc, cottage cheese, or mascarpone instead.
- Egg – This is what will bind your cheese mixture together. I used a large egg.
- Lasagna noodles – Buy the noodles that say “oven ready” on the box, trust me, you’ll thank me. This way no boiling noodles is necessary. So much easier.
- Cheese – I used both Parmesan and mozzarella.
How To Make Lasagna
- Make the sauce: Brown the sausage, beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the meats are fully cooked. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a medium size bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, and parsley together.
- Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375F. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of your lasagna dish. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce, then spread 1/2 the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Layer 1/3 of the mozzarella, another 1 1/2 cups meat mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan, then repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients finishing with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake the lasagna: Cover the lasagna with foil. Spray the side of the foil facing the lasagna with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, then bake for another 25 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
- Take the time to simmer the sauce for the full one hour and a half. The longer you simmer this sauce, the better it will taste. Trust me.
- Make sure you find some “oven-ready” noodles. They cook up perfectly with the sauce in the oven without getting over-done
- Do you have some fresh herbs that need to be used up? Feel free to add some to your homemade sauce as it simmers. Make sure you remove them before layering the lasagna if they aren’t chopped.
- You’ll want to end up with 3 layers of noodles for this recipe. Make sure the layers or sauce and ricotta aren’t too thick so that your slices will stand up instead of droop.
- Get yourself a good lasagna pan. These are designed to fit the noodles perfectly. No more snapping noodles to make them fit!
How to Store Leftover Lasagna
I like to store my leftovers directly in the pan. Wrap well with plastic or foil and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can, of course, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container to save space if you prefer.
Reheat either in the microwave or in the oven covered with foil at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or heated through.
How to Freeze
If you plan on freezing this, I suggest freezing it before baking. Layer the ingredients in the pan then wrap well with both plastic and foil. This will help avoid freezer burn as much as possible. Your lasagna will last 2-3 months frozen.
To reheat, make sure to remove the plastic, then bake at 375F covered with foil for 1 hours. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. To reheat from frozen that is already cooked, bake for 1 hour covered and 10 minutes uncovered.
Did You Love This Recipe? Try These Pasta Recipes:
- Hamburger Helper Lasagna
- Penne Arrabbiata
- Skillet Lasagna
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Tomato Shrimp Pasta
- Zucchini Lasagna
Craving More? Follow Along:
The Best Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or spicy, casings removed
- ¾ pound ground beef extra lean
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 6 ounce tomato paste 1 can
- 8 ounce tomato sauce
- ½ cup water if needed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 leaves basil chopped
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Cheese Mixture
- 16 ounce ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Lasagna
- 12 lasagna noodles oven ready
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese fresh, grated
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Brown the sausage, beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until the meats are fully cooked. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer, covered, for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a medium size bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, and parsley together.
- Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread about 1½ cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of your lasagna dish. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce, then spread ½ the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Layer ⅓ of the mozzarella, another 1½ cups meat mixture, ¼ cup Parmesan, then repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients finishing with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake the lasagna: Cover the lasagna with foil. Spray the side of the foil facing the lasagna with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the foil, then bake for another 25 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- Take the time to simmer the sauce for the full one hour and a half. The longer you simmer this sauce, the better it will taste. Trust me.
- Make sure you find some “oven-ready” noodles. They cook up perfectly with the sauce in the oven without getting over-done
- Do you have some fresh herbs that need to be used up? Feel free to add some to your homemade sauce as it simmers. Make sure you remove them before layering the lasagna if they aren’t chopped.
- You’ll want to end up with 3 layers of noodles for this recipe. Make sure the layers or sauce and ricotta aren’t too thick so that your slices will stand up instead of droop.
- Get yourself a good lasagna pan. These are designed to fit the noodles perfectly. No more snapping noodles to make them fit!
- I like to store my leftovers directly in the lasagna pan. Wrap well with plastic or foil and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can, of course, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container to save space if you prefer.
- Reheat either in the microwave or in the oven covered with foil at 350F for 15-20 minutes, or heated through.
Kim says
Love this recipe – my go-to when making lasagna. If we decide to freeze it before baking, do you need to let it defrost fully before baking? Or are those instructions to bake from frozen?
Joanna Cismaru says
No you can cook it frozen, as mentioned in the post.
Linda Overman says
If you use cottage cheese instead of the other. Do you use the same amount
Joanna Cismaru says
Yes, if you’re substituting cottage cheese for ricotta in lasagna, use the same amount.
Voleta Casborn says
Very good
Quick and easy recipe
Maya says
I have been making this lasagna for over a year now, and it’s ALWAYS a hit!! My go-to for easy entertaining. It’s staying in my recipe library forever. I do have a question: I’m hosting a dinner and immediately thought of this lasagna; however, a couple of my guests do not eat meat. Have you ever made this recipe with turkey? Is it possible to make this lasagna beef-free? Thanks!
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad the lasagna recipe has been a hit for you! Yes, you can absolutely make it with turkey as a beef-free alternative. Ground turkey works well as a substitute and still keeps the dish flavorful and satisfying. Another option is to go completely vegetarian and use a mix of vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini.
Lisa says
Delicious but noddles undercooked and the top layer was extra done. I followed the recipe exactly and I don’t know where I went wrong. I made a second lasagna. Any ideas for when I cook the next one to adjust to see if the noodles cook more?
Joanna Cismaru says
It sounds like the type of noodles could be the issue. Did you use oven-ready noodles? If not, try those next time or pre-cook regular lasagna noodles slightly before assembling. To prevent the top from overcooking, cover the lasagna with foil for most of the baking time, then remove it towards the end for a golden finish.
Jessica says
If using regular noodles how long should we cook them?
Joanna Cismaru says
For regular lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind), it’s typically best to cook them until they’re just al dente before using them in your lasagna. This usually takes about 8-10 minutes in boiling water, but it’s a good idea to check the package instructions for the specific brand you’re using. Then simply just follow the recipe as written.
Kate says
I am not cooking this until the evening. However, I did make the sauce this morning. Should I put it all together and refrigerate all together or just store the sauce on its own in the fridge and put together later? Thanks!
Joanna Cismaru says
If you have time, it’s perfectly fine to assemble the lasagna with the sauce you made this morning and then refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake in the evening. This can actually help the flavors meld together nicely. Alternatively, you can store the sauce separately and assemble later. Both methods work well, so it’s up to your convenience.
Lisa Kelly says
Do I add any water to lasagna or milk? Never made oven ready lasagna noodles before.
Joanna Cismaru says
No, you shouldn’t. If you’re using “oven ready” noodles, no water is needed.
Jan says
Hi Joanna!
Making this for Christmas Eve. One gluten free, and one traditional. Is it possible to prepare the day before, refrigerate and then bake the next day?
Joanna Cismaru says
Absolutely, you can prepare both a day in advance, refrigerate them, and then bake the next day. This often allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Just remember to let them sit at room temperature for a bit before baking. Enjoy your Christmas Eve feast!
Jen says
I made this recipe last night. My first time making a lasagna. It turned out great and my husband said he wouldn’t change anything about it!
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you guys enjoyed it!
Carol Wellman says
Hi! I am in the process of making this lasagna today. But I do not have oven ready lasagna noodles. Any suggestions?
Joanna Cismaru says
Hey! No worries at all—classic lasagna noodles will work just fine. Just cook them according to the package instructions until they’re al dente. Drain and then layer them in as you would with the oven-ready noodles. Your lasagna will still be all kinds of fabulous, promise! 🍝🌟
Carol Wellman says
I have never been successful at making a lasagna until this recipe. It turned out delicious!
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad to hear that! Enjoy!
Rachel says
SO GOOD! My husband and I both loved it. This lasagna is so hearty and flavorful, and using sausage in addition to ground beef really adds something. I’ll definitely be using this recipe for years and years to come!
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so happy to hear this, you’ve made my day!
Katherine Hebert says
This was the absolute best. My whole family loved it Thank you❤️
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
Barbara Ann Day says
I have not tried this recipe. It is, amazingly, how I have made my Lasagna for many years! I could hardly believe it! In our latter years we don’t have this often, but it is the very best lasagna I have ever had. Few use a mixture of ground beef and sausage. I always have.
Joanna Cismaru says
What a delightful coincidence! It’s always special to find a recipe that mirrors your tried-and-true method, especially for something as comforting as lasagna. The blend of sausage and beef does add that extra layer of flavor that makes the dish stand out. It’s wonderful that you’ve been enjoying your lasagna this way for years! Even if it’s not as often now, it makes those occasions where you do prepare it all the more special.
Sandy says
Awesome and easy
Elfie says
I loved it. I had no Italian sausage so I made it with minced meat and a lot of fresh herbs (rosemary, thym, basil, oregano and extra garlic). I cooked the mince sauce for over 2 hours and it was delicious! From now on this will be my pasta sauce.
Joanna Cismaru says
So glad you liked it!