Lasagna
This comforting casserole features layers of tender pasta, creamy, gooey cheese, and a savory meat sauce. A cherished Italian favorite, lasagna is served family style (from oven to table), to the delight of its adoring fans. This version is delightfully traditional, and undeniably easy.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
Lasagna is the noodle type and the name of the dish! Lasagna can refer to wide, flat sheets of pasta, or to the classic baked dish. The baked dish is crafted by layering lasagna noodles between hearty sauce and creamy cheeses. The sauce is often tomato-based and can contain meat, such as beef, pork, and sausage. That said, you can also find meat-free, vegetarian lasagna, and those made with béchamel (a white cream sauce). Some recipes add vegetables as well, and popular choices include spinach, zucchini, and mushrooms. In this recipe, I stuck with traditional lasagna and stacked layers of noodles, beef ragu, and a medley of three cheeses – creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and sharp parmesan.
Here’s what you need for this easy lasagna
- Lasagna noodles. This recipe calls for 12 uncooked lasagna noodles. The noodles can be flat or curly edged. If desired, you may swap in oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna noodles, or fresh lasagna noodles. Note that oven-ready and fresh noodles do not need to be cooked prior to assembling this casserole.
- Beef and sausage. I prefer a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage in the sauce for this lasagna. The beef is lean (not greasy), and the pork sausage delivers more of a robust, herb-forward flavor. If desired, you may use all ground beef; simply add an additional 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds to the sauce.
- Onion and garlic. Aromatic onion and garlic are used to enhance the flavor and texture of the sauce.
- Ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese adds creaminess and a subtle milky essence to the cheese layer. I prefer whole milk ricotta for its richness. If desired, you may swap in cottage cheese.
- Mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella cheese melts beautifully and provides the coveted stretchy “cheese pull”. I prefer whole milk mozzarella for its flavor and meltability.
- Parmesan cheese. Nutty parmesan cheese adds a wonderful sharpness to the lasagna. Choose good-quality, freshly grated parmesan cheese (whether you grate it yourself or purchase the pre-grated cheese sold in the refrigerated section of your grocery store). Avoid shelf-stable varieties of parmesan cheese as they don’t deliver the same flavor and texture.
- Marinara sauce and tomato paste. Choose your favorite marinara sauce for this lasagna and you’ll love the outcome. I prefer Rao’s for its homestyle vibe, but any variety works. We add a touch of tomato paste for richness and sweetness.
- Italian seasoning. The Italian herb medley of basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary truly enhances the meat sauce, adding great depth of flavor. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you may use 1/4 teaspoon each basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram.
- Parsley. A handful of parsley adds vibrant color and fresh flavor to the cheese layer.
- Egg. One large egg is used in the cheese layer to bind ingredients together.
- Salt and pepper. The amount of salt and black pepper you need will depend on the brand of marinara sauce you use. Season to taste after the sauce is finished cooking.
A few tips to ensure the best lasagna ever
Cover your casserole dish. Don’t forget to cover your baking dish with aluminum foil for the first 45 minutes of cooking. This ensures the top of the lasagna doesn’t dry out. If desired, coat the foil with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking.
Bake your lasagna on a baking sheet. If your assembled casserole is close to the top of your baking dish, I suggest baking the lasagna on a baking sheet. You might not need it, but it’s nice to have the baking sheet underneath to catch any messy spatters of bubbling sauce. And let’s not forget how hard it is to clean melted cheese out of an oven…
Let the lasagna rest before serving!
If you try to cut into your lasagna right away, the filling will be runny, and you won’t get clean-cut sections. The cheese and sauce are hot when they leave the oven, and both need time to cool down and thicken up. Shoot for 15 minutes of resting at a minimum. Your lasagna can sit for up to 45 minutes before serving.
How to make this lasagna in advance
To make this lasagna in advance, prepare it as instructed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (cover the plastic wrap with foil when freezing). Thaw overnight before baking. Pull the chilled lasagna from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
What should serve with this lasagna? I suggest serving this lasagna with a crisp green salad or Caesar Salad. You can also add freshly baked garlic bread to round out the meal.
How to store leftover lasagna
Once cool, transfer the lasagna to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat leftover lasagna, transfer it to a lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm throughout. You can also reheat leftover lasagna in the microwave, on the reheat setting.
Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked, plus extra in case of breakage
For the meat sauce
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef, preferably 90% lean
- 3/4 pound Italian sausage, mild or hot
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, or 1/4 teaspoon each basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram
- 40 ounces 5 cups marinara sauce of choice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese mixture
- 15- ounces ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
- 4 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain and arrange in a single layer on a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Note: If using oven-ready (no-boil) or fresh lasagna noodles, you may skip this step.
- Meanwhile, brown the beef and sausage together in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook for 3 minutes, until the onion is soft and the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the marinara sauce and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- To make the cheese layer, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and egg. Mix well.
- Spoon a heaping cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Spread out to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce. It’s fine if the noodles are slightly overlapping.
- Top the noodles with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture.
- Top with 1 cup of the meat sauce.
- Repeat two more times (3 noodles-1/3 of the ricotta-1 cup sauce).
- Top with the remaining 3 noodles and remaining sauce.
- Top with the remaining 2 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. If desired, coat the foil with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking.
- Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 15 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. If desired, place the pan under the broiler to brown the cheese.
- Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.