Homemade Lasagna Recipe with Ricotta
Servings 12 people
Homemade Lasagna is a well-loved comfort food that has layers of homemade meat sauce, soft noodles, and a ricotta cheese mixture! Bakes right in the oven in just 40 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons Italian dressing
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13-inch pan by spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef and Italian sausage until brown. Drain the grease.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound Italian sausage
- Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, garlic, sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring this to a boil, reduce heat, and allow this to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the Italian dressing and turn off the heat.28 ounces tomato sauce, 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 3 Tablespoons Italian dressing
- While the sauce is simmering, boil the lasagna noodles (according to package directions) to al dente. Drain and cool a bit so they are easier to handle during assembly. Make sure not to over boil or you will end up with mushy, over baked noodles.12 lasagna noodles
- Make the cheese mixture by stirring together the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.3 cups ricotta cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon fresh basil, 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Spread a bit of the meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to lightly coat. Place 3 lasagna noodles lengthwise over the sauce (it is okay if the edges overlap). Spread about ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles, then spread on about ¼ of the meat sauce and sprinkle with ¼ of mozzarella. Repeat these layers (noodles, ricotta mixture, meat, mozzarella) twice more.
- Place the 4th layer of lasagna noodles then spread the remaining sauce over top. Make sure that there are no noodles visible.
- Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella cheese.3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake for 40 minutes covered with foil (spray foil with non-stick spray to avoid cheese sticking), and 10 minutes without foil.
- Allow the lasagna to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- How To Store: Lasagna keeps really well in the fridge for 3-5 days. In fact, it is often better the next day. To reheat, cover the pan with tin foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until heated through. It is also good reheated in the microwave.
- How To Freeze: It's best to freeze it after preparing but before baking. Make sure the lasagne is completely cool before placing it in the freezer, otherwise ice crystals could form. I find it's best to use a disposable pan when freezing. Wrap the pan completely with plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you want to serve it, either thaw it in the fridge the night before or defrost it in the microwave before baking it at 375 degrees F (covered with tin foil) for approximately 1 hour or until heated through to 165 degrees F.
- Can this be made ahead? Yes! You may assemble the lasagna and keep it in the fridge for 1 night before baking it. Bake it just as directed above.
- I don’t have Italian seasoning - what could I substitute? In this recipe, I would suggest using 1 teaspoon of oregano.
- I don’t care for Italian sausage - could I make it all beef? Yes, you can make this recipe with all beef or you can substitute the Italian beef for milder breakfast sausage.
- I can’t seem to find ricotta - what could I use instead? You could use cottage cheese instead. Just make sure to go for the full-fat kind. And if you think you won’t like the texture, you could just use a hand blender to smooth it out.
- Can I use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese? I find that pre-shredded cheese is not a good option for this recipe. It has a different texture that just does not melt as nicely. It's definitely worth buying a block of cheese and shredding yourself.
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 766mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1005IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 431mg | Iron: 4mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/the-best-homemade-lasagna/