Absolute Best Ever Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna on a white plate garnished with parsley and cheese.

4.49 from 45 votes

The ultimate lasagna recipe! Three layers of deliciously rich, luscious meat sauce, creamy cheesy ricotta, and perfectly cooked noodles. With a trick to getting a perfect portion cut every time.

Prep Time2

Cook Time1

Total Time3

Course: Dinner, Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: best lasagna, classic lasagna, italian lasagna, lasagna, pasta

Servings:

Calories: 741kcal

Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

1 lb ground round
2 lbs hot Italian sausage, ground
3 oz pepperoni, diced
1 cup onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel, ground
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes (San Marzano, if possible)
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup red wine
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

Lasagna

16 oz lasagna noodles
15 oz ricotta cheese, room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 cup Parmesan, grated
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground round and hot Italian sausage. Drain excess fat, add the pepperoni and cook about 1 minute.
Add the onion, garlic, parsley, and fennel. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, basil, bay leaves, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, add the wine.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Add the mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes. (if doubling the recipe, simmer longer)
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Boil the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions, drain and set aside.
In a medium-size bowl mix the ricotta, egg, and parmesan.
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce evenly in the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking pan.
Layer 1/3 of the noodles over the sauce horizontally. Spread 2 cups of sauce over the noodles; 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat with the second layer of noodles placing them vertically. Repeat a third time laying the noodles horizontally.
Bake for 1 -1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven to a wire rack and let it sit for about 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

*You probably won't use all the lasagna noodles from the 16oz box.

The original recipe uses 1/2 the ricotta mixture on the first layer and the remaining 1/2 on the second layer. Then top (final layer) with just noodles, meat sauce, and remaining mozzarella.

I use 1/3 of the ricotta on each layer.

Nutrition