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.
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
We love this lasagna recipe.. I’m making it tonight.. So yummy.
Sounds great! Enjoy, and I hope everyone will love it!
Is there any way to print your recipes without all the ads? ON ONE PAGE MAYBE? I like to keep hard copies for when I make the recipe. Love so many of your recipes but too much paper with all the ads.
Hi Pam! There sure is! The print friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
Hi Natasha,
To keep the foil from sticking to the lasagna I spray the foil first with Pam, or similar before putting on top of lasagna. Then the cheese will not stick.
Good luck.
MJ
Great tip!
Love this! If I’m making it for company, I prepare and bake it halfway through the day before!
Then the day I serve it, it holds its shape perfectly when cut! Also, the flavors meld and even taste better!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Doris!
Can’t wait to try,but can I use all ricotta instead of cottage cheese? Thank you
Hi Linda, we prefer the mixture, but that should work. I hope you love it!
Made this last night and it is gone! My picky little ones 8 and 10 ate it which is a good sign. My wife does t like ricotta cheese – is there something I can substitute this with? I was thinking Greek yogurt or something 🤔
That’s great to hear! I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna. I saw others comment that they used cream cheese and I think it worked well. You may also just use and add more cottage cheese. Please let us know how it goes if you try it!
Wonderful recipe!!! Loved it!! Thank you!!
Although I did half hamburger half pork sausage, excellent!! Yum!!!!
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed it.
I am so excited to make this dish for my family!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!❤️❤️❤️
You’re welcome, Andrea. I hope it becomes your family’s new favorite!
This looks delicious. I’m
making this for a party this week. Some of my guests don’t eat eggs, wondering if I can omit it in the cheese mixture, or if there is another substitute? Thanks!
Hi Sam, while I haven’t tried a substitute for the egg, Google recommends the following substitutes: “The best substitutes for egg in lasagna are bechamel sauce, plain yogurt, heavy cream, mashed potatoes”
on the recipe for how to make lasagna it calls for putting 1/2 of the meat sauce in the boottom of the pan and then further on distributes 3 1/3rd cups of meat sauce . Please help me . Thank you
never mind I figured it out I didn’t read it properly Love your recipes Natasha
Will be making this lasagna for a party tomorrow. Is it best to put together and bake the next day or bake and reheat the next day?
Hi Tracy, we love it best when baked fresh! You can put it together and bake it the next day, since you’re keeping it in the fridge, you may need to add a few extra minutes of bake time.
This is for sure the best lasagna I have ever tasted or made. My kids loved it. I will be making this over and over and over again
So glad to hear that!
Do you have a recipe for lasagna with zucchini as the pasta noodles
Hi Karen, lasagna sounds with zucchini noodles 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! 🙂
I’ve always layered my noodles the same way you did in the video. However, I have a friend who is a chef and has his own restaurant and he told me to layer the first layer the way you did and then layer the second layer the opposite way. I tried it and it’s actually a little easier to cut. Great recipe regardless of how you layer things. 🙂
Nice, thanks a lot for sharing this tip with us!
Hello!
By opposite way you mean that the cheese mix goes first then the tomato sauce?
Because I have tried this recipe twice (follow the exact instructions) but cheese goes all runny and not firm at all… STILL YUMMY. But I don’t know if I need to let it sit and cold for longer.
Or if it’s just because I used full fat cottage cheese instead of low fat .. Maybe I need more eggs?
This is the BEST recipe ever!!!!
My mother’s lasagna always came out with the cheese so fluffy & stable. This basically is how she made it except she added 2 eggs per pound of cheese. Otherwise the cheese comes out a little soupy. But that’s what I loved.
Hi Mary, that sounds wonderful. Good to know that your mother has a very similar recipe to this. It is such a great recipe and an all-time favorite at home too!
I can’t find ricotta cheese here in Phoenix area…I did but cottage cheese, and wonder whether I could just use that???
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried this with only cottage cheese, but I have mixed cottage cheese and ricotta before. I think that could work with cottage cheese only, but you might try mashing the cottage cheese up a bit with a potato masher or pulse it in a food processor a few times so it blends a little better with the cheese sauce if you are going to be using more cottage cheese.
Absolutely wonderful! I used dried seasonings except for onion, and my ricotta:cottage cheese ratio was a little off because of a cottage cheese snack attack, but boy it was awesome!
Hi Melissa, great to know that you loved this recipe! Thank you for your good comments and feedback.
Hi Natasha…..I am also working my way thru your fabulous recipes…..would this recipe work with chicken mince ?
Hi Trish, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. You may do an experiment or check out my Chicken Lasagna recipe.
Fantastic lasagna! I just served it for my family Sunday dinner and it was a huge hit. I served it with Natasha’s delicious Caesar salad.
That’s a perfect combo! Thank you for sharing that with us, Sandra. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipes!
Hi Natasha, I love all your recipes! I was wondering about cook time if I made a smaller lasagna?
Hi Laurette, I always make an entire batch, but that should work! You may reduce the time slightly, but the cooking time shouldn’t change by much!
I made this lasagna on Christmas Eve for my family. It turned out great. Only substitute is that I used one pound of sweet Italian sausage removed from the casing instead of ground beef. I liked the flavor of the red wine brought to the dish.
Thanks for all the great recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michael!
I have been searching quite awhile for a lasagna recipe that my family and I would love and thanks to you I found it!! The red wine adds such an amazing flavor!
I’m so glad you found it on my blog! Thank you for your great review!
Hi Natasha I made this recipes for New Year’s Day it was delicious.
Thank You. You making my life easy with your easy, simple and very yummy recipes. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hello Mary, you are most welcome. Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback, I appreciate it!
Hi Natasha,
Can I make the cheese sauce and meat sauce a day before as a preparation?
Hi Fion, you can but you can also fully assemble the entire lasagna, cover and refrigerate then give it an extra 5 minutes or more since it will be coming out of the cold refrigerator.
Hi Natasha,
Absolutely delicious. A very nice Christmas Eve dinner. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, Denise! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha, LOVE this recipe! I made it for a birthday party in the summer and am making it again for New Years, big hit! I did use italian sausage verses ground beef, delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Crystal!
Question: can the marinara sauce be substituted by tomato sauce instead?
Hi Matthew, that’s a tough one; we love marinara sauce in this, and adjusting tomato sauce may work, but it will require spice adjustment for flavor. I imagine it may lack some flavor with tomato sauce.
Julia Eats has a cottage cheese lasagna where the meat sauce is made with tomato sauce. You put the spices in the tomato sauce 4 cans. Here spices are basically like this recipe. Including using 3 Tablespoons of parsely but hers is dried parsely. Everyone liked.
I think I will try this recipe next since it has ricotta but I will make the marinara sauce as this recipe states just to see the difference. Plus the other recipes cottage cheese mixture uses Parmasian cheese .
I wanted to try a recipe that uses ricotta cheese. I just thought you could use the meat sauce mixture with this cheese mixture.
I am not a fan of beef so i will use corned-beef, do i follow the same steps just instead of the beef i use corned-beef?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
What kind of red wine did you use for this? I’ve never used wine for cooking, and I don’t know which wine to choose.
Hi Sarah, Any good red wine (not cooking wine) will work. Some good red wine options include:
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon
Soft Red by Ste Chapelle (our favorite local brand)
If you don’t have red wine on hand or prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
Do I have to add water when using oven ready noodles? The box says to do that.
Hi Christine, I havne’t tried that myself, but 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” I hope that helps
Mistake I made was using no cook noodles and not baking right away. They were mushy. If you use no cook, i would recommend baking same day. Other than that, YUMMY! Also, i doubled the marinara and served on the side. YUMMY!
Hi Sherrie, I’m so happy you loved the recipe!
Delicious lasagna! I am not a fan of lasagna made with sausage so this was perfect for me but this would certainly taste good either way.
Thanks for your review, Sara. Great to hear that you enjoyed this lasagna recipe.
Craving lasagna and was drooling just thinking about this recipe. Imagine my horror when I realized while mixing my cheese sauce the cottage cheese I purchased had pineapple in it! What to do?!
I decided I was all in – to go for it!
Isn’t this how the peanut butter cup was discovered?
Result? Amazing! No one even knew the pineapple was there! Whew! Guess I just found another way to sneak in fruits into my picky eater son’s diet! Thanks for another winner, Natasha.
I’m so glad it worked out, Sheila!!
What is the name/brand of lasagna pan that you use?
I’m looking for a new one and like the size and shape.
Hi Rebecca, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes Can I use oven ready lasagna noodles instead ?
Hi Nelly, 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, sadly I can’t seem to find ricotta and cottage cheese in the Philippines. What are other alternatives for these?
Hi Darlene, I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna and see if that is available in your area.
Since I had a positive experience with the shrimp alfredo pasta recipe, I thought why not give your lasagna a go. Wow, it was so delicious despite some shortcomings. I didn’t have wine and cottage cheese, and had to replace ricotta with mascarpone. It was still the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Thank you so much and God bless!
That makes me happy to hear, so glad you enjoyed the Lasagna!
Hi
I’m going to make this dish today and really looking forward to having it for supper tonight. Quick question, can I freeze it after its cooked? I am single and want to freeze it in portions to enjoy later on. Thank you. I love your recipes and your site is my go to place for easy, delicious recipes.
Hello Dorothy, it can be frozen baked, or unbaked.
Where did you get your casserole dish from?
Hi Caitlin! you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
can I make this ahead and refrigerate the uncooked lasagna to bake the next day? or should I bake and reheat the next day?
Hi Carolyn, it would work fine refrigerated the way you are describing. I haven’t tested that for more than half a day to advise on anything longer.
I made this recipe tonight & it is by far the best lasagna I’ve ever had! Definitely keeping this recipe. My boyfriend & I absolutely loved it. Thank you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Emily!
Cannot wait to try this recipe- every recipe of yours has been a success when I recreate! Can you please share information about the 9×13 dish you use? I’ve seen the dish in other recipes of yours as well and I think I need it in my kitchen!!
Hello Tracy, hope this becomes your new favorite! You may also see the kitchen tools that I always have in my Amazon Shop affiliate link.
Hello Natasha
Your recipes always work for me. This time, I have to make four important substitutions:
(a) Mutton Keema instead of Beef
(b) Use of Basil leaves instead of Parsley
(c) Greek Yogurt instead of cottage cheese and (d) finally apple juice instead of red-wine.
According to my kids it came out quite alright! So this could be an Indian-Non-vegetarian Hindu version of your recipe. Thank you again
That’s nice to know that your substitutions worked too! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi, any substitute that I can use for Ricotta?
Hi Mahjabeen, I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna and see if that is available in your area.
Hi Natasha, I made this delicious lasagna again today. I did not if you knew this but Reynolds has a non -stick foil and it works great.I know you are great about letting us know about all the kitchen tools and items. Thank you again for all the great recipes.Blessings
You’re welcome Beth. I’m happy that it helps you with that.
WOW great recipe!! Lasagna is a regular rotation in my home and I’ve only ever used cottage cheese so the mixture of cottage cheese AND ricotta was DELICIOUS! I never would have thought of that, thanks for sharing this, I will use this for years to come. My family just loved it 🙂
That’s so great Mary! Thank you for your lovely review!
You’re very welcome, Mary. Happy to know that you always love this recipe! Thanks for sharing that with us.
I truly loved it: I used turkey instead of beef and I added a bit of good parmesan cheese. I made a meatloaf, shrimp scampi, and meatballs also. I love your videos: they are so cute, easy, and funny: they make me want to cook more! My boyfriend is a chef, and I am a bit intimidated cooking for him, so big thank you from me and him!
You’re very welcome, Larisa. I hope you’ll both love every recipe that you will try!
Hi Natasha.
One tip.
I don’t use toothpicks, just spray your foil with pan or grease it with butter. Won’t stick to lasagna. 😀
Thanks for sharing a tip with us, Marilyn. We appreciate it!
that looks so delicious
So so good, hope you can try this recipe!
This is my favorite lasagna ever! Do you have any tips for freezing an uncooked lasagna? I’m meal prepping for baby and need tips for thawing/heating etc.
Hi Winter, You can make this ahead, assemble it, put it in the fridge, freeze it, and then bake it the next day. Yes, it can be frozen unbaked 🙂
The best lasagna recipe ever! Super delicious and easy to make😍
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Marta!
Natasha, you are awesome just like your recipes. Brings joy to my heart. Thank you.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Can I use regular ricotta and cottage cheese?
That will work! You can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. I bet a mix of the two may work also.
Hi Natasha, I have made this recipe several times and it is a family favorite! I’ve always wondered if I can substitute egg plant instead of lasagna noodles in this recipe?
Hey Kayla! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe! I haven’t tried that substitution to advise on the process or outcome. But, if you happen to try that I’d love your feedback!
It is a great recipe I made it and it was so good
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Can I replace cottage cheese for Parmesan? They don’t sell that in my area, if so how many cups?
Hi Amy, you can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. I haven’t tried using parmesan to advise.
Amy, I do not think that parmesan cheese would sub well for cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is so wet so it is actually used as part of the liquid in this recipe. On the other hand, parmesan cheese is drier and would not measure or cook in the same way. You cannot get ricotta or cottage cheese where you live? You might ask around because that seems so strange. Do you live in the U.S.?
Dear Natasha, I follow you from out of the US. I tried the recipe and I made it work, it actually was very tasty, but sadly 448 gr of mozzarella are NOT 4 cups 🙁
Silly me, not checking first!
4 cups of mozzarella are around 800 gr of cheese.
The rest was great!
Thanks for your great job!
Hi Laura, when I shredded the cheese and put it into a measuring cup, it measured 4 cups shredded.
We eat vegetarian so I made this with 2lbs impossible meat and an extra cup of marinara. My son typically will not eat lasagna but he loved this – as did we all! Thanks for a GREAT recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hey Natasha,
I seriously love you. I’ve been using this recipe of yours for years now. You are such a beast in the kitchen. I want to make this for my friend but would like to make the meat and cheese mixture ahead of time so I can have enough time to do all my other errands and then just assemble when I get home. How far ahead can I pre make everything?
Great to hear that, Gwen. Yes, you can make this lasagna ahead. You may assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes.
My family said this was the best lasagna I’ve ever made! The deep, rich flavor is outstanding!
Love it! Thank you for sharing your family’s comments and feedback with us, Amy.
Thank you Natasha.
I try this recipe, but instead of meat I use vegetables, it turn out good, but do you have a recipe for vegetarian lasagna.
Hi Bebi, I don’t have a recipe for vegetarian lasagna but feel free to experiment. Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment.
I made this Lasagna recipe and it was delicious thank you for your recipes Always look forward to the recipes
Glad you enjoyed it, Theresa. I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try!
Hi Natasha,
What brand of marinara sauce do you use? I usually make my own, but looking for a faster method this week.
Hello Erica, I usually make my own Marinara Sauce too. Here’s the recipe that I use.
I question the meat portion of this recipe. One pound of meat to two pounds of cheese just doesn’t work. It’s not much meat sauce for a 9×13 dish.
Hi Patricia, the measurements are correct since the meat is in a sauce. If you added more, you would overflow your dish.
Wow…really?
Your lasagna recipe is easy process going to try soon.
I cooked lasagna before but i never do boiled the lasagna noodles,what i do i directly put in the baking try but it works too.
I hope you love this recipe!
What kind of wine do you suggest?
Hi Faith, Some good red wine options include:
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon
Soft Red by Ste Chapelle (our favorite local brand)
Hi Natasha, can I swap out 1/4 cup of the mozzarella in the cheese sauce for 1/4 cup Parmesan?
Hi Terry, that should work to make that substitution. I hope you love this cheesy lasagna recipe.
Ii use both mozzarella and parmesan and it is great
Ok I see that there is cottage cheese in it as well….hence my prior comments/ question. I made it once….delicious…..can I make it and assemble and bake the next day?
Hi Terry, yes, you can make this lasagna ahead. You may assemble, put it in the fridge, freeze it, and then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through, which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
Hi!! I am trying to cook this for a family who doesn’t like onions. What can you use to substitute onion??
Hi Hanna, we have always made this with onions, but I imagine it may work if you happen to test that. I would love to know how you like that.
Been making lasagna for years, but wanted to change it up from my own recipe and yours looked SO amazing…everyone loved it! Instead of toothpicks, I always spray the inside of the foil on any cheesy dish to ensure the cheese doesn’t stick. I have always been skeptical of a lasagna that uses cottage cheese (it’s the one cheese I don’t like) but this is going to be my go-to lasagna from now on.
Hello Toots, so great to hear that you enjoyed this lasagna recipe! I’m glad this is going to be one of your favorites, thank you for sharing!
I made this dish it was good lasagna
I’m happy you enjoeyd this, Ida! Thank you!
Is spaghetti sauce alright to use instead of marinara?
Hi Madeline, yes spaghetti sauce is essentially the same thing and can be used interchangeably.
FABULOUS!
I can’t wait for my son to taste it, but he’ll have to wait until I make it again.
Scrumptious. So happy to add it to my recipe box.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Celeste! I hope he loves it too!
If frozen, can you bake from freezer, or thaw completely first?
Hi Karol. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
I love your recipes and your presentations.They are simple to follow and good choices for familiy dinners.I usually have all the necessary ingredients on hand and do not have buy anything to complete one of your recipes
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
First time that I made lasagna by following your recipe – thanks so much! It was scrumptious. Can’t wait to try the chicken lasagna version.
Hi Maria, I’m glad you liked it! Please try the chicken lasagna too, it is also so good! I think you will also love it.
Natasha, I can’t find cottage cheese. What can I use instead?
Hi K, you can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. Others used ricotta cheese only and loved it too!
I love and use this recipe often! The only thing I do different is that I add the lasagna noodles to hot water in the lasagna pan for 30 minutes. It makes them soft enough to work with and avoids boiling them, which I find laborious. It also soaks up moisture to ensure that it wont be soupy.
Great to hear that, Chad. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, love your recipes! I am curious as to what brand your white 9 x 13 casserole dish is that you use in the recipe. I can’t find it anywhere. Thanks
Hi Roxanne, it is a 4Qt casserole dish. 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 🙂
Can you use oven-ready lasagna noodles without having to cook them (in water) to al dente?
Hi Lina, I haven’t tried this with oven-ready lasagna, but that may work. Several readers left comments I recommend reading through.
Yes you can use gluten free noodles.. Guess what, I’ll let you in on a secret! *drumroll* You can use organic noodles too! Oh wait, we also got organic AND gluten free sauce. Plus organic Pepperoni! You can go all organic and healthy here, not just gluten free.
That is wonderful that you were able to make it healthy, organic and gluten-free. I love that!
This came out delicious. I found it quite ‘’liquidy’’ tho and not sure why. I watched your video and I had followed it exactly. Any ideas?
Hi Barbara, make sure to let it rest and set before slicing into it. Otherwise, it can seem too loose and will slide apart when sliced.
I made this over the weekend. I, too, followed your recipe exactly and it came out really liquidly. I let it rest, also, before slicing. Not sure why. The taste was really good, though. Love your recipes!
I’m glad you liked it! That never happened to me before, are you sure that the ingredients were measured corractly?
Followed your recipe exactly but I am not going to give up. It was still really good. My husband loved it, also. Thanks, again, for your recipes!
I also found it to be quite liquidy. I made this last night for the first time and was abit on the liquidy sized, which then made it a tad bland.
Hi Kat, make sure to let it rest and set before cutting into it or it will seem too loose and will be difficult to serve.
Hands down the best recipe ever. Very easy to make and so delicious. I was wondering what you would think of adding black olives to the meat sauce?
Hi Juliann, I haven’t tested that, but I imagine it will work. If you test that out, I would love to know how you like it.
Hi, if I’m using the lasagna foil trays, how should I adjust the baking time?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tested this in a foil tray, but that should work. It may take less time to bake, but I do recommend checking it slightly sooner for doneness. I don’t imagine the time will change by much.
Hi, if I sub the beef for mince chicken, would I have to make any variations to the sauce?
Also, can your lasagnas be prepped and fridged prior to baking?
Yes, you can make this lasagna ahead. You may assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful! You can try my Chicken Lasagna recipe instead.
Thanks. I am actually doing the chicken lasagna as well but wanted to know if it’s ok to use mince chicken in this recipe. Please let me know if you think I should make any variations to the other ingredients.
Hi Michelle, You can try my Chicken Lasagna recipe instead.
Hi Natasha. I can’t find ricotta cheese and cottage cheese in my country. May I know what I could substitude it with?
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna and see if that is available in your area.
We’re usually not huge tomato sauce fans; however, this entire recipe is absolutely amazing and a family favorite!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I’m curious about the low fat cheese. Is there a reason that pertains to baking the lasagna or just your personal preference? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Cheryl, a low-fat cheese would still work well. We love the low moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese.
Bought no boil noodles by mistake, what should I do
I have not tested this particular recipe with no-boil noodles, however, you could use them but I would do a search for the diff liquid ratio.
I bought creamettes oven ready lasagna noodles. It turned out awesome. i might use more noodles next time since they are little smaller but i just used 9, i was afraid it might turn out dry but it was juicy. Will make again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
That pan fit 3 lasagna noodles across perfectly! Can you tell me what kind of pan it is?
Hi Amy, we have the pan linked in the recipe, you can find it in our Amazon Shop HERE also. I believe it is 13×9.
The link provided for lasagna pan is not the same as the one you used (with open handles). Actually link opens to a fluted pie plate. There is a lasagna pan shown below (often bought with pie plate) but it’s not the same as the one you used in video.
Hi, we are not able to track down that specific dish online – I wish we could, but we purchased it at our local Fred Meyer store. There is a similar 13×9 dish in our Amazon Affiliate Shop.
Hi Natasha. I believe the pan is called Dash of That and I see it at my Fred Meyer store, but do you know if your pan is 4 QT, or the 6 QT?
Hi Clara, it is a 4Qt casserole dish.
This is such a yummy lasagna recipe! We usually eat it right after I make it, but I need to freeze it to serve later. Should I freeze it before I cook it (and cook at needed time) or after I cook it?
Thank you,
Hello Renee, thank you for your good feedback. You can make this ahead, assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
WHAT IF You don’t like Cottage cheese
Hi Sandra, you can replace it with ricotta cheese.
This my 5th time making this recipe. It’s delicious 😋. I double the meat from 1lb to 2lbs and use 2 jars of marinara. Maybe that why I end up with a little bit of cheese mixture left over….lol. But it makes for a pretty filling lasagna. I also season the beef
and cheese that goes on top with home made Italian seasoning – Ingredients – herb grinder
▢2 tablespoons dried basil
▢2 tablespoons dried oregano
▢1 tablespoons dried rosemary
▢1 tablespoon dried thyme
▢1 teaspoon garlic powder
Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ve made it my own💖
Thank you for sharing that with us, I’m glad that you enjoyed this recipe! We appreciate your comments and feedback.
So I am a white wine drinker and have no idea what a “good red wine” is. Help!!!
Hi Julie, I usually use a soft red for all of my cooking. Any good drinkable and not overly sweet wine will work.
Hi Julie, Some good red wine options include:
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon
Soft Red by Ste Chapelle (our favorite local brand)
Thank you!!! I went with Merlot and it was amazing!!! Just as good, if not better, the next day!!! And an amazing wine aroma next day when we reheated it!! Delicious xxx
Made this Lasagne for family and it was fantastic! I am planning to make a couple of pans and freeze for future consumption. Can I prepare and freeze uncooked or should it be cooked and frozen. Either way, for how long should it be cooked from frozen?
Thank you, Lorainne, for your great comments! You can make this ahead, assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day.
Hi, Natasha! I’m planning to make your lasagna for Christmas but I don’t have ricotta cheese. Is there an alternative you could recommend? Would cream cheese work okay? Thank you!
Hi Shaina, I saw others commented that they used cream cheese and I think it worked well. You may also just use and add more cottage cheese. Please let us know how it goes if you try it!
Instead of cooking the noodles ahead of the baking. I add about 3/4 cup of water to the sauce mixture, Then I layer, but use the noodles uncooked!!!!! The extra water is absorbed in the noodles and makes for a firmer Lasagna!!!! So yummy!!!!
Sounds awesome, Karla! I’m so happy that you loved this recipe. Thank you!
Thank you for this Lasagna recipe I will try this recipe CHRISTMAS EVE love your recipes
You’re welcome and sounds like a great plan!
Probably the best lasagna that I’ve ever made! I think I may have messed up the layering, so it didn’t exactly stay in its shape when lifted out of the pan, but it was still so very delicious! The red wine really made it better(as crazy as it may seem!)😁
I’m glad you said that, Megan. Thanks for your wonderful comments and feedback!
What do you usually serve with Lasagna?
Hi Lia, some garlic bread or Caesar Salad go really well with this meal!
Just made this for my husband’s 40th birthday. He requested that I make this lasagna from now on. Absolutely delicious and will definitely be making again and again 😊
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Made this the day before Thanksgiving…I was so upset that I messed up the last steps, I end up leaving it under the broil for longer than 5min since my daughter had a tantrum..it came out golden brown, not burnt but very dark on top…just hoping its not burnt inside too, also I used a 9×13 dish and my noodles didn’t fit correctly like yours…I had to boil extra noodle and put it Crossway…I just saw one of your comments about assembling everything the night before then baking it the next day, wish I had saw that before…I baked mines the night before Thanksgiving…Crossing my fingers for not burning the lasagna
I hope it will still turn out well! Please let us know how it goes and Happy Thanskgiving.
Hi Natasha…it was good but a bit dry…the top of the lasagna was not as moist and cheesy as yours..I wonder if it’s because I baked it the night before…will bake another one for Christmas…my daughter loves lasagna..any tips..can I assemble it the night before and bake it the next day..also do I put the cheese on top when I’m ready to bake it….thanks and merry Christmas
HI Narissa, a freshly baked top will always be the juiciest but thankfully this reheats really well.
Was so disappointed- been making lasagna for years- was excited to try yours- turned out sooo wet- followed directions to a tee! Had to drain the lasagna pan- so far 3 times- everything just floating-so glad did not serve to company
Hi Pamela, I haven’t had that experience but I am happy to help troubleshoot. You might consider if there were any substitutions made? Also, make sure to let the lasagna rest as noted above in the recipe and it will slice easier. In all the years I’ve been making this, I have never had to drain a lasagna so I am assuming maybe it’s the type of quantity of marinara used or changes in quantities of other ingredients.
Okay to start off, I’ve never cared enough to ever leave a review on a recipe before.
I was super weirded out when I read that we had to add cottage cheese because I didn’t know how it would taste. Also, I followed the recipe exactly except I actually forgot to add beef broth/wine!
That being said, this was literally the best lasagna I have EVER had and I can’t shut up about it to everyone I know. I’m going to go try all your recipes now because I’ve never been so pleasantly impressed!!
Hello Jenny, your comment is so great! Thank you so much for your perfect rating, we appreciate your excellent comments and feedback!
My daughter and I made this lasagna last night and it was delicious! Great recipe, excellent video. Thank you.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I am used to making Lasagna recipes that need a true lasagna dish. DO NOT use a lasagna dish as it will be too large for the amount of noodles and ingredients this recipe calls for. The lasagna was yummy but unfortunately more like lasagna soup. I really liked how easy it was.
Loved this recipe….the only thing I left out was the red wine as I don’t use alcohol in my household but I still found this recipe perfect!!!
I’d love a vegetarian lasagna recipe too!
Hello Mona, glad you loved this recipe! Thanks for your suggestion, I have a vegetarian alternative for lasagna. Please check my Eggplant Parmesan Recipe.
Hey did you know Reynolds makes non stick foil now? It is wonderful!!
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Made this and loved it. I’ve been searching high and low for the dish you baked yours in. Can you share?
Hello Catherine, you can find this dish in our Amazon Affiliate Shop. I believe it is 13×9.
Can I use ground turkey 85/15 instead?
Hi Sandy, ground turkey should work well to make a turkey lasagna.
can you make this night before and leave it in the refrigerator.
Hello Tiffany. You can make this ahead, assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day.
Can I change the parsley with fresh basil, or would that be to strong???
Hi Heller, I haven’t tried it with fresh basil, it will impact the flavor but if you do test it out I would love to know how you like this
I made two of these for a birthday party. So delicious!! My only alteration was the addition of a 1/2 lb of Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Chris! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
What kind/size dish are you using to bake the lasagna in?
Hi Galina, we have the pan linked in the recipe, you can find it in our Amazon Shop HERE also. I believe it is 13×9.
I have a question. Can I double this recipe and put all ingredients in a very large Lasagna pan? If yes, how long do I cook it? Thank you.
Hi Penny, that may work, I imagine you will need to increase the time, but I’m unable to advise without testing it.
I hate cottage cheese. Is there anything else to replace it with or does it not taste like cottage cheese at all once everything is mixed up?
Hello Kimberly, Ricotta cheese will also work great!
Made this Tuesday…BY FAR the best Lasagna recipe I’ve tried yet. My husband agrees. I used it for meal prep this week, and I swear I think it gets better by the day. So cheesy 🙂 So Yummy! Fish tacos are for dinner tonight. I’m so excited.
Love it! I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the lasagna. I hope you love fish tacos too!
My family and I LOVED this lasagna recipe! I used Raos tomato sauce, if anyone has acid reflux or frequent heartburn like I do, I highly suggest this brand as it is less acidic. I also used oven ready noodles; with that I adjusted the cook time to 30 mins plus 5 mins on broil. Thank you Natasha for your awesome recipes 😁
Fantastic! Good choice of brand too, thanks for sharing that with us!
Just made today for my boyfriend. He loved it!!! For me a lot of prep
For a non cooking person but worth it.
I’m sure it took me longer but I wanted to follow instructions exactly.
Next time making the veggie lasagna because my neighbor is a vegetarian and I want to share with her.
So my boyfriend loves it and Natasha is so cute and her video is so helpful.
Thx thx thx
I’m so glad that was helpful Shari! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I have made just the other day your recipe for bake ziti and every one loved it and that is what the 5 stars are for. I just know your lasagna recipe will be just as good.
I was wondering if you have a recipe for home made ricotta cheese?
Hi Faith! I do not at this time but that’s a great idea – adding it to my list.
Nice
Made this yesterday for our daughter & son-in-love and they loved it. I did add some mushrooms to it, because I love mushrooms. It came out perfect! Son-in-love even took some for his lunch at work today!
That’s just awesome Bonnie! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Looking forward to making.
I did read elsewhere to drain the cottage cheese so lasagna not watery but u don’t mention that
Hi Shari, we didn’t need to for this recipe.
Thx going to make tomorrow. I’m not a great cook so going to rewatch video.
Thx for the reply.
Wish me luck.
Just making this recipe as we speak a lot more work as I exspected, can’t wait to taste it, will keep you posted
I hope you love this recipe Marsha!
Hey I have a question. I’ve made this dish in the past and it is to die for! However, I have people coming over tomorrow so I wanted to assemble it today and bake it tomorrow. Will it stay fine in the fridge over night? When I bake it tomorrow will it be the same baking time?
I’m glad you love this recipe! You can make this ahead, assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
Will this recipe work with Gluten Free no boil ready to bake pasta? Would I need any modifications?
Yes, you can use gluten-free noodles too!
I made this yesterday for my wife and shared some with my neighbors. I have never made lasagna before but your instructions made it so easy to do. I followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit! The leftovers today are even better! My wife had me take a picture of it and she has been texting all her friends about her husband now being the designated lasagna maker from now on. We include the link to your recipe too. Thanks Natasha
That’s just awesome Donald! Thank you so much for this wonderful review!
This recipe was so easy and fun. It came out perfectly and delicious. My family LOVE this lasagna recipe and asked that it be made regularly.
First, I made your lasagna rolls and those were easy and yummy too. It gave me the confidence to try making your traditional style lasagna and I’m so happy I did.
I love your videos, recipes and your personality! Thank you for making me a better cook with each new recipe I try.
That is so nice! I’m so glad that you loved the result and that it gave you the confidence that you need. I hope you love every recipe that you are going to try!
If you let the lasagna sit for 30 minutes, is it still nice and hot/ Seems like it might not be warm enough after 30 minutes. It does look yummy! I am going to try it just don’t know if I can wait 30 minutes.
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan, If you keep it covered with foil it is still very warm! The inside will be nice and steamy.
BEST LASAGNA DISH/RECIPE EVER!!! I made this dish for my in-laws. My husband thought I was nuts for making them lasagna for the first time (since they are incredibly picky eaters). I made this dish over 2 weeks ago and they continue to tell me how delicious the lasagna turned out (indirectly hinting that they want to come over for more lol). I added half ground beef and half mild italian spicy sausage. I also used ricotta cheese (no cottage cheese). Boy, did I score some major points! Lol. Seriously…your recipes are so easy to follow. I really appreciate you sharing your beautiful talent with us. I never thought I would enjoy cooking and baking so much. I really owe it to you. Thank you again, Natasha.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that with me Sarah! Sounds like you found a new family favorite!
Your lasagna recipe was the Best. The first time mine never fell apart. My husband loved it!
I’m glad you and your husband loved this recipe, Carole. Thanks for your great review!
Saw your video on Facebook for this a few times but just tried making it tonight. Best lasagna ever!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I can you use no boil noodles?
Hi Rita, 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…” I hope this is helpful!
My first try to make a Lasagna. It didn’t come out pretty aesthetically but the taste was really superb!👌🏻
Though I couldn’t find a Ricotta Cheese in our local grocery I replaced it with Cream Cheese instead.
Great to hear, I think it will get better on your next try! I’m just glad that you loved how it tasted.
I want to make this but i don’t like cottage cheese. Can i just leave it out and use more ricotta? or use something else
Hi Joanne, you sure can! Ricotta cheese will work great!
How much Ricotta Cheese if you eave out the Cottage Cheese
Hello Sarah, you can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. Others used ricotta cheese only and loved it too!
I have an egg allergy so can I substitute the egg or just leave it out all together?
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tested this but you can substitute the eggs (yolks…) with whipping cream, equal amount. The addition of eggs to a Lasagna is to make it a richer and creamier filling. You can also use more Ricotta Cheese.
Delicious recipe . Thank you
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hi! I’m going to make this recipe for a family vacation. I want to freeze it uncooked and bake. What time and temp should I use. Thank you.
Hi Kelly! That will work! This lasagna freezes really well!
Hi Natasha, thank you for this recipe it is DELICIOUS! My family loved it so thank you so much for it! Much appreciated, Zoe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Lasagna is one of my favourite dishes and I’m so glad I followed your recipe. It was delicious and my family said it was very good! One question, it was falling apart a bit while cutting it, do you have any tips for this?
Hi Regan, if it is falling apart it is likely due to the noodles being overcooked. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Natasha, I love “All” your recipes! Could you recommend a red wine for your easy lasagna recipe?
Thank you and God bless you!
Brígida Gipson
Thank you for your good comments, Brigida. Any good red wine (not cooking wine) will work. I usually use a soft red for all of my cooking. Any good drinkable and not overly sweet wine will work.
Spray foil before covering casserole. I’ve had no problems with this or the enchilada casseroles cheeses.
Thanks for sharing that with us, Roberta.
I have made this three times in the last 3 months. Every time it has turned out delicious. I thought my Italian seasoning was a little bland so I did add more plus some fennel seed. I love your recipes and your videos.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that awesome review with me Bonnie!
Loved it!! Thanks for the recipe
I usually love her recipes but this one was so bland. Next time I’ll try using Parmesan and Romano cheese as well
Sorry to hear that it didn’t meet your expectations, Barb. Try that next time please and let us know how it goes.
I’m looking forward to making this recipe but I was wondering why you use low fat ricotta and cottage cheese rather than regular?
Hi Barbara, you can definitely use regular if that is what you have on hand or normally buy at the grocery store.
Hi Natasha, I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and the family ranked it 5 stars. I want to make it for my sister. Can I assemble it the night before and have her bake it the next day?
That is so awesome! So great to hear that Natalya, thank you for such wonderful feedback. You can make this ahead, assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day.
Lasagna turned out great, heated really well in the office microwave. Will dwftmale again.
So wonderful to hear that you loved it! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha,
Another great recipe. I would like to prepare lasagna one day ahead, can I assemble and put in the fridge and then bake next day? I never make it ahead so not sure… Also a little unsure if I should add cottage cheese layers, in the past when I added cottage cheese with eggs my kids did not like it (but I did), but I never tried ricotta, I wonder if I will be able to sneak these cheeses in…
Hi Galina, my kids loved it and it blends very well with the rest of the cheese sauce. I hope your family loves the lasagna recipe!
I made this lasagna today for my husband birthday dinner. OMG it was the best lasagna I have ever eaten. I am not a lasagna fan because and I have never found a recipe that I can brag about but this one is so delicious I was going for seconds but I have to watch my waistline. Lol. This is definitely my go to recipe. Thank you.
I am so glad you tried this recipe. Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try and for your awesome comments!
Thank you Natasha! Another great recipe! Even my picky 75-yr-old mom who dislikes anything tomatoey had seconds!!! Definitely another keeper!
Patty
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Patty! I’m all smiles
You have use cottage cheese or something else
Hi Pauline, you can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese since most prefer that. It does add creaminess to the recipe.