Best Homemade Lasagna

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This is hands down The Best Lasagna Recipe Ever! Easy, cheesy, meaty, and so so delicious! It’s the quintessential recipe for feeding a large family or bringing to a potluck. Layer up the hearty meat sauce, different cheeses, and lasagna pasta, and then bake until hot and bubbly.

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THE BEST Lasagna Recipe Ever!

So happy to be sharing this epic Lasagna Recipe with you today! My family will lick their plates clean when this is on the dinner menu. This recipe is not dry, not soupy, cuts perfectly, holds together, and tastes amazing! This is the lasagna recipe that you need in your recipe box. Make this once and never need another lasagna recipe again. It’s meaty, cheesy, decadent, and the perfect Italian dinner.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a quick breakdown of what goes into this lasagna and why each ingredient matters. These simple notes will help you understand how everything comes together for that rich, layered, homemade flavor.

For the meat sauce:

• Ground Beef – This gives the sauce its rich, hearty base and all the savory flavor that makes lasagna filling and satisfying.
• Tomatoes – Crushed or canned tomatoes bring the sauce together with a deep, tangy sweetness and that classic Italian flavor.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic adds warmth and a bold aroma that builds flavor right from the start.
• Yellow Onion – Onion softens into the sauce and adds a natural sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Olive Oil – A splash of olive oil helps cook the aromatics and adds a smooth, rich depth to the sauce.
• Bay Leaves – Bay leaves simmer quietly in the sauce, giving it a subtle herbal note that rounds everything out.
• Dried Basil – Basil brings that familiar Italian flavor that makes the sauce taste homemade and comforting.
• Granulated Sugar – Just a little sugar helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes and keeps the sauce balanced.
• Italian Seasoning – This blend pulls everything together with a mix of herbs that gives the sauce its classic lasagna taste.

For the cheese layer:

• Mozzarella Cheese – Melts into that gooey, stretchy layer everyone loves in a good lasagna.
• Parmesan Cheese – Adds a sharp, salty bite that balances out the creaminess of the other cheeses.
• Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese – Makes the cheese layer rich, creamy, and smooth without being too heavy.
• Dried Basil – Adds a light herbal touch that keeps the cheese layer from feeling too rich.
• Dried Parsley – Brings a mild freshness and a bit of color throughout the filling.
• Salt and Black Pepper – Simple seasoning that sharpens all the flavors in the cheese mixture.

Remaining ingredients:

• Lasagna Noodles – These hold everything together and give the lasagna its signature layers and structure.
• Mozzarella Cheese – Melted on top, it creates that golden, bubbly finish that pulls everything together.

How to Make Lasagna 

Lasagna is essentially a layered Italian casserole made up of three parts: meat sauce, cheese mixture, and pasta sheets. Here is the process of how to make and assemble your lasagna. For full recipe details and ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

Step 1: Make Lasagna Meat Sauce

Give yourself a good couple of hours (or more!) to make the meat sauce because this is a big part of why this lasagna is so good!

1. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add in onion and sautè.
3. Add in garlic and ground beef. Break meat apart as it browns.
4. Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, dried basil, sugar, Italian Seasoning, and salt.
5. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
6. Cook sauce 1-2 hours or until very thick. You may have to add more water as you go to ensure it doesn’t scorch, which is totally normal.

Step 2: Make Lasagna Cheese Filling

A classic Lasagna Recipe calls for ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. While the meat sauce cooks, stir cheeses together in a bowl with basil, parsley, and salt & pepper. Set aside.

Step 3: Cook Lasagna Pasta Sheets

Regardless of the brand of lasagna you’re using, be sure to check out the packaging and boil noodles for two-thirds of the recommended time. Since you will be baking the entire lasagna in the oven after you layer it, your pasta will continue cooking, so give it a place to go! Overcooked pasta does not make a good lasagna.

How To Layer Lasagna

Make your meal a full Italian feast with some of my most loved and favorite salad and side dish recipes!

Start with a bit of meat sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish or a plain 9×13 (using a 9×13 helps keep the structure even and gives plenty of space for layering) and line the bottom with pasta. Top with the cheese mixture and meat sauce. Add another layer of noodles, cheese, and sauce, and then top with more pasta, more sauce, and a sprinkling of cheese. So, basically, here are your layers:

1. Meat Sauce (just a little so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom)
2. Noodles
3. Cheese Filling
4. Meat Sauce
5. Noodles
6. Cheese Filling
7. Meat Sauce
8. Noodles
9. Meat Sauce
10. Mozzarella Cheese

Step 4: Bake Lasagna

Cover the layered lasagna with aluminum foil lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking. Bake at 375°F until hot and bubbly, then remove the foil during the last 15 minutes to brown the top.

Some recipes bake lasagna at 350°F while others go as high as 425°F, but 375°F gives the best balance for evenly cooked noodles and a perfectly browned top.

Bake for 1 hour total: 45 minutes covered with foil, 15 minutes uncovered

Tools You’ll Need

You don’t need anything fancy to make this recipe, but having the right tools makes it easier and more consistent. Here’s what I recommend:

• Glass baking dish – A sturdy 9×13 glass baking dish helps the lasagna bake evenly and makes it easy to see when the layers are bubbling around the edges.
• Mixing bowls – A few mixing bowls make it easier to keep the cheese mixture, cooked meat sauce, and noodles organized while assembling the lasagna.
• Prep bowls – Small prep bowls are helpful for measuring and separating ingredients ahead of time so the layering process goes more smoothly.
• Measuring cups and spoons – Accurate measuring cups and spoons help balance the seasoning, cheese, and sauce for the best homemade lasagna flavor.

Recipe Tips for Success

The best lasagna you’ve ever eaten is only steps away. Here are my golden rules for creating the best-finished product.

• Cook your meat sauce for a long time. This not only concentrates the flavors for a more flavorful meat sauce, but it reduces the amount of liquid. If you want to cut perfect slices and not have a soupy mess on your hands, cooking your sauce for an hour or two until its very thick is a big step in the right direction. Bonus points for making the sauce 12-24 hours in advance. Red sauces of any kind always taste better the next day…in my opinion. Reheat the sauce before layering it up in the lasagna for quicker baking time.
• Boil lasagna noodles for two-thirds of the time, according to package directions. Most lasagna pasta will cook for 9-11 minutes. I pulled mine out at around 7 minutes. I don’t want to cook the pasta all the way through because once they hit the oven for baking, they can get mushier than al dente. So, draining them early means they will soak up any extra liquid in the sauce and after the hour in the oven, your pasta will be perfectly cooked, not mushy and help hold those beautiful layers together.
  Don’t use fresh mozzarella. While I big puffy heart eyes love fresh mozzarella, I feel the added moisture isn’t worth the taste. Instead, reach for a block of sturdier mozzarella cheese and grate it yourself. If you think this is sacrilegious and would prefer the fresh mozzarella, be sure to cut it into thin slices and press it in between paper towels to get out as much moisture as possible. And please please please don’t use the pre-grated mozzarella cheese.
• Let your Lasagna rest 15-20 minutes. Again, when trying to achieve those perfect slices, you have to let everything settle and rest before digging in. It will stay plenty hot, but the rest time really gives your lasagna those last few minutes to soak up that moisture and let the cheese firm up a touch. Garnish with dried or fresh basil.

What to Serve with Lasagna

• Homemade Garlic Bread – Crispy, buttery bread that goes well with the sauce.
• The Best Caprese Salad – Fresh and light, balances the rich lasagna.
• Hasselback Cheesy Garlic Bread – Cheesy and soft with a crispy top.
• Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Rolls – Warm rolls that are easy to serve and share.
• Caesar Salad Recipe without Anchovies – Simple, crunchy salad that adds freshness.

If you want even more ideas, you can explore a full list of side dishes for lasagna to mix and match depending on the occasion.

How to Store Lasagna

Half the fun of eating lasagna is being able to eat it AGAIN the next day. Store any extra lasagna in the fridge covered for up to 5 days. Whether that is in the same casserole dish or cut into individual slices in plastic containers, just ensure they are sealed airtight.

Individual slices can be reheated easily in the microwave. If you have more than a few slices in your casserole dish, cover with foil and bake at 350° F until heated completely through again.

Can I Freeze Lasagna?

Absolutely. Whether you are freezing lasagna before or after baking, the instructions mostly stay the same.

Unbaked Lasagna

Wrap the casserole dish with the assembled lasagna well with plastic wrap AND foil. Can stay frozen for up to two months. I like using a disposable 9×13 foil pan for freezing purposes.

Baking a Frozen Lasagna: unwrap lasagna completely. Cover with fresh foil and bake at 300° F for one hour and finish baking at 375° F for the last 30 minutes. Remove foil for the last few minutes of cooking to brown the cheese.

Baked Lasagna

Wrap casserole dish with assembled lasagna well with plastic wrap AND foil. Can stay frozen for up to two months.

Reheating Baked Lasagna: unwrap lasagna completely. Cover with fresh foil and bake at 350° F until thoroughly warm.

FAQs

Ingredient Variations

While I love this homemade Lasagna Recipe as written, you may have other preferences! Here are some simple substitutions that you may want to try.

• Ground Beef vs Ground Sausage: You can absolutely substitute Sweet Italian Sausage or even Spicy Italian Sausage in place of the ground beef if that is your preference.
• Cottage Cheese vs Ricotta: Classic Italian Lasagnas are typically made with a blend of creamy Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses. If you don’t like using ricotta cheese because of the taste or texture, you can definitely substitute cottage cheese in its place 1:1. Everything else in the recipe will stay the same.
• Regular Lasagna Pasta vs Oven Ready (no boil) Pasta: I don’t recommend the oven-ready noodles for this particular lasagna recipe. While they may seem like a simple sub, they are partially cooked and dehydrated for packaging. Oven-ready pasta is thinner than regular lasagna pasta, and I find it makes a starchy lasagna that doesn’t taste very good (in my opinion). Also, they soak up a lot of moisture because they are essentially cooking and softening in the oven as the lasagna cooks. It’s easy to get a dry lasagna because of this.

More Best Lasagna Recipes to Try

• Skillet Lasagna
• Cheesy Lasagna Dip
• White Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
• Lasagna Cups
• Slow Cooker Lasagna
• Chicken Lasagna
• Lasagna Soup

With all these helpful tips and the video below, you should be able to make the best lasagna ever! See the printable recipe card below.

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.