Julie Clark
Updated:
Homemade Lasagna Recipe
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Looking for a classic lasagna recipe? You’ve found it! With layers of beef, sausage, five cheeses, and a rich homemade sauce, this dish is hearty, flavorful, and full of texture.
We’ll guide you step-by-step to make it easy—and your family just might say it’s the best lasagna they’ve ever had.
The best lasagna recipe.
Matt has always loved homemade lasagna (even lasagna soup!), so I made it often in our early years of marriage—so much that Braden grew tired of it. To keep dinner peaceful, I stopped making it regularly.
Then came a last-minute request: lasagna dinner for Maddie and her friends before prom. With just three days’ notice, I turned to Allrecipes’ “World’s Best Lasagna,” studied the reviews, and combined the best ideas with what I already knew.
The result? A prom-night hit that’s now our go-to recipe. Even Braden admits it’s pretty good. 😊
Serve this lasagna with cheesy garlic bread and a simple caesar salad or side of veggies such as roasted broccoli or Italian green beans.
You may also love our Mexican lasagna with noodles or taco lasagna!
Enjoy! -Julie
Key Lasagna Ingredients
There are a few key ingredients that I like to use in my lasagna recipe:
- Sweet Italian Sausage. The “sweet” in the Italian sausage really brings out the flavor in this lasagna. I’ve tried this recipe with traditional Italian sausage and we didn’t like it as much. I find sweet Italian sausage in a local grocery store in the fresh meat case.
- Homemade Sauce. In my easy lasagna recipe I use store-bought spaghetti sauce for my lasagna. There’s definitely a place for lazy day lasagna recipes, but when you want something really special, make from-scratch meat sauce. The key to this marinara sauce is to make it a day in advance and allow it to cook together for about an hour and a half, or even allow it to simmer in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours. The fresh herbs, spices and tomatoes blend together beautifully if you just plan ahead and take a little time.
- Fresh Basil and Fresh Parsley. I never used to buy fresh herbs, but when you really want to make an impression, grabbing a bunch of green herbs from your produce case can really add a fresh flavor. Use some kitchen scissors or herb scissors to snip the herbs and enjoy their aroma as you do so.
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. I’ll be honest. I’m not crazy about ricotta, but it is a must in traditional lasagna. This recipe calls for just 15 ounces of creamy ricotta cheese which allows for two thin layers. It blends right in with the other cheeses. I grew up with cottage cheese in lasagna, so you can use that, too!
- Nutmeg. That’s right. This is a hint I got from reviewers on Allrecipes. Don’t skip it. It’s a little secret ingredient to a great lasagna recipe, and I also sneak it in my chicken stroganoff and croissant breakfast bake.
- Whole Milk Mozzarella. Pick up a chunk of whole milk mozzarella and shred it at home with this handy rotary cheese shredder. This will give you the creamiest, cheesiest lasagna around.
- Provolone, Romano and Parmesan Cheeses. Each of these Italian cheeses bring a unique flavor to this lasagna recipe. Using these three cheeses along with the ricotta and mozzarella make this a five cheese lasagna recipe. We’re crazy for cheese!
Before you begin: Do you have to cook lasagna noodles?
I’ve tested this lasagna recipe three ways: boiling the noodles, not boiling them, and soaking them in hot water. If you prefer super soft noodles, boil them first—it gives that classic lasagna texture. But if you’re fine with a slightly firmer bite (like I am), you can skip boiling.
Here’s the trick: soak regular lasagna noodles in hot water for 30 minutes while you prep the sauce and cheese. It softens them just enough, and they’ll finish cooking in the oven. No need to buy special no-boil noodles—just use this shortcut with standard ones.
My personal tip: If your sauce is piping hot when you assemble the lasagna, the pasta will soften even more as the casserole rests before baking. Sneaky, right?
And with that, I’ll give you my exact timeline for make ahead lasagna.
Homemade Lasagna Recipe
If you're looking for the best homemade lasagna recipe, give this a try. Hints and exact ingredients to use for a delicious lasagna.
Servings 15
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground chuck 80/20
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup freshly chopped basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- dash nutmeg
- 1 pound whole milk mozzarella shredded
- 9-10 slices provolone cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated romano cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- This makes a large pan of lasagna. I use a deep dish lasagna pan or a deep 9×13" casserole dish. Or you can use two smaller pans.
- In a large saucepan, cook the sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic until cooked through. Drain the fat. 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, 1 pound ground chuck, ½ cup diced onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- Add the tomatoes, paste, sauce, water, sugar basil, fennel, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir well. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.* 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 12 ounces tomato paste, 15 ounces tomato sauce, ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ cup freshly chopped basil, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Place the lasagna noodles in a pan of hot water and make certain they are completely covered. Allow them to sit for 30 minutes to soften, then drain the water. 12 lasagna noodles
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg and nutmeg. In a separate small bowl, mix together the Parmesan and Romano cheeses. 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, dash nutmeg, ½ cup freshly grated romano cheese, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Let’s put together the lasagna!
- Spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan. Place 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spoon half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. 1 pound whole milk mozzarella
- Spread another 1 ½ cups of sauce over the mozzarella, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the Parmesan mixture. Lay another 4 noodles over the cheese. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture.
- Lay 9-10 slices of provolone cheese over the ricotta, then top with 1 ½ cups meat sauce.Sprinkle ⅓ cup Parmesan mixture over the sauce. 9-10 slices provolone cheese
- Top with 4 more noodles, the remaining sauce, 2 cups of mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake immediately for 25 minutes (covered with foil**) and then an additional 30 minutes with the foil removed.
- OR…cover the unbaked casserole and refrigerate to save baking until the next day. If you choose to do this, remove the lasagna from the refrigerator 45 minutes before baking, then bake the same as above. Allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
*You can also allow this to simmer on low in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours if you don’t have time to watch it on the stove.
**Spray the foil with cooking spray prior to covering the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Vegetarian Lasagna: Skip the meat and add vegetables such as zucchini and spinach.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the lasagna being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 piece of lasagna. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1254mg | Potassium: 781mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1120IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 465mg | Iron: 3.4mg
Make Ahead Lasagna Recipe
Here’s the timeline for how I make lasagna in advance:
- Make the sauce. The day before I want to cook and serve the lasagna, I make the sauce.
- While the sauce is cooking, mix together the cheeses and cook the noodles if you’d like.
- Put the lasagna together. Allow the lasagna to sit for 30 minutes or so until the sauce cools, then cover the pan with plastic wrap and slip it into the fridge to sit overnight. If you cover with aluminum foil, the acid in the sauce may eat away at it as it sits. For that reason, I prefer plastic wrap.
- Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator 45 minutes before baking, then bake as the recipe states.
I love preparing lasagna this way because it keeps the mess out of the kitchen the day I want to serve the lasagna and the flavors have time to meld together. It’s the perfect company casserole!
How to Freeze Lasagna
After you assemble this lasagna recipe (after step #3 above), cover the lasagna with plastic wrap 2-3 times to seal well. Store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Allow the frozen lasagna to thaw in the fridge at least 24 hours before baking. Also, pull it out of the fridge 1 hour before baking to take some of the chill off.
Delicious!!
Great Article, with helpful tips. Next time I will be doubling the garlic – no criticism of the recipe, our family just loves garlic.
One question for future … Freezing the Lasagna – before cooking in the oven, or after? What’s the best way to avoid freezer burn? And defrost (how long) or reheat/bake from frozen?
So why sugar? I’m just curious. I believe tomatoes themselves are pretty sweet so why add more? Does it bring something to the dish that isn’t there if you don’t use sugar? I’m making your lasagna recipe today and don’t want to mess it up by not adding the sugar. It’s just I’m not big on sugar and would like to avoid it as much as possible if I can lol.
One comment about the mechanical aspects of this recipe. When soaking the lasagna noodles, do so by adding them to the hot water, not pouring hot water over them. My first attempt failed because my noodles were all stuck together. Adding one at a time to the hot water allows water to fully coat each noodle, keeping their starches from gluing togehter.
Just made this with light life sausage and beef crumbles…..crossing my fingers that my meat eating friends and I enjoy it!
Can this recipe be frozen? Making it now (it smells sooooooo good) and planning for baby #2 next spring. Wondering if this can be in my “make ahead and freeze” Arsenal before baby comes?
The idea of soaking the noodles in hot water is excellent. Going back I could kick myself for every time over the years that I overcooked the noodles and tore them while layering them into the pan. Can’t wait to try out this recipe with my fresh basil, tomatoes and oregano from the garden! It’s lasagna season! Woohoo!
My boyfriend ate a lot of pancakes growing up and now doesn’t like pancakes, so I totally “understand.” Myself? I only have one true dislike and that’s Italian sausage. I wish so much I liked it because I know it’s such a key ingredient in lasagna, but alas, I guess I will be using a beef and pork mixture. Homemade meat sauce really makes a big difference, I love it. Great recipe!
This is one of the most delicious lasagna recipes I have ever made!!! I make my own pasta/noodles, so that only added to the special-ness. Rich and hearty, full of flavor, so much cheese my head almost exploded!!!! Mangia, mangia!!!!!
Love your recipe. I made it according to recipe except I substituted zucchini sliced long ways on a mandolin for the lasagna noodles and Southern hot sausage for the Italian sausage.
I live alone so, when I buy sausage or bacon, I fry the whole pound and put it in resealable snack bag a serving each and freeze it, so I always have sausage.
I gave the rest of the lasagna to a friend who has three kids. She said they came back for seconds. They don’t like vegetables but she never told them the noodles were zucchini.
Because members of my family love a really meaty lasagna, I add ground beef, pepperoni slices, italian sausage and sometimes small pork meatballs. I also sometimes buy a small block of a hard Italian cheese and grate it fresh on top.
I love snacking on the cooked noodles while I finish making my lasagna! mmmm!
For me lasagna always tastes best when prepared with fresh ingredients.
Homemade sauce is my secret!!
I use Italian sausage and fresh ingredients from my garden. Make my own Sauce recipe from my Noni! Cool for an hour to let ingredients set!!
I like to add ground pork to my sauce.