This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, saucy, and packed with flavor in every bite. My homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant or store-bought version, and it feeds a crowd for less than going out to eat. My family gets excited every time I pull this cheesy, bubbly casserole out of the oven!
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Helpful Reader Review
“This is the only lasagna recipe I make. It’s so easy and so delicious! I always double the recipe and freeze a pan to have on hand.” – Cheryl ★★★★★
Lasagna Video Tutorial
In this video, I’ll show you how to make my easy Lasagna Recipe with the perfect balance of meat sauce, three-cheese sauce, and noodles that crisp up at the edges. That golden cheese crust seals in all the flavor, making it irresistible.
Seriously the Best Lasagna!
Since I was a child, lasagna has been one of my top 10 favorite foods and I’ve gotten creative over the years to capture its classic flavors in Lasagna Soup, Chicken Lasagna, Slow Cooker Lasagna, and even Chocolate lasagna (does that count?).
Of all of the recipes I’ve tried over the years, this is the perfect lasagna. I loved it so much, I even turned it into Lasagna Roll Ups and gluten-free Zucchini Lasagna (which is gluten-free).
In our house, lasagna is a staple for busy school nights because it keeps, reheats, and freezes so well, and it’s nice to have something in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. I even use it for kids’ lunches—I pack a serving in my son’s thermos to keep it hot, and it comes home empty every time.
Ingredients for Lasagna
This 3-cheese lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, and the ingredients are refrigerator and pantry staples. See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
- Ground beef – We used 80/20 beef (20% fat content) for a juicier lasagna but a lean ground beef is perfectly acceptable. You can also sub half of the beef with Italian sausage for variety.
- Aromatics – yellow onion and fresh garlic add layers of flavor and aroma.
- Red wine – This amps up the flavor of your sauce (do not use cooking wine). You can sub wine with beef broth or chicken broth.
- Marinara sauce – Use homemade marinara or store-bought.
- Dried thyme – Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano can be substituted
- Sugar – balances the acidity of the marinara sauce (I use this same trick in my Spaghetti Sauce recipe)
- Parsley – flat-leaf or curly parsley works well
- Lasagna noodles – Cook these al dente; they’ll continue to soften as the lasagna bakes. You can also use no-boil noodles.
- 3 Cheeses – I love combining shredded mozzarella, ricotta cheese and cottage cheese for a moist and gooey cheese sauce. The cottage cheese ensures it’s super juicy on the reheat.
- Egg – helps hold the cheese layer together
Natasha’s Tip for Cooking Lasagna Noodles
Use a very large pot of salted water to boil the lasagna noodles and stir them several times, especially right after adding them to the pot. This will keep them from sticking to each other and tearing.
How to Make the Meat Sauce
If you’d like to get a head start on this recipe, you can make the meat sauce a day or two in advance. It’s essentially my Spaghetti Meat Sauce.
- Brown the beef – Add oil to a deep pan and sautee onion and beef until browned, 5 minutes then add garlic and stir another minute.
- Simmer the sauce – Pour in 1/4 cup of wine and stir until almost evaporated. Add marinara, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, and parsley; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook the tomato sauce 5 minutes.
How to Make the Cheese Sauce
- Make the cheese filling – Combine all the cheese sauce ingredients and 1 cup of mozzarella in a mixing bowl (reserve the rest of the mozzarella for later).
How to Make Lasagna
- Cook the Noodles – Preheat your oven to 375ºF and cook the lasagna noodles in a pot of well-salted water until barely al dente (firm to the bite – don’t overcook it), then drain and pour in cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Assemble Lasagna – Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella, and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat, then for the top layer, add 3 noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake – Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned. Important! Let the lasagna rest for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving. If you cut into it right away, it will slide apart.
Pro Tip to Prevent Cheese Sticking:
To prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese topping, I poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of the lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the foil from touching the cheese. Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.
What Cheese is Best for Lasagna?
I use both; cottage cheese is healthier, and ricotta is creamier, so you get the best of both worlds by using both of these cheeses in your lasagna. I admit cottage cheese isn’t traditional for Italian lasagna, so if that upsets you, you’ll love the classic Italian-style lasagna in my Cookbook.
What to Serve with Lasagna
- Maroulosalata
- Greek Salad
- Easy Garlic Bread
- Caesar Salad
- Focaccia Bread
- Caprese Salad
- Panzanella Salad
Make-Ahead and Storage
Here’s everything you need to know about storing lasagna for later. You can even double the recipe to stash some for later!
- To Refrigerate: You can assemble and store it covered in the refrigerator for a day or two until ready to bake.
- Freezing: Lasagna can be frozen before or after baking. Either way, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months when wrapped well or stored in an airtight container.
- To Reheat: Thaw frozen lasagna in the refrigerator and bake according to the recipe instructions for the most even results. Baking from frozen will take longer (60-90 minutes). Or reheat leftovers in the oven at 350˚F covered with foil until warmed through.
With its meaty sauce and layers of cheese, I think you’ll agree that this is the best lasagna recipe ever!
Easy Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lasagna
- 1 lb ground beef, (15-20% fat content)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry red wine, 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 then drain and pour in cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a deep 9×13 casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, spread on 1/3 of the meat sauce, and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon on and spread the top with 1/2 of your cheese sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Italian Pasta Recipes
If you love this lasagna, then you won’t want to miss these pasta recipes:
- Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole)
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Creamy Baked Feta Pasta
- Mom’s Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Stuffed Shells
- Manicotti
- Chicken Tetrazzini
So I’ve used the “oven ready” noodles several times – they were fine but do you have any thoughts on these noodles? Also I use a white cheese sauce in the middle with 2 or 3 kinds of cheese melted in it. I hate cottage cheese.
Hi Hillary. I’ve only tested this with boiled noodles but several of my viewers have reported great results using the oven ready noodles.
I love your recipes. Don’t forget I have your book too. I use it all the time. Keep going. Great job.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Tammy! Reading this has made my day!
Love this recipe. I usually add a half pound of hot Italian sausage to the beef along with wilted spinach to the cheese mixture. I have a question though: I was taught that regular lasagna noodles (not the no boil type, which have an odd mouth feel to me) do not require pre-boiling because they will cook in the dish. That is the way I always do it and they come out perfectly al dente. Have you tried this?
Hi David! I’m glad you liked the recipe. Thank you for sharing your additions, it sounds great.
Regarding the noodles, I have always just used the type that I boil. Several of my readers have used the oven ready noodles and have had good success with this recipe.
Great idea, David. Thank you. Why I didn’t think of that?
As a young adult getting the hang of home cooking this turned out to be phenomenal and will definitely become a staple. Thanks bunches for making it super simple to follow along!
Sincerely,
A hungry girl currently enjoying some lasagna
Of course! I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
This was so delicious! The red wine is a great addition I haven’t come across before. I used no boil noodles without issue.
This recipe brings great joy to my family, and allows us to create beautiful memories around the dinner table. Thank you.
That makes me so happy to hear!
Nice ideas but not enough meat and too heavy on the cottage/ricotta.
Hi Bob, did you test it as written, I think it would be overloaded if we tried to fit any more meat into it, but if you prefer more meat, you could do that with a little less of the cheese filling.
I always make it with 2 lbs of ground beef and all the cheeses! My husband and 3 growing boys are all meat eaters, so it wouldn’t be enough without that extra lb of beef 🙂
It always turns out amazing! I just have to use a bigger dish. Your recipe is just the BEST Natasha!!
Loved this recipe, my 3rd attempt at making lasagna with different recipes and this one final worked. Thank you Natasha!
This was so bomb…
I’m not the biggest lasagna fan but I had two small servings of this after I already ate dinner!
I made a few modifications: added spinach and kale (pre-cooked and drained) and chili flakes as well.
Natasha I have never made Lasagna before and it was a hit only thing I did was used mezzerita sauce and two jars with two pounds of ground beef because the casserole pan gets wider at the top so had to utilize more noodles but it is a hit! You make us all better cooks!
That’s great, Jordan! Thanks for sharing.
This is my go to lasagna!! I use ground turkey 93% lean and everyone loves it. My family does not like leftovers but they with eat this left over.
Can you clarify if it is one small onion (video) or one medium onion (recipe)? I look forward to trying it!
Hello Cynthia, one medium should be fine
Just wondering if you have a recommendation for a deep 9×13 dish. I like that yours has handles.
Hi Kelly! This is the 9×13-inch casserole dish that I use. It doesn’t have a handle though but feel free to browse through my Amazon Affiliate Shop to check out the different kitchen tools that I recommend and see if there’s one that’s similar to what you are looking for.
Love it so much!
What can I use instead of ricotta cheese since I do not have any on hand ?
You can substitute it with cottage cheese, cream cheese or mascarpone. We’d love to know how it goes!
I’ve made this lasagna and it’s delicious ! I have a question for you. I’m having company for dinner and one of my guests cannot eat beef. Could I substitute the beef for ground turkey and maybe add a couple of Italian sausages (casing removed) to add flavour and just follow this recipe other than that change ? Do you think this would taste okay ?
Glad to hear that you love this recipe, Pat! I have not tried using turkey yet but I bet that will work. Just make sure to adjust and add more seasoning as turkey has a milder flavor than beef.
Hi Natasha! I love all your recipes. What exact dry red wine do you recommend for this recipe? I’ve never cooked with wine before and I plan on making it this weekend, so I would greatly appreciate your recommendations.
Hi Lilli! Any dry red wine would work. Common ones used are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, etc.
Okay, thanks so much! I appreciate the quick response.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe, Natasha. I’ve made this several times and it has become a family favorite!
Do you drain the ground beef before continuing with recipe?
I usually drain especially if there’s a lot of grease.
Natasha you have made me a better cook when. It is actually fun making this recipe! I appreciate you and all your recipe’s amazing food and the lasagna came out good no leftovers.