Lasagna Recipe (VIDEO)
This EASY Lasagna Recipe is beefy, saucy and supremely flavorful. Homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant version and it feeds a crowd for way less than going out to eat.
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We love lasagna around here and have gotten creative over the years with slow cooker lasagna and even a lasagna pasta casserole, but THIS classic lasagna is our all-time favorite.
Lasagna Recipe:
Lasagna is the perfect meal – it keeps, reheats and freezes really well and it is so nice to have something in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. Also, think: Meal Planning! It also works well for kids lunches – I pack a serving in my son’s thermos to keep it hot and that thermos comes home empty :).
Ingredients for Lasagna with Meat Sauce:
- I used 80/20 beef (20% fat content) for a juicier lasagna
- You will need 9 lasagna noodles for a 9×13 casserole dish (You can use gluten free noodles).
- Use store-bought marinara, or homemade marinara
- Any good red wine (not cooking wine) will work
Substitute for Red Wine?
If you don’t have red wine on hand, or prefer not to use it, you can substitute with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
What is “Al Dente”?
Cooking Al Dente pasta means it should be “firm to the bite.” The package instructions will provide the cook time for pasta to reach the “al-dente” state. Keep in mind, the lasagna will be bake for 45 minutes so do not overcook your lasagna noodles.
How to Keep Cheese from Sticking to Foil:
There’s nothing worse than having your entire top portion of cheese stuck to your aluminum foil cover. Poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of your lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the aluminum foil from touching and sticking to your lasagna.
Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.
Watch How to Make Lasagna:
Watch Natasha make this classic Italian-style Lasagna Recipe. It is so easy and the best lasagna I have tried with the perfect balance of meat sauce to cheese sauce and noodles. That golden cheese crust seals in all the flavor and makes it irresistible.
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Lasagna Recipe (VIDEO)
This 3 cheese EASY Lasagna recipe is beefy, saucy and supremely flavorful. This homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant version and it feeds a crowd!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lasagna
- 1 lb ground beef (15-20% fat content)
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup red wine (any kind), or beef broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce (3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 9 lasagna noodles cooked al dente
Ingredients for Cheese Sauce:
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese
- 15 oz reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp parsley finely chopped, plus more to garnish
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
Instructions
How to Make Meat Sauce:
-
Place a deep pan or dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground beef and diced onion. Saute, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add pressed garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant.
-
Add 1/4 cup wine and stir for 2 minutes or until wine is nearly evaporated. Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp parsley. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook 5 minutes.
How to Make Cheese Sauce:
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 oz Cottage Cheese, 15 oz Ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 egg and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
How to Make Lasagna:
-
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and 9 lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente according to package instructions.
-
Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a deep 9x13 casserole dish.
Add 3 noodles, spread on 1/3 of the meat sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozarella cheese. Spoon on and spread the top with 1/2 of your cheese sauce. -
Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles:
Add 3 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 cup mozarella cheese, 1/2 cheese sauce
Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 meat sauce, remaining 1 cup mozarella. -
Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes.
-
Remove foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese turns golden. Let lasagna rest 30 min before slicing.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
For kicks and giggles, here are the original photos from this recipe which we shared 8 years ago. Look familiar? The is how yours will look if you try to cut it too early – still tasty but it slides apart.
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Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
For anyone that is thinking about making this: stop your search for a recipe tonight and make this lasagna, it’s so worth it!! I’m a new wife with minimal cooking experience that is just trying to keep my husband happy and full. We absolutely loved this and were surprised it turned out so good. I swear he was talking about it for days as we ate through the leftovers. Such a delicious recipe!! Thank you Natasha for making a recipe simple, flavorful and something we can be proud to cook and share This is the kind of recipe to pass down for generations to come!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
Greetings!
I would like to start by saying that I love your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes.
This dish I haven’t made yet and I would like to know if I can make ahead of time and freeze it. Having a holiday dinner party and would like to make dishes a week in advance. Can you advise a main dish and appetizer that I can make a week in advance.
Thank you
Kindest regards
Nara
Hi Nara! Thank you for that wonderful compliment. This dish is freezer friendly! We have so many options on our blog. Have you tried any of these recipes here?
Can this lasagna be frozen right after it’s put together (before it’s cooked)?
Hi Olga, You can freeze an entire casserole or even individual slices.
Love your recipes..
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Natasha
Thank you sooo much for the amazing lasagna. You’re the best…smile
I will posted a picture soon ,so you know I cooked your recipe. Smile
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Miriam!
Hi…I would be so grateful if u tell me what to add as an alternate to wine when preparing meat for lasagne.
Thanks
Hi! Most of our recipes have tips and substitutions posted. If you don’t have red wine on hand, or prefer not to use it, you can substitute with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
Hello Natasha! Where did you bought the baking dish? It is so pretty and perfect for the recipe.
I love the recipe and I would like to know if it can be made with chicken?
Thank you, you are the best!
Hi Dania, I have always made this with beef but I think that should still work. You might add a little extra olive oil while cooking the chicken since chicken naturally has less fat and can be a little more dry.
Hi, Natasha do you think I can use oven ready lasagna?
Hi Lana, You can save a step by using the oven ready noodles. One of my readers, Stacey, wrote: “for anyone else who’s reading, I use oven ready noodles for this recipe all the time”
Hi Natasha your recipes are the best. Thank you .
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
I made your crock pot version for work and it was a huge hit. Everyone wanted the recipe. I will make this oven version when my family is home in October. I love all your recipes and videos you make. Keep them coming!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Sandy!
ABSOLUTELY FINGER LICKING GOOD!! MY FAMILY ENJOYED IT!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review
This is a really excellent recipe. My family adores it. It’s actually quite easy to make.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Michal
I usually double the recipe just so I have one to freeze for another week. But I absolutely love this!!! Tastes incredible!!! I’m going to try and substitute one of the lasagne layers for spinach. It’ll probably fall apart a bit more but I always have an extra serving when I shouldn’t so this might be good for me:) as for people complaining that it cost more around 25 dollars for the recipe. I find it hilarious because you’d probably spend that easily going out. Thanks for sharing Natasha.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Inna. Thank you for sharing that thoughtful review.
Recipe improvement:
Double the meat and onion.
Triple the garlic
Add one teaspoon of cayenne to meat sauce
NEVER ADD SUGAR TO ITALIAN FOOD!
Add a minced garlic to the cheese
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha, I love your recipes . Just wanted to leave a tip . The best way to keep cheese from sticking to foil is to spray the foil with cooking spray . I hope this is helpful. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes and video’s.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sheila!
Hi Natasha,
I made this lasagne last night.
I had an issue with putting the lasagne sheets in the boiling salted water. I did this carefully one at a time, but they still stuck together in the water. What to do?
Hi Denise, it helps to have a pot that is larger to accommodate the large noodles and making sure to stir a couple of times in that first minute, especially right after adding the noodles. It’s smart that you added the noodles one at a time, but also be sure to stir right away and soon after to keep them from sticking. I have found this to be true with all pasta.
I’ve always struggled with boiling the noodles, etc. When I switched to using whole wheat noodles (don’t think that’s a factor, but thought I should mention it) I also stopped prebouling the noodles. I now just put the 9 noodles into the casserole dish, cover with boiling water, and proceed making the meat and cheese components. When ready to assemble, I drain the noodles, dry and spray the dish, then layer all. Noodles are always done and it’s much simpler for me.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
My new favorite lasagna recipe! Even my pick kids loved it. Can I freeze this?
Hi Colleen, You can freeze an entire casserole or even individual slices.
A great way to keep noodles from sticking together, add a dash of oil to water while its cooking.
Thanks for sharing! I hope you love the lasagna recipe!
Hi Natasha
I just tried the lasagna recipe for the first time and it was great! My family loved it – thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it
I’m Not a Lasagna fan, Buutt! This is the BEST I’ve ever seen ! Just watching it Made me Hungry ! BTW ! The Comment “Hubba Hubba” , is a Blast from the Past from my Moms Kitchen ! LOVED IT !
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback!
I made this again tonight. I had my mother over for dinner and she had to have the recipe. Huge winner in my house. Thanks Natasha!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Sharon!
I’m waiting for mine to cool! It looks so yummy! Can’t wait to eat it!
I hope you love it, Judith! I bet your home smells amazing right now!
What brand is the casserole dish that you are using in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Mary, the Casserole dish we used for this lasagna was from Fred Meyer and very inexpensive (maybe $20 if I remember correctly) It works great and serves beautifully
I do not like cottage cheese so can I use all ricotta cheese in your lasagna recipe?
Hi Dorothea, We love it however several of our readers have used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna!
Hi Natasha,
can I use water instead of wine/broth? And I would like to do with lamb mince. will it work out?
Hi Swetha, If you don’t have red wine on hand, or prefer not to use it, you can substitute with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
I made this for dinner last night and my husband loved it. It is very mild and creamy.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us Sharon!
Hi Natasha. I’ve made your Easy Crock Pot Lasagna many times and it’s on a good rotation in my home. I would like to try this version now. I was just wondering if there’s a difference between buying the “oven ready” lasagna or just get the normal ones. Thanks for making such easy and delicious recipes for my family!
Hi Van, You can save a step by using the oven ready noodles. One of my readers, Stacey, wrote: “for anyone else who’s reading, I use oven ready noodles for this recipe all the time”
How deep or what size is the casserole dish for the lasagna? I’m new to cooking & I’ve tried your recipes, they’re great.
Hi Eyda, a standard 9×13 casserole dish is about 2″ deep. Deeper is better but I wouldn’t use anything shallower than that.
Natasha, what brand of marinara sauce did you use?
Hi Veronica, please see the third photo in the post where I Have a picture of the bottle I used.
Hey Natasha,
Is there anything I can use to replace cottage cheese? It’s hard to find here at my place 🙁
Hi Kamaliah! We love it however several of our readers have used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna!
Kamalia. ,if you use all ricotta ,use whole milk and add a extra egg and flat leaf parsley extra , it will puff higher and add a little extra ramano cheese taste the ricotta mixture make it to flavor you like the cottage cheese is also good though but a little heaver
Hi Natasha, first of all, thank you for this fabulous recipe, I’ve made it several times and it was always a hit.. my now question is: Could I make it and freeze it to use tow months later? .. thank you again
Yes! Lasagna freezes well and that should work just fine. I hope you love it!
made this for dinner & it was the best lasagna I ever had. Thanks so much. I used the non stick Reynolds wrap so you don’t need tooth picks, & it doesn’t stick . I really love all your recipes & you!!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review & sharing your wrap tip!
can you replace beef with chicken mince?
Hi, I have always made this with beef but I think that should still work. You might add a little extra olive oil while cooking the chicken since chicken naturally has less fat and can be a little more dry.
Excellent recipe.. tried it for the first time and it was praised by everyone by having a second piece
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with me John!
I have never liked the taste of cottage cheese and I have never cooked with it. Will I taste it in this recipe?
We love it however several of our readers have used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna!
I have made this once before and it was incredible! Now I want to make it for a potluck but there are some vegetarians in the crowd – what do you suggest I replace the meat with?
Hi Kassandra, you can switch out meat with any Vegan meat substitute. One of our readers, Karri mentioned Beyond Meat has a good raw burger, sold in the meat department, that you could switch out for the ground beef.
Wow delicious! Didn’t have cottage cheese so used a little more Ricotta and added some Romano cheese instead. Truly one of the best recipes I have ever made. We love it. Thank you!
Hi Pamela, That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Italian would not use cottage cheese!!! That is awful.
I can’t wait to taste it
I hope you love it!
can this be made without meat?
Hi Tamara, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Once again you’ve made me a star! My husband couldn’t stop gushing about this lasagna. It was soooooo good. Seriously better than any restaurant version!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kelly 🙂
Hi! Love your recipes. This lasagna is amazing! Instead of using toothpicks to keep cheese from sticking to the foil, spray the foil generously with cooking spray. Works every time. 😀🍷
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I’m not able to eat Ricotta cheese. Suggestions for a substitute?
Hi Nicole, I have seen people omit ricotta and just make the lasagna without. You might also try making a white sauce for lasagna like this one to make a ricotta-free lasagna.
Hi natasha, I always put 1 tea spoon of olive oil to boil the spaghetti, so they don’t stick together, can i put olive oil too in to the water to boil the lasagna?
Hi Belinda, it isn’t necessary but you can if you prefer to add it.
One of the best lasagnas I have made. Great recipe. I highly recommend. Also. Loved the video
I’m so happy to hear that, Laurette! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Love this recipe. It is my go to for family events!
I’m so happy you found a family favorite on our blog! Thank you for that awesome review!
Yummy. Made it today, wonderful recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that, Jessica! Thank you for sharing your great review!
The taste was fantastic and very cheesy. I would have like a bit more sauce and my sauce was a little runny the first day. After resting a day and reheating it stayed together better. Not sure if I read something wrong. I did make the recipe sauce and think mine was too runny even after cooking longer than recommended. It does make a very large portion. There are only two of us so I froze a lot for later.
Thank you for sharing your review! The sauce will thicken as it stands, especially after the fridge. 🙂
Thank you for amazing lasagna 🤗
I made it for my family few times and they always asking for more!
You’re so welcome! & that’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!.
Hi!
My boyfriend and I are not fans of cottage cheese what could we substitute it with?
Hi Maribel! I have heard from readers who used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I just made your lasagna yesterday and my wife called it: orgasmic!
It is, by far, the best tasting lasagna I have ever had a pleasure to taste.
Thank you so much!
Neb
Ha ha! oh my!! I’m so glad you both loved the lasagna!!
Keep in mind, a good italian meat sauce and cheese sauce can be used many ways. If you don’t have Lasagna noodles, use bow-tie pasta and make a stovetop skillet lasagna. Or use elbows or shells and make a great beefaroni style dish even kids will like, also a stovetop skillet meal. And I am also quite sure this topping would go very well over spaghetti. Freezing well, Just think of all the quick italian style suppers you can make on the top of your stove when time is short. Thank you Natasha!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Thomas!
I made this recipe for New Years day. Everyone just loved it. Thank
you for sharing wonderful recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Looks soooo good!!! I’m new to cooking so I’m wondering if I wanted to make it veggie, could I just omit the beef and follow the recipe using the mushroom marinara?
Hi Eva, I haven’t tried that but here is what one of our readers wrote “Switch out meat with any Vegan meat substitute. Beyond Meat has a good raw burger, sold in the meat department, that you could switch out for the ground beef.” I hope that helps!
Eva, you can omit the beef, and add “TOFU” that is a good protein in place of meat. My daughter used to eat that, and use that, and my experience you can use “MUSHROOM MARINARA” why not do your thing to make your family and you happy. GOD BLESS.
I am making this right now… looks great and smells better so far! Momma will eat good tonight!
THat’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :).
I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was a hit! I will definitely be making this again.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
What red wine do you use? I always have beef broth in the pantry but feel like trying this with the red wine.
TIA
Hi Kristin, I usually use a soft red for all of my cooking. Any good drinkable and not overly sweet wine will work.
This is a great recipe!!..definitely will make again.
I’m so happy to hear that!
Natasha, your lasagna recipe WORKS Guuurrrrrreat, a newest family fave. I’d show pics, cept it starts disappearing nearly as soon as we pull it from the oven, this is batch #3, and many to follow, freezes well, though leftoerse are but a dish (leftoers prolly better).
Jon F
Hi Jon! That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
My wife took a fancy to that deep casserole dish, were did you buy that at ?
Hi Ron! the Casserole dish we used for this lasagna was from Fred Meyer and very inexpensive (maybe $20 if I remember correctly) 🙂 It works great and serves beautifully 🙂
Only 1/4 cup red wine ..it’s look more in the video!
1/4 cup is right! 🙂
I ended up getting the regular lasagna noodles and your recipe was a big hit. I made it for Saturday but there was no left overs for Sunday so I made it again that day. The only thing that I added was ground cooked zucchini in the tomato sauce so kids would have their vegetables.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :).
I printed this off and taped it to my fridge. It was so so so good. I had tried another recipe online and it was just okay but this was exactly what I was looking for in every way. The thing that makes lasagna stand out in flavor to me is the cheese mixture and this had just the right amount of creamy cheese in each bite. Thank you for sharing your recipe for a newbie cook to learn.
You’re so welcome, Amanda! I’m so happy you loved this recipe!
We’ve made this recipe twice already, and it’s the best lasagna ever! It’s not overly cheesy, and the meat sauce is great! Thank you, Natasha, for this recipe. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for that amazing review!!
Hello Natasha,
Thanks a lot for the recipe. I am wondering if I can use the no boil lasagna noodles. Your recipe is very simple but I am still lazy to boil the lasagna noodles 😅
Hi Nahla, I haven’t tried that but one of our readers wrote “used ‘no boil’ lasagna noodles and it worked fine and cuts cooking time. Would like to try other lasagna recipes to compare…”
Really great flavor, but no idea how that amount of meat sauce was sufficient for everyone else’s 9×13 pans, because each layer of meat sauce for me ended up having to be see-through thin. DEFINITELY needs the meat sauce portion doubled if you like equal portions of cheese and meat.
Hi A, be careful since unless you have a really ultra deep dish pan, it will overflow the pan to double the meat sauce unless you are using an 11×13 pan in which case you would want to use more of everything.
Odd. It is a 9×13 and semi-deep. Oh well. Flavor was fantastic, will play around with amounts for next time.
Fabulous recipe otherwise! I look forward to making other recipes!
Love this lasagna it was perfect
That’s just awesome!!
If I make this with ground turkey instead of beef would I use chicken broth ? What would you suggest?
Hi Shelly! I haven’t tried this with chicken broth, I assume it will alter the flavor a bit. If you experiment with that please let me know how you like the recipe.
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! Can you tell me what portion size your nutrition information refers to?
Hi Kimerbly, thank you! I hope you love the lasagna! I have the serving size for each recipe at the top of the print-friendly recipe card. The nutrition label holds the nutrition facts per serving.
Thank, I had missed that!
Thank, I had missed that!
Very yummy recipe! Everyone that ate it loved it at dinner. I love the combo of different cheeses! Mmm and the higher beef fat content definately makes a difference!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :).
Your lasagna looks fabulous 😍😍😍 I guess I have to make one tonight xD
– Natalie
Sounds like the perfect dinner! I hope you love it! 🙂
I made this lasagna for a recent family gathering. It was a huge hit!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
What kind of mozzarella cheese are you using for lasagna?
Hi Olga, we used shredded Mozzarella cheese 🙂 You can buy a block and shred it yourself or purchase shredded.
Hi Natasha,
What happened to your other 3 cheese lasagna recipe. I always used it but never printed it out.
Where can I find it? It’s not on your website anymore.
Hi Irina, this is that same lasagna recipe! 🙂 We simplified the process slightly and removed the milk which was causing the lasagna to be too loose and not slice as easily. I hope you love the lasagna! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I’m making this for Christmas dinner, but my family doesn’t like Cottage cheese, can I use cream cheese instead of cottage?
Hi Liz, I have heard from readers who used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna! I Have not tried this with cream cheese and worry the texture wouldn’t be the same🙂
Hi ! I replaced the cottage cheese for ricotta. It came out great !
Thank you so much for sharing and I’m glad you enjoyed the lasagna! 🙂
All your recipes sound amazing. Your videos are so informative and helpful too. Do you have a cookbook? I sure would LOVE one!!
Hi Yvonne! You’re so nice! Thank you for that wonderful review! Stay tuned for cookbook details! 🙂
Me too, fingers crossed:)
Hi Natasha
I’m not a fan of beef, could we use turkey, pork or Italian sausage ?
Thank you,
That should work great!
I would live to print this recipe
Hi Kathy! There is a print option towards the bottom of the recipe 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I made this lasagna 3 days ago and, as usual, an excellent recipe. My husband who does not eat pasta told me that I can do it again and again. Even the third day leftovers were juicy and tasty as the first day.
P.S. I tried MANY of your recipes and all are very good. I like when it works from the first try. No hidden technique or ingredients. For the coming New Year party my family asked me to bake the wreath bread (2 portions) and some deserts. I am baking the caramel mini cheesecakes, eclairs and maybe zefir.
Thank you for everything you do for people who love to cook, bake and eat :)).
Hi Galina! Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and comment. I’m smiling big 🙂 I’m so happy you love the lasagna and so many of our other recipes. I hope you have a lovely Christmas season!! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I wanted to make this lasagna but I cannot seem to find cottage cheese in the supermarket. Do you know what can I substitute with cottage cheese? Thank you so much!
Hi Karen, I have heard from readers who used only ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. I think that would work best to just double the ricotta or at least 1 1/2 times the ricotta. I hope you love this meat sauce lasagna! 🙂
Hi Natasha- this looks great- going to try it this weekend! If someone in my family doesn’t like cottage cheese, could I double the ricotta?
Hi Lauren, yes that will work to substitute with all ricotta instead of cottage cheese. I hope you love this classic lasagna! 🙂
Hi Natasha- as an update, I made this with double the ricotta instead of the cottage cheese and it came out great! My father, who loves lasagna, said it was the best he’s had- thanks for the great recipe!
That’s so great!! Thank you for sharing your experiment with us! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Good lasagna recipe…used ‘no boil’ lasagna noodles and it worked fine and cuts cooking time. Would like to try other lasagna recipes to compare…
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha , I love your recipes!!.
I have a question. WIOe are having some people over for early dinner on Saturday. If I prepared everything and place in the refrigerator the lazanha ready to bake it’s too far in advance?
That should work just fine!! It may take a little longer to bake if baking cold from the refrigerator.
Trying this tonight for dinner but I know it will be amazing since all you recipes are exceptional. Are you thinking of putting all these recipes into a book one day??
Thank you for that wonderful review, Sefora! Stay tuned for book info!
This looks great!!! What can I substitute for ricotta cheese?
Thanks, John! I think cottage cheese will do, although I haven’t tried that so I can’t really say, I don’t think the texture would be as creamy. Cottage cheese melts and becomes stringy, while the ricotta keeps the whole thing a creamy sauce. If you experiment with cottage cheese only, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Natasha, I love your recipes!! I always make Lasagna for our family Christmas dinner. I have a recipe that I usually use, until now!! I have a feeling that this will be my “go-to” recipe 🙂 How do you feel about preparing it the night before, using unboiled noodles, and just adding more sauce? Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe!!
I haven’t tried it with unboiled noodles but prepping it ahead of time should work just fine.
I make mine ahead of time with uncooked noodles. The trick is cooking with aluminum foil over dish for first hour. The last 15 minutes or so take off foil. Been doing this for over 30 years.
I will have to try that! Thank you Donna!
I can’t wait to try this! It looks so good and juicy! What do you do if you want to freeze it?
Hi Courtney, Lasagna freezes well. You can freeze an entire casserole or even individual slices.
How about a quickie? You know, you can leave out the egg, substitute bow tie pasta for the lasagna noodles, and make this in one pot on the stovetop. I do it all the time for a quick evening supper. Make the meat sauce, toss in the noodles, then add the cheese sauce and stir just to mix. I love any/every kind of pasta! Adding spinach to any Lasagna is also a very tasty addition! It goes well with the Ricotta.
That is a great idea for a quick version! Thank you for sharing that with us, Thomas!
Made this for lunch and it was a hit! So so good! Thank you for awesome and easy recipes!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha ! I love lasagna. But I do have a little problem… can’t get cottage cheese. Can I use ricotta instead ?? Thank you !
Hi Myriam! Yes, are more than welcome to simply use ricotta.
Hi Natasha! I am such a big fan! We loved this recipe and our group of six polished off the whole pan! My hubs and I are expecting our first baby in February and I’m starting to think about what I might want to stockpile in our freezer for easy meals to toss in the oven. How would I go about preparing this for the freezer? I was even thinking of dividing it between 3 smaller containers to stretch out for the two of us.
Hi Kristen, thank you for that awesome feedback! Lasagna freezes well. You can freeze an entire casserole or even individual slices.
This looks perfect! I love lasagna!
Do you think it would turn out too dry if I substitute with chicken?
Thank you for that amazing feedback! I haven’t tried it with chicken, our readers have and enjoyed it however! 🙂
You’re so cute in your video, especially where you’re waiting for lasagna to cool 😁
Thanks, Alena! You’re so nice!
Made this today and it was delicious! For reference, I used leaner meat, but whole milk ricotta and cottage cheeses. Thank you 🙂
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I love Your recipes
Thank you Jasminei!
If you want your tin foil from sticking to the cheese just spray the tin foil with Pam or any other kind of spray and it will be perfect before putting on top of lasagne
Thank you for sharing that with us, Lynn!
This looks sooo good! Now all I can think about is making this! And Natasha, you are so funny, the part of the video when you’re waiting for lasagna to cool down, you should have your own show on TV 😉 it is no surprise you are successful, your down to earth personality always shines through. You are so relatable to all of us busy moms. Thank you for another great recipe and helpful tips. Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!
That you for that wonderful compliment, Sveta! You are so nice!
This is definitely next on my to cook list! Do you have any suggestions on what I can substitute for the meat? My hubby isn’t too keen on meat, so I’m thinking to do 1/2 with beef and 1/2 vegetarian style. Also love your 9×13 dish, have a link to it?
Thank you!
Hi Cornelia, I bet it would be good with diced mushrooms instead of beef if you wanted to make it half vegetarian style 🙂 The dish is from Fred Meyer – it was by the “Dash of That” brand and it was inexpensive – maybe $20 or so?
Switch out meat with any Vegan meat substitute. Beyond Meat has a good raw burger, sold in the meat department, that you could switch out for the ground beef.
Thank you for sharing your vegetarian lasagna substitution!
Looks good! I’d use the beef broth or beef stock, since I do not drink wine or use wine at all. (Nobody in my family drinks or uses wine)
I hope you love it!
Would individual squares freeze well? Not sure how good the pasta would be. Looks yummy
That should work just fine!
Hey Natasha just wondering since the holidays are coming up are you going to have a give away?
p.s. yummy recipe love it
Stay Tuned!! 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
yummy this is worth making the layers, the sauce, the pasta, and the love put in by Natasha to post such delicious bon’ appetite recipe
thanks Girl
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Totally delicious lasagna recipe, perfect for holiday dinners!
Exactly! Thank you for that awesome review!
Lasagna perfection!
I agree!! Thanks Lori!
I just love lasagna and this looks absolutely perfect, I know it’s delicious!
Thank you for that great review, Billy!
This looks amazing! I have been looking for a lasagna recipe for Christmas Eve!
I hope you love it, Lauren!!! Thank you for that great review!
This lasagna looks incredible!
By the way, to prevent the foil from sticking to cheese, you can spray it with nonstick spray and it will work just as well!
Genius! Thank you for sharing that with me, Marina!
Best I have ever had.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This looks DELICIOUS! So cheesy and baked to perfection!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I’m so happy I discovered this lasagna recipe!! It’s a treasure! My family went on and on about how much they loved it and unpacked some in my sons thermos for lunch. I’ll be making this on the regular. Thank you thank you!
Seriously that just makes my day. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing review! I’m so glad your family loved our lasagna recipe 🙂
Any recipes for a chicken non-tomatoe lasagna?..maybe with or without mushrooms?
Hi Natalie, I don’t have an alfredo lasagna yet but that sounds like a great idea – maybe a lasagna roll-ups recipe. I’ll put it on my list 🙂
Looks and sounds aaaamazing and fairly simple! Quick question though, do you need to drain the cottage cheese before putting it in??
Hi Natasha (great name by the way! ;), we added it straight from the container without straining or draining.
Ok, I thought so but just wanted to make sure… Thank you!! (we do have a great name, don’t we??😉)
You’re very welcome! 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING!! Absolutely in love with it. It is my husbands and mine favorite dinner:) Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Natalie! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Do u think it would turn out good without meat ? Trying to make a vegetarian version
Hi Katie, A vegetarian lasagna sounds like an excellent idea! You might omit the wine though in a vegetarian version – I don’t recall seeing wine as an ingredient in any meatless lasagnas I’ve seen. There are so many different veggies you could try – I bet some zucchini and mushrooms would be awesome! Let me know if you experiment! 🙂
Thank u so much Natasha for such a quick reply !!!😊 can’t wait to try it !!
You’re welcome Katie!
I normally don’t care for lasagna but my husband asked me to make some for dinner so I came across this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Definitely making it again.
I’m glad to hear that Brandie! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
The best lasagna I have ever had!!!! Loved it! My 7yro picky water daughter even had second. Now that s good lasagna. Thank you. There was no need for extra pasta sauce because it s so moist and not dry like most.
Wow, that’s great to hear! I’m glad your family enjoys the recipe as much as mine does. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Hi natasha!
Could I use oven ready noodles instead of cooking prior?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tested this particular recipe with oven ready so I can’t say for sure. I assume it would work since that is how they are intended to be used; I just have not experimented with them.
Too late for the original question, but for anyone else who’s reading, I use oven ready noodles for this recipe all the time.
Thank you for sharing that, Stacey!
Making it second time in one week! Absolutely the best lasagna I have ever eaten. Thank you so much for such an easy and delicious recipe. I’m not a big fan of red sauce so I cut back some and it still turned out amazing. Very juicy and can’t taste the marinara:) I’m making some for my girlfriends and hope they’ll love it as much as I do!
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear how much you love the recipe Yelena! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha,
Would red cooking wine work good for this recipe?
I used to use red cooking wine in recipes but have found that drinkable red wine makes food taste so much better. Cooking wine has additives and salt which make them taste terrible for drinking but they also aren’t as good in recipes. We don’t drink wine in our house but I always have it in the fridge for recipes :). You could make it work, but it wouldn’t be quite as good. You might add just half of what is called for in the recipe just in case…
Never made lasagna before, I have time to do either slow cooker or oven one, which is better 🙂 if even slightly ?
Hi Anna, the only reason I like the baked version better is because it gets the crispy noodles and browns the cheese in the oven. The slow cooker version is convenient but if you have time to make the baked one, I’d probably do that for the crispy crust 🙂
Thanks :)) it’s in the oven now, man I felt so lost in the wine aisle 😂😂 thankfully they had the one u had pictured lol. It’s smelling pretty yummy 😛
My pleasure Anna! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
It was scrumptious😛 very excited to have a ton left over, super easy to make. Yummy. Thanks again for another recipe I will deffinently make again !
I’m so happy you all liked it!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your awesome review :). I always thought lasagna tasted just as good reheated the next day. The cheese gets all melty and…. mmm 🙂
I am terrified of using ricotta in recipes so I substituted it with cottage cheese and we loved it! My previous lasagnas have been complete fails but as always we were very happy with another one of your recipes. thank you!
You’re welcome Susan! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review! 😀
Love this lasagna , all time favorite!!!! Is it possible to make this the night before and put it in the fridge and cook it in the morning ? Or is it better to freeze ? Thank you:)
Hi Anna, it would work fine refrigerated the way you are describing 🙂
Any substitute for cottage cheese? Or can you not detect it in this recipe…
You don’t really notice that it is cottage cheese in this recipe. It blends really well with the rest of the sauce. I have always out of the cottage cheese, but I imagine you can omit the cottage cheese and still have great results! I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha,
Can if I make it tonight(Monday night) and bake it Wednesday night. Would it still be ok. It’s not going to go bad?
Or it will be better if I freeze it and then bake it on Wednesday?
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried it that way but I think it should work ok either way. Let me know how you like it!
Hi Natasha,
Can you freeze it? And how long should I bake it after I remove it from the freezer to oven?
Hi Kristina, I haven’t tried it that way but a couple of my readers reported good results with freezing half of the lasagna. I imagine you would have to add to the bake time and initially bake for closer to 1 hour then remove the foil and continue baking as directed. Let me know how you like it if you try freezing! 🙂
I want to make it couple days before. We are going to cabins so I wanted to try freezing it and then just bake it there. Fast dinner;) Will let you know how it will turn out:)
Please do Kristina!
That’s so smart and a cabin trip with lasagna sounds awesome!! Let me know how you like it! 🙂
Thank you so much for this great recipe! I made this lasagna many times already and my family still loves it, my 2 toddlers ask for seconds and that always makes a mom happy:)
Thank you!
That is just the best when kids love what we moms make for them, particularly 2 toddlers! 🙂
My kiddos loved it too. So so good! Highly recommend this recipe!
I’m so happy you loved the lasagna! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
This was delicious!!!!
Thank you Inna, I’m glad to hear that 😀.
I’ve made this several times and even I can’t mess it up! My sister who is currently pregnant always craves it and my husband says it’s the best he’s had:-)
I’m so happy you all love it! Thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
I made this tonight and it was so delicious.. Still can’t get over it 🙂 lol but instead of noodles I used thin sliced zucchini. Healthy alternative but still tastes amazing. I’ve tried both ways and it’s always a hit at our house. Thanks so much!
Hi Lexie! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review and for sharing our idea with the zucchini! That’s brilliant!
This recipe was amazing! It was so cheesy! I added some Parmesan cheese to it and had to omit the red wine because I did not have any at home. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly how you had it. It was delicious! Thank you once again for the wonderful recipes 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review Tina! 😀
This lasagna recipe is always such a hit. It was the first dinner that I made for my husband when we got married and I’ve been making it ever since. Thank you for the wonderful, easy recipe!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review.
Did you cook the lasagna pasta separately?
Hi Margarita, yes pre-cook the noodles until aldente (firm to the bite) according to package instructions.
Hi, Natasha ! Can I make lasagna and bake it next day ?
Yes that will work fine 🙂
Hi Natasha !!! Can I make lasagna and bake it next day ?
Angelina, that’s totally fine. Just cover it with foil and refrigerate. Let me know how it works out 😁.
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering, if I only used cottage cheese and doubled it instead of using ricotta, do you know if it would it still taste okay? Thanks 🙂
I haven’t tried that so I can’t really say, but I don’t think the texture would be as creamy. Cottage cheese melts and becomes stringy, while the ricotta keeps the whole thing a creamy sauce. If you experiment with cottage cheese only, let me know how it turns out 🙂
I tried doubling the cottage cheese to replace ricotta, and it still tasted amazing!
Natasha thank you so much for the recepies! Very easy to follow. Just made this Lasagna.. . My family loved it so much!
That’s so great! Thank you Tanya! 🙂
First time making lasagna today and so happy I did !!! It turned out soooo good. I didn’t use wine but everything else did exactly like recipe and I’ve never tried a better lasagna than this one and my husband loved it!.. Thank you!!!
I am so happy to hear that you loved it! Thank you so much for the wonderful review. I sure appreciate it!
Hi, will it be okay to make this ahead of time (like 17hrs ahead of time) and keep it I’m the fridge without baking it until the next day and I’m ready to bake it or will it start lettijnf out juices that don’t need to be there..?
Yes, that should be just fine. I wouldn’t worry about it getting unusually juicy :).
i tried couple different lasagna recipes and so ffar my husband only likes this one
That’s so great! I’m so happy to hear that. It’s quite a compliment 🙂
Made this yesterday.. I added mushrooms to my marinara sauce, added an extra cup of sauce and a tad bit more wine and also chopped spinach into the cheese mixture. Turned out phenomenal. I will definitely freeze half next time.
It definitely makes a big batch 🙂 I’m so glad you loved it! 🙂
Hai Natasha.. I’m Muslim.. I can’t use red wine in y cooking, can you suggest anything liquid to replace with it.? Really appreciate it.. tq
You can just leave it out. It adds a little more flavor to the meat, but it can just be left out and will still taste delicious 🙂 Its not necessary to replace the liquid.
How early can i make this before putting it into the oven, I was thinking if I could make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge until dinner time to place it into the oven or will it start to get all mushy?
That should work just fine to refrigerate it for half the day 🙂 Enjoy!
Wondering…. Any Ricotta or Cottage cheese substitutes?
To be honest, I haven’t tested it with any other cheeses. I think it would be hard to cut both of them out since they are what makes the filling so gooey, cheesy and moist. Do you not like those cheeses?
Hi Natasha, thanks for the recipe! I’m sorry, what is the purpose of the tooth sticks in this recipe?
They keep the cheese from getting stuck to the foil (I’ve learned that lesson the hard way!) 😉
Oh, that’s a good point! Thank you!
Hi Natasha-
I would like to make this tonight and wanted to know if I can substitute wine for something else or should I just omit it all together?
Hmmm… It adds some nice flavor, but I think you could omit it and still be ok 😉
Yea it still came out very good…I’m had seconds the next day 🙂
Yes!! 🙂
Hey Natasha i was wondering what kind of lining did you use for your lasagna pan thanks
I don’t use any kind of lining on the bottom of the pan. I can see how it kind of looks like it in the picture (it’s an illusion lol). 🙂
Just sent my lasagna in the oven;) I made three layers instead of two because I had more ingredients… but I can tell it’s going to be DELISH!!! My daughter loves lasagna! can’t wait to have her come home from school to try it. Thanks Natasha!
I hope you and your daughter LOVE it 🙂
Made this last night, and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious! Best lasagna I’ve ever had. It didn’t come out to 10 dollars but 15.60 isn’t a big difference and I have to say it fed 2 ladies and 2 men and all four of us got seconds plus there’s enough for 2more servings. So I am definitely not complaining about the price! Love it and thanks:)
When we revisited this recipe (this week) and re-took the photos, I realized that $10 was really undershooting it, so I updated the cost to make to reflect time times lol. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this and everyone loved it especially my mom!! I added some olives in it for a little twist.
Oooh I love olives! Now I want lasagna so bad!
Natasha,
For the red wine, is that actual wine? I never bought wine before. Ekkk…
Yes, it is a real red wine 🙂 I only cook with wines (don’t drink them 🙂 St. Chapelle soft red is what I used for this.
Update 🙂 just took it out of the oven… couldnt wait till it cools down and it is so delicious.. and I did put 1/8 of parsley in both . So yummy. thank u
Just made the lasagna. But ur directions about the parsley wernt real clear. It says to add pasley in the cheese mix, and then in the meat as well. Do I put 1/8 cup in both?
This looks perfect on a freezing monday night! I will work on this today.
I totally agree with you on that Lidia :).
Made this tonight. After reading the previous comments, I decided to split this into two and make two 9X9 lasagnas. The proportions were perfect! I cooked more than 8 lasagna noodles though, but that was perfect otherwose I would have had a 1/2 box left full of noodles I wouldn’t use for another while. I baked one an froze the other for my hubby to bake when I am gone or when I am lazy 🙂 It was very delicious and easy. Thank you! I also ended up using only one 15 oz tub of ricotta cheese as I bought the wrong size but it still came out with plenty of taste and cheese mixture. Thank you Natasha and all who commented!
I think I will try that next time with two 9×9 lasagnas. Did you try freezing one or did you cook both?
I froze one… It’s great b/c for our family the 9×9 lasgna was perfect…. enough for two adults, toddler, and lunch for 2 next day…
were do you get the noodles at all product stores
They will be pretty much available at all major grocery stores
I made this a couple weeks ago and bought all ingredients at safeway, it did turn out to be a bit pricey, but hey if it fed my family of 5 for around 25 dollars thats good enough for me! anyways everyone loved it even my mother in law who is not a big fan of Lasagna, i’ll be making it again for her on mothers day this Sunday! Thanks for this GREAT recipe!!!
Yeah Safeway is just like our Albertsons. Maybe one day they will catch on and lower their prices. I’m glad you all liked it!
Just came from Safeway and this lasagna definitely didn’t cost me 10$ 🙂
Marinara sauce-$2.79
1lb. Mozzarella cheese(shredded)-$4.98
Cottage cheese-$1.99
Ricotta-$4.99
Beef(good quality 2.5lbs)-$9.60
And that’s not including the rest of the ingredients that I already have at home 🙂 That’s one of the reasons why I make lasagna once a year 🙂
Wow! Thanks for sharing. I guess it does depend where you shop. I purchased most of my ingredients at Costco and/or Winco where meat and cheese are half the price. That did turn out to be a pricey lasagna (around $25 :-O )! We don’t have a safeway but I think it would be the equivalent of our Albertsons and I could see the prices being the same there. I increased the “cost to make” to account for some of that.
Safeway is a bit spendy! That’s for sure 🙂 But it’s right across the street from me. And Winco I usually go to when I’m completely out of everything! 🙂 Can’t wait to try this lasagna though, should be delicious! I’ll let you know how it turns out 😉
So, I’m back with my report 🙂
The lasagna turned out delicious!
I only used about half of the meat (1.5lbs) and I thought it was plenty since my pyrex dish was filled all the way to the top and when it was cooking in the oven it was dripping with fat a bit from the cheese and meat 🙂 Next time I want to try one veggie style 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
Let me know what you decide to put in the veggie one. I also love a good veggie lasagna 🙂 (even though I’m a definite carnivore!)
Made this last night and it turned out very good (my first lasagna)! I added a layer of mushrooms because I love to have some veggies in everything I eat. The ingredients hardly fit into my 9×13 dish.. I was afraid it would overflow. I put a layer of foil underneath to catch dripping oil during baking and it worked well. I’m excited to have leftovers for a week!
I chose this recipe over other lasagna recipes because I was impressed by the $10 tag, but the cheese alone cost me over $10! I guess I need to check out Costco. I got all my ingredients at Walmart.
HI Julia – when I price out a recipe – I consider how much of everything I use. For example, I buy a nice block of mozarella at Costco for like $5-$6 and I use half of it, I estimate the total cost of cheese at $3 or so. Yes, costco has way better prices on Mozarella! 🙂 Glad you liked it.
This was absolutely wonderful! Everyone I had over loved it. A friend recommended your site on Facebook and Im beyond thrilled I found it. Thanks for the recipes and thanks for being yourself. I have no idea who you are but your Christian character really shines through your text. I applaud that.
Oh and btw.. I have no idea how you made this lasagna under ten bucks. 🙂 Mine was well over. Lol.
So glad you all enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know. I based it on costco (cheese) and winco meat and everything else. I love Winco prices!
Natasha, what kind of ground beef do you use for this recipe? What percentage of fat?
I usually go with a lean ground beef (7% fat). Ofcourse, more fat will probably taste better. I’ve made it with the 14% and it was also good, but I usually use 7%.
Hi Natasha, Can i freeze the lasagna and bake it in a few days ?
I haven’t tried that but it’s a good idea. next time I make this lasagna, I’ll probably split it into 2 casseroles and freeze one for later.
Hi Lina, yes lasagna freezes well and that should work just fine 🙂 I hope you love it!