Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
The best homemade lasagna recipe includes thick layers of noodles, sausage, ground beef, ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses in a made-from-scratch sauce. It’s also an easy make-ahead dinner for busy days!
How to Make Lasagna Step by Step | 1-Minute Video
I made this for dinner last night and it’s the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Thanks for sharing!
– Nichole
My mother-in-law serves an easy homemade lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner each year. Farm & Ranch Living magazine recently published Chi-Chi’s recipe with a few tweaks, and I just loved the updated version and had to share it here. This traditional lasagna recipe includes thick layers of a homemade lasagna sauce that’s full of Italian sausage and ground beef, as well as plenty of garlic and fresh herbs. Combine the sauce with layers of noodles and three cheeses, and you’ve got the best lasagna recipe ever!
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- Assemble the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish. You’ll have thick layers that fill the dish to the top! I also like to place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet while it’s in the oven, just in case any of the sauce drips over the edge.
- Italian sausage adds an extra layer of flavor to the filling. Use mild, sweet, or spicy sausage — whichever you prefer. I buy bulk sausage for ease, but you can also just remove the casings from sausage links if necessary.
- I use whole milk ricotta cheese (rather than cottage cheese) in this recipe because it has a thicker, smoother, creamier texture. For a lighter choice, you can substitute with small curd or whipped cottage cheese. If the cottage cheese looks like it has a lot of liquid, strain it before combining it with the rest of the ingredients.
- The egg is an important component of the ricotta mixture because it helps the cheese layer “set” so that it doesn’t ooze out when you slice into the casserole. That said, if you have an egg allergy, you can omit this ingredient — the finished texture just won’t be quite the same.
- The brown sugar helps to balance the acidity in the tomatoes. We like a sweeter sauce, so I use 2 tablespoons of sugar. If you prefer a less-sweet sauce, you can reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon. Just start with less and gradually add more, to taste.
Directions
This homemade lasagna recipe requires a little bit more prep time thanks to the homemade lasagna sauce, but it’s well worth the effort! Best of all, you can assemble this entire meal in advance so that you’re not slaving over a hot stove at the last minute. You’ll find step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Prepare the tomato meat sauce in a Dutch oven or other large pot.
- Stir together the egg, ricotta, Parmesan and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Spread two cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
- Layer with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layers two more times.
- Top with the remaining meat sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with greased foil and bake in a 400° F oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil cover and continue baking for about 15-20 more minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the inside of the casserole is bubbly.
- Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This will help the cheese set so that it slices cleanly and doesn’t ooze out. Garnish with plenty of fresh parsley or basil for a bright addition to the baked casserole.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty, homemade lasagna is delicious when paired with a Caesar salad, a simple green salad dressed in red wine vinegar salad dressing, roasted yellow squash, or garlic roasted broccoli. You might also like to offer a side of garlic bread or homemade focaccia bread to complete the meal.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: Assemble the lasagna in advance. Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking, or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, allow the refrigerated lasagna to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before baking.
- How to Cook Homemade Frozen Lasagna: If you’re baking the casserole frozen (directly from the freezer), bake the dish covered in a 400°F oven for 1 ½ hours. Then remove the aluminum foil cover and bake for an additional 20 minutes (or until the pasta is tender and the dish is heated through).
- How to Store: Leftover homemade lasagna will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Cover the lasagna loosely with foil. Warm the dish in a 350°F oven just until heated through, about 30 minutes. You can also reheat individual slices of lasagna in the microwave until warm, about 1 minute.
Almost 50 yrs old & made my first from scratch lasagna using this recipe. Twas for my BF’s family & they usually expect greatness. Lol! This recipe did NOT disappoint. Everyone absolutely loved it and there were plenty of leftovers to share. Will most certainly put this in regular rotation! Thanks!
– Christian
More Homemade Lasagna Recipes
-
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
-
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook and crumble the sausage, ground beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes; drain off the fat. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook and stir for 1 minute.
-
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, parsley, basil, salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
-
In a separate bowl, stir together the egg, ricotta, 1 ¼ cups of Parmesan cheese, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper.
-
Spread 2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles and ⅓ of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
-
Cover with greased foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips if it bubbles over); bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake for 15-20 more minutes, or until browned on top and bubbly. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
- Assemble the casserole in a deep 9 x 13-inch dish. You’ll have thick layers that fill the dish to the top! I also like to place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet while it’s in the oven, just in case any of the sauce drips over the edge.
- The brown sugar helps to balance the acidity in the tomatoes. We like a sweeter sauce, so I use 2 tablespoons of sugar. If you prefer a less-sweet sauce, you can reduce the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon. Just start with less and gradually add more, to taste.
Serving: 1/12 of the casseroleCalories: 500kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 33gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1406mgPotassium: 930mgFiber: 3gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1269IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 464mgIron: 4mg
Grandma’s Best Lasagna Recipe Variations
- If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your homemade lasagna from scratch with homemade lasagna noodles.
- Swap out the ground beef and replace it with ground turkey, ground pork, or additional Italian sausage.
- Add more fresh herbs if you have them. Fresh basil, parsley, oregano, or thyme would also be flavorful additions to the sauce.
- If using homemade lasagna noodles or boiled lasagna noodles (rather than the no-boil noodles), you can reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Cooking for Two? Divide the full recipe between two smaller 8-inch square baking dishes. That way you get two meals with the same amount of effort, and you can freeze one for a later date. Alternatively, you can cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare one lasagna in an 8-inch square dish. The baking instructions remain the same.
This recipe was originally published in February, 2021. It was updated in August, 2024.
