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A square slice of lasagna on a plate with butterflies.
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Lasagna Recipe

This easy Lasagna recipe is a classic recipe that the whole family will love. Creamy, cheesy, and meaty, it’s the ultimate comfort meal.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 343kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Casserole dish
  • Large Pot
  • Large Dutch oven
  • mixing bowl

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

  • ¾ pound Italian sausage casings removed (338g)
  • ¾ pound lean ground beef (338g)
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (6-ounce/170g) can tomato paste
  • 1 (28-ounce/794g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce/425g) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Cheese Filling:

  • 1 (15-ounce/425g) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Assembly:

  • 12 lasagna noodles (284g)
  • 2 cups (or 8 ounces) sliced or shredded mozzarella (226g)
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan (26g)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.

For the Meat Sauce:

  • Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and beef, and cook, breaking up any chunks with the back of a spoon while stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the onion and garlic, and cook stirring often until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, basil, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

For the Cheese Filing:

  • In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

For the Assembly:

  • While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles, and cook until al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
  • Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • Spread 2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer 4 cooked noodles in an even layer, slightly overlapping if necessary. Spread half of the cheese filling (about 1 cup) in an even layer over the noodles. Repeat the layers once more (sauce, noodles, cheese).
  • Spread 2 cups of meat sauce over the cheese filling, top with the remaining 4 noodles, and spread the remaining meat sauce in an even layer over the top of the noodles. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the cheese is melted and the lasagna is heated through, about 15 minutes more. Increase the oven temperature to broil, and broil until the cheese is browned, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

  • Do not skip rinsing the lasagna noodles. Rinsing and draining the cooked noodles will stop them from cooking in the residual heat.
  • You can use sliced fresh mozzarella cheese or low-moisture shredded mozzarella. Both of these cheeses will make a delicious topping. If purchasing pre-sliced fresh mozzarella, the slices are usually cut thick, so grab a 1-pound (450g) package.
  • If the lasagna is near the very top of the baking dish, spray the aluminum foil with some non-stick spray before laying it over the top to help prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
  • Make sure you cover all the noodles with sauce and cheese. Any exposed pasta will dry out in the oven.
  • Let the lasagna rest before slicing it. This is an important step to give the layers time to set up so you can slice the lasagna neatly into squares. Otherwise, all the layers will just become a mess when you try to cut into the casserole. A freshly baked lasagna will stay hot for up to an hour!

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 864mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 3mg