by Holly
Homemade Lasagna is a classic, delicious dinner that every family should have in their recipe rotation. Tender sheets of pasta, a cheese filling, and a rich meaty tomato sauce make this the perfect meal!
We love serving a classic lasagna dinner, complete with a caesar salad or Italian salad and dinner rolls slathered in Homemade Garlic Butter. It’s the world’s best meal!
How to Make Lasagna
Homemade lasagna may seem daunting, and while there are a few steps, this is such an easy recipe – it’s worth the time! Homemade lasagna recipe is the perfect Italian meal to warm you from the inside out!
The lasagna ingredients in this recipe are easy to prep and while it does take some time, it’s not difficult at all! All you’ll need for this easy lasagna recipe is one pan, one bowl, and a 9×13 baking dish!
Here’s what to do to prepare for layering lasagna:
- In the BOWL: Mix the ricotta and divided cheeses with an egg in a bowl, and set aside.
- In the PAN: Brown the onion garlic and meat in a pot on the stove top. Add the pasta sauce and tomato paste.
- In the 9×13: Layer the meat sauce and cheese mixture with noodles and bake until bubbling
To make this into a spinach lasagna, squeeze out most of the moisture of defrosted frozen spinach and add it along with the cheese layer. Lasagna ingredients don’t have to be limited to the ones you see here. Substitute meats or different cheeses, or try different meat sauce variations. Any way you slice lasagna, it’s always delicious!
How to Layer Lasagna
Once you have prepared the meat sauce and cheeses, you’re ready to for the layering. This is the fun part! To layer lasagna:
- Spread about a cup of meat sauce into a 9×13 pan. Add a layer of noodles.
- Top the noodles with some of the cheese mixture.
- Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of noodles
- Cover with foil and bake.
- Remove foil, top with mozzarella and parmesan and bake another 15 minutes.
How Long to Bake Lasagna
Baking time lasagna for this recipe is about one hour total. To get that perfect browned cheese topping, you’ll need to bake it in two stages. After it’s layered, cover it tightly in foil to retain the moisture.
Once cooked, remove the foil, top with cheese, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and your easy lasagna is bubbling.
It’s very important to let the lasagna sit for at least 15 minutes once removed from the oven (even 30 minutes is fine). This is what keeps it from becoming runny and helps it to keep its shape when cut (you don’t need to do this when you’re reheating it though).
Serve this easy lasagna with a chunk of Homemade Garlic Bread.
Make Ahead
Lasagna can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated up to 2 days before baking. It can also be frozen before or after baking.
How to Freeze Lasagna
Lasagna is one of the best meals to make ahead and freeze. I love to make two pans of this easy lasagna recipe and save one for another day. You can either divide the already baked lasagna into several portions and pack it in freezer safe containers, or freeze the whole pan.
You can also layer the ingredients then freeze before baking. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed.
How To Reheat Lasagna
If you’re baking frozen prepped lasagna, it’s best to pull it out the day before you’re going to cook it so that it has a chance to defrost before it goes in the oven. This prevents it from burning on the edges and undercooking in the center.
If you’ve frozen leftovers, pop them in the oven at 350°F covered, until reheated. This should take about 30 minutes! Of course, leftovers are perfectly heated in the microwave too!
More Italian Favorites
- Spaghetti Carbonara – Easy and delicious!
- Chicken Lasagna – creamy, dreamy and comforting.
- Baked Rigatoni Pasta – great family meal
- Baked Ziti – Reader favorite recipe
- Easy Chicken Parmesan – personal favorite, great over spaghetti!
Easy Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles uncooked
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese divided
Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz pasta sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cheese Layer
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg beaten
Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
Brown beef, sausage, onion and garlic over medium high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
- Stir in pasta sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Combine 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, parsley and egg.
Add 1 cup meat sauce to a 9x13 pan. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Layer with 1/3 of the cheese mixture and 1 cup of meat sauce. Repeat finishing with noodles topped with sauce.
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, add cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil 2-3 minutes if desired.
- Rest 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Recipe Notes
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
