Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe
I don’t know how I’ve been blogging since 2009 and didn’t have a classic lasagna recipe on my site until now. It’s worth the wait folks because this lasagna is the best! Made with Italian sausage, ground beef, three kinds of cheeses, and plenty of herbs and spices for the best homemade lasagna that your family and friends will beg you to make!
It’s crave-worthy classic comfort food thanks to the richness of the meats, the gooey cheeses, the perfectly cooked pasta, all layered together for bite after bite of indulgent restaurant-worthy lasagna at home. If you’ve never made lasagna, don’t worry because it’s not as hard as you may be thinking. I walk you through all the steps from making your meat and tomato sauce, the quick and easy stir-together three cheese mixture, and then how to assemble the layers, and bake off you Italian masterpiece.
Ingredients in Italian Sausage Lasagna
In order to make the best homemade lasagna, you’ll need to following easy-to-find and very common fridge and pantry ingredients including:
Lasagna noodles Ground Italian sausage Lean ground beef White onion Red bell pepper Garlic Tomato sauce Diced tomatoes Tomato paste Fresh parsley Dried oregano Italian seasoning Granulated Sugar Dried basil Garlic powder Dry white wine, optional Mozzarella cheese Ricotta cheese Sour Cream Parmesan cheese Egg
How to Make Homemade Lasagna
Classic lasagna is easier than you think to make! Follow these straightforward steps for everyone’s favorite pasta recipe: Step 1: Soak the lasagna noodles in very hot water. Step 2: Make the sauce by browning the sausage, ground beef, and then add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Step 3: Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and stir.
Step 4: Add all the herbs and seasonings, sugar, optional wine, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Separately, mix together 1 cup of the mozzarella, ricotta, sour cream, Parm, and egg.
How to Layer Lasagna
This classic sausage lasagna is easy to layer. I’ve given detailed instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview of how to layer lasagna. The layers will be:
meat sauce noodles cheese sauce mozzarella
Step 1: Add some meat sauce to the bottom of your baking dish, layer noodles over the sauce, spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, and sprinkle with mozzarella.
Step 2: Repeat this process forming a total of 3 layers.
Step 3: To finish, top with the remaining meat sauce and mozzarella.
Step 4: Tent with foil, bake covered for 30 minutes, and then uncovered for 30 minutes. Step 5: Rest the lasagna for at least 15 minutes before digging in and serving!
How Long to Bake Lasagna
Every layer of this sausage lasagna is baked before the dish is assembled, so you’re not actually cooking the lasagna you’re merely heating it through. The lasagna will need to bake at 350 F for roughly 30 minutes (covered), then you’ll remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes.
What Kind of Meat is Best for Lasagna?
In the sauce for my classic homemade lasagna, I use both ground beef and ground Italian sausage. Combining both kinds of proteins make this sauce absolutely perfect. However, you can use all ground beef, or all ground sausage, based on your preferences.
For the ground beef, I aim for lean ground beef in the 90% lean range. If it’s too fatty or too lean, flavor is sacrificed. For the sausage, I just regular Italian sausage but you can select a spicy sausage if you prefer.
Can I Use No-Boil Lasagna Noodles in Homemade Lasagna?
I don’t recommend using no-boil lasagna noodles. They tend to have a weird gummy texture and can taste odd to me. Instead, use regular lasagna noodles, not the no-boil ones. Classic lasagna noodles can be soaked in hot water while you are making the sauce. Just make sure they soak a minimum of 30 minutes. Once baked in the lasagna, classic lasagna noodles will be perfectly cooked every time.
Should I Use Fresh or Dried Herbs for Sausage Lasagna?
I use a combination of dried and fresh herbs and seasonings. For example, I use fresh parsley but dried oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning. The general rule of thumb in cooking is the use about half the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh. For example, you’d want 1 teaspoon of dried basil if the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of fresh. Sauces of any kind are flexible and forgiving so I wouldn’t worry too much if you are using all dried or all fresh herbs in your homemade lasagna.
What Kind of Pan Should I Make Homemade Lasagna In?
You will need a 9×13-inch pan or baking dish to make homemade lasagna. The difference between regular 9×13-inch pans for say baking a cake or a pan of brownies versus a lasagna pan is that lasagna pans are deeper to accommodate for all the layers. I like to use a ceramic baking pan rather than metal but use what you have provided it’s tall or deep enough to accommodate all those juicy lasagna layers. If you make lasagna or casseroles with any kind of frequency, it’s nice to have one sufficiently deep baking dish. Sometimes pans like this are sold in quart (just to make things more confusing). Look for something in the 4 to 4.5-quart capacity.
Do I Have to Add Wine to the Red Sauce?
No, you don’t have to add wine to the red sauce for your homemade lasagna. It adds a nice extra boost of flavor but if you don’t have any open or don’t want to add wine, then don’t. You can replace it with chicken stock, water, or just omit it. We are only talking about two tablespoons of liquid after all in a very large quantity of food!
What Can You Use Instead of Ricotta Cheese for Lasagna?
The best substitute would be cottage cheese, but ricotta is typical for classic lasagna recipes.
How to Store and Reheat Lasagna
Most pasta recipes keep very well in the fridge or freezer and this Italian sausage lasagna lasagna recipe is no exception. The lasagna will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. To reheat lasagna in the oven: Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Bake the leftover lasagna (whole or slices) for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Can You Freeze Lasagna?
Yes! You can freeze uneaten portions of lasagna in airtight freezer-safe plastic containers in individual sized portions. This for me is easiest, makes efficient use of my freezer space, and when you’re ready to consume it, individual portions thaw faster. However, if you want to make and prep lasagna ahead of time, and freeze it before baking, go ahead and do so. Before you bake it, cover your baking pan very tightly with plastic wrap. When you’re ready to bake it, remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil. Tips: You can thaw lasagna on the counter before baking. This will take hours. Or, you can simply cook the lasagna straight from frozen by adding an additional 15 to 30 minutes to the covered baking time.
Tips for the Best Homemade Lasagna
I add a bit of sugar so my meat sauce mixture to neutralize the acidity of the three tomato products. Make sure to taste your meat and red sauce to see what it needs such as more sugar, some salt or pepper, additional herbs and seasonings, and so forth. Always taste as you go! The reason I add sour cream to the cheese sauce mixture is to prevent the ricotta cheese from turning grainy. Sour cream keeps the sauce smooth so don’t skip it! When you’re assembling the lasagna layers, obviously making sure that there are plenty of luscious layers makes for the best lasagna. My lasagna repeats three times.
Meaning it has just the right amount of noodles, meat sauce, then cheese sauce, then mozzarella – three times over – creating the perfect bite every time! When you are getting ready to bake the lasagna, make sure you sprinkle it with a nice thick layer of mozzarella cheese on top. This will give you the classic lightly golden browned and cheesy look and taste everyone craves in lasagna. Homemade lasagna needs to bake for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered, give or take. To do this, cover it with foil, but make a domed tent in the middle because if the foil touches the lasagna, the cheese will stick and might come off.
What to Serve with Lasagna
Steamed or roasted vegetables, garlic bread, and a side salad are all good sides for lasagna. Here are a few side dishes that you could pair with the homemade lasagna:
Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts Apple Spinach Salad Balsamic Watermelon Cucumber Salad Parmesan Balsamic Broccoli Stuffed Cheese Bread Rolls
More Favorite Lasagna and Easy Pasta Recipes:
Cheesy Ravioli Lasagna — This EASY lasagna comes together with just four simple ingredients, making it perfect for busy weeknights!! The whole family will LOVE this cheesy comfort food lasagna recipe! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
White Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups – Chicken and bacon combined with spinach and herbs, rolled up in lasagna noodles, and smothered in a homemade three-cheese alfredo sauce! This is the ultimate CREAMY CHEESY COMFORT food recipe that everyone ADORES! Can be prepped in advance and baked off later.
Cheesy Gnocchi and Meatballs — True Italian comfort food with these beef and pork homemade meatballs along with pillowy gnocchi. Everything is covered in homemade tomato sauce , smothered with cheese, and baked! Easier than it looks, and an instant family favorite that everyone will beg you to make again!
Cheesy Beef and Pasta Casserole – Hearty comfort food that’s EASY and IRRESISTIBLE!! Cheesy pasta and beef coated in marinara sauce and topped with more CHEESE! Makes planned leftovers and is freezer-friendly!!
Healthier 20-Minute Skillet Lasagna — A fast, EASY, healthier way to enjoy lasagna — in skillet form!! Warm pasta and beef topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan is IRRESISTIBLE!
Pizza Pasta Casserole – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and for times when you want BOTH pizza AND pasta!! Ground beef, pepperoni, and oodles of cheese make this casserole pure COMFORT FOOD! Feeds a crowd!!
Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake — A hearty comfort food casserole that includes juicy chicken, pasta, marinara, the BEST crispy buttery breadcrumb topping and TWO types of cheese!! A family favorite big-batch recipe that’s also great for meal prepping!!
Three Cheese Baked Ziti – Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that’s also freezer-friendly and so tasty!
Cheesy Chicken Artichoke Pasta Bake — Imagine spinach and artichoke-flavored PASTA spiked with juicy chicken, red peppers, and TWO types of melted cheese!
Cheesy Tortellini Bake — Three-cheese tortellini are boiled before adding mascarpone cheese, pasta sauce, and the dish is topped with parmesan and mozzarella before baking to golden, bubbly perfection.
