Best Lasagna (2024)

This is the World’s Best Lasagna!

This homemade lasagna is one for the recipe binder. The only one. It’s loaded with three layers of pasta, homemade meat sauce, creamy ricotta (with a secret trick), nutty Parmesan and gooey mozzarella cheese. Each and every bite is hot, meaty, cheesy, saucy perfection. I’ve included everything you need to know about how to make lasagna, how to make ahead andhow to freeze.

PIN THIS RECIPE TO SAVE FOR LATER

WATCH: How to Make Homemade Lasagna

You will love this Lasagna Recipe

There are a few Italian staples that everyone should have an amazing homemade recipe for, namely Lasagna,Chicken Parmesan,Italian Meatballs,Fettuccine Alfredo, Shrimp Fettuccine,Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Penne,Pasta Al Fornoand Italian Pasta Salad. In my opinion, homemade lasagna is at the forefront of this list. It is thequintessential classic Italian recipe that’s hearty, cheesy, saucy, immensely comforting and everyone loves it. I think that is why my easy Lasagna Soup and White Chicken Lasagna Soup continue to be so popular.

Traditional Lasagna, however, is a bit more time consuming, BUT, I have never made this lasagna recipe and regretted it. Instead, it leaves me oohing and ahhing and wanting more, more, more, even when I am stuffed. Here are just a few more reasons I love homemade lasagna:

• Crowd pleaser. It’s the kind of meal that even the pickiest eater loves and we all crave long after the last bite.
• Makes a ton. This homemade lasagna recipe makes such a hearty casserole it is perfect for large crowds, dinner parties or company.
• Less Expensive. It tastes every bit as delicious as your favorite restaurant but you get an entire pan instead of just a slice for the same price.
• Make Ahead. I love making lasagna the night before and allowing it to sit in the refrigerator overnight. This further develops the flavors and makes dinner time as easy as a push of the oven button.
• Freezer friendly. This lasagna freezes well so you can it freeze it for busy days ahead or for gifts for new moms or when someone has had surgery. You can also double the batch and eat one lasagna casserole for dinner and freeze the other.

Why This is The Best Lasagna Recipe

This Lasagna Recipe is one of the best I’ve ever devoured in my entire life. I’ve been perfecting it for years, making little tweaks here and there until I thought it was worthy of the title, “Best Lasagna Recipe.” While I can’t say it’s the Best Lasagna recipe in the world (although the research to verify that statement sounds delightful), I can say it is the Best Lasagna I’ve ever made or tasted. I hope you agree!

The little changes I’ve made along the way make a world of difference from deciding between classic noodles to no-boil noodles, between Italian sausage and beef or just beef, from store bought meat sauce to the perfect homemade meat sauce, from ricotta or cottage cheese, to the ratio of all the ingredients. In the end, here is my conclusion of what makes the Best Lasagna recipe:

• Classic Noodles. There is no need to settle for no boil noodles! Classic Noodles are soaked in hot water instead of boiled for ease and the perfect texture every time.
• Bolognese Sauce. The sauce, the sauce! For the best Lasagna recipe, you need the best homemade meat sauce and of course the best meat sauce is a homemade Bolognese sauce with onions, carrots and celery. It is soooo worth the extra 10 minutes to make homemade sauce.
• 15 Minute Simmer. That’s right, the Bolognese only requires 15 minutes on the stove but the flavor will blow your mind!
• Beef and Sausage. The combination of beef and Italian sausage is rich and sublime with immense flavor you can’t achieve in any other way.
• Depth of Flavor. We use plenty of seasoning in our Bolognese Sauce as well as soy sauce, beef bouillon and fresh basil. We also season our ricotta filling with Parmesan, nutmeg and basil. Every element should be seasoned and flavorful.
• No Grainy Ricotta! Instead of using all of ricotta, we combine ricotta with sour cream for the creamiest ricotta you ever did taste.
• Ratio of Meat Sauce to Filling to Noodles. This lasagna recipe has double the ricotta filling as most lasagna recipes so it doesn’t get lost. You definitely won’t think it’s filling heavy but just right.It also has another layer of noodles so we get layer upon layer upon layer of YUM!

Ingredients for Lasagna

• Lasagna Noodles
• Meat Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Ricotta Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Italian Seasonings

Pretty much all homemade lasagna recipes are comprised of the above ingredients. So what makes one lasagna recipe dramatically different then another? It comes down to seasonings, proportions, quality of ingredients and the meat sauce.

Many lasagna recipes either have too much sauce and too little filling or vice vera OR the meat sauce is lackluster. You NEED a quality, flavorful meat sauce in order to have the best lasagna recipe. I’m pretty passionate about this, so I’ve outlined a whole section on my Lasagna Bolognese sauce. It is show stopping delish.

The Best Noodles for Lasagna

No boil lasagna noodles or classic lasagna noodles?

No Boil Noodles. Just Say No to No Boil Noodles. No boil lasagna noodles are definitely alluring without the extra step of boiling noodles and dealing with clumping, tearing boiled noodles. No boil lasagna, noodles, however, are too thin, in my opinion, against the thick, robust sauce and layers of luscious cheese filling. No boil noodles also tend to bake up chewy instead of tender and you run the unpalatable risk of crunchy, noodles if they are not adequately submerged in the sauce.

Classic Noodles. What if I told you, you can use classic noodles without boiling them? Without the slipping, sticking and tearing? Well, you CAN! We soak our classic noodles in hot water while the sauce is simmering. They emerge softened and super easy to work with without the risk of tearing. The softened noodles cook completely in the lasagna for the perfect texture every single time.

The Best Sauce for Lasagna

I believe if you are taking the time to make lasagna, then it should be done right. If you want a shortcut, then make my One Pot Lasagna Soup. If you want the Best Lasagna worthy of your time, then make homemade Bolognese!

Bolognese is known in Italy as ragù alla bolognese,and gets its name because it originated in Bologna, Italy. Bolognese is a meat-based sauce which includes a sofrito of onion, celery and carrots. I love this recipe so much (and so do reader) that its become the base of my Marinara Sauce that I use in my Manicotti and many other recipes sans meat.

Our Bolognese recipe only requires 15 minutes simmering, so it is SO worth making. The results are exponentially more than the time and effort required. It’s meaty, saucy, flavorful and everything a meat sauce should be.

• VEGETABLES: The vegetables should be finely diced so they become tender in the sauce and aren’t chunky. After the sauce is simmered you shouldn’t notice any chunks of vegetables but you WILL notice the depth of flavor. If you skip the sofrito, you are skipping a key element of Bolognese and skipping out on tons of flavor.
• MEATS: For the Bolognese in this lasagna recipe, I’ve used both lean ground beef and ground Italian pork Sausage. Italian Sausage comes seasoned with Italian seasonings, primarily fennel. Fennel is crucial for authentic Italian flavor so if you skip the Italian sausage, make sure you add some fennel to your meat sauce. For the lean ground beef, take care you are using (93/7) so that the sauce doesn’t end up greasy. You will also want to drain your meat of any excess grease after cooking.

• SEASONINGS: This Bolognese sauce is seasoned to perfection. It boasts tons of fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and a bay leaf. For additional depth of flavor, I’ve added splashes of soy sauce, beef bouillon, and balsamic vinegar all balanced by a tablespoon of sugar.

• SAUCE: We use crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and water to create the tomato base for the Bolognese. The crushed tomatoes provide texture, the tomato sauce smooths out the texture, the tomato paste adds concentrated flavor and the water thins the sauce so it has some room to thicken as it simmers and the flavors concentrate.
• SIMMER: The simmer time for this Bolognese Sauce is only 15 minutes! Most homemade lasagna recipes require hours of simmering time, but I promise the flavors developed in 15 minutes will blow your mind. If you choose to simmer your sauce longer, you will need to add more water or the sauce will become to thick to spread and reduce to the point you don’t have enough of it.

The Best Cheese for Lasagna

There are three cheeses in this easy lasagna recipe: mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan, so let’s talk cheese!

MOZZARELLA

Lasagna always needs mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella is creamy, buttery and melts beautifully. It’s milky richness cuts through the tangy tomato sauce. I prefer shredded mozzarella cheese over fresh mozzarella balls because I find them too watery for lasagna.

I also prefer shredded mozzarella cheese over sliced mozzarella because its so much easier to evenly distribute. If you want to use mozzarella slices, then I suggest asking your deli counter to very thinly slice the mozzarella.

RICOTTA

There is a debate between using ricotta and cottage cheese in lasagna filling. Some turn to cottage cheese because they don’t like the grainy texture of ricotta. Well, I’ve solved that dilemma. I did a side by side test of:

• lasagna with ricotta
• lasagna with ricotta mixed with sour cream
• lasagna with cottage cheese
• lasagna with cottage cheese mixed with sour cream

The lasagna with ricotta mixed with sour cream was the clear winner with lasagna with cottage cheese mixed with sour cream as the second choice.

I was AMAZED by the ricotta mixed with sour cream. It still tasted like ricotta filling but was no longer grainy but smooth – seriously lasagna changing.

That being said, I have heard that the ricotta we buy in our American grocery stores tastes nothing like ricotta you purchase at an Italian market. If you have the chance to purchase either brands Sierra or Polly-O ricotta cheese at a specialty market, then you might not need the sour cream trick – but I think I’d still do it because – tangy, silky sour cream!

PARMESAN

Lastly, you will need freshly grated Parmesan cheese to infuse your lasagna with its alluring salty, nutty flavor. Parmesan is used in four different layers as well as mixed into the ricotta cheese mixture. You don’t want to use the powdered or pre-shredded cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese tastes far superior and melts much better.

How to make Homemade Lasagna

Here’s a snapshot of How to Make Lasagna:

• Soak lasagna noodles
• Make Bolognese sauce
• Make ricotta cheese mixture
• Assemble lasagna
• Bake
• Cool
• Enjoy!

Let’s break each step down:

Soak Lasagna Noodles

• Add the classic lasagna noodles to a long dish, such as a 9×13 pan or bread pan and cover in hot water. There is no need to boil water, hot tap water will do just fine. Take care the noodles are completely submerged in water. Let them soak while you prep the lasagna – at least 30 minutes.

Make Bolognese Sauce

• In a Dutch oven or large pot, brown ground beef, sausage, onion, carrots and celery over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 more seconds. Drain grease.

• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and all seasonings.

• Cover, and bring to a boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make ricotta cheese mixture

• While sauce is simmering, mix together ricotta cheese, sour cream, fresh basil, nutmeg, eggs and Parmesan cheese.

How to Layer Lasagna

These layers create a perfectly balanced lasagna for the ultimate bite after bite after bite…

• Spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of the lightly greased 9×13 pan (layer will be thin).

• Make a layer of lasagna noodles by placing 4 noodles lengthwise and part of a 5th noodle on top to cover. Take care you pat your noodles dry after soaking before layering.

• Spread an even layer of the ricotta cheese mixture (⅓ of the mixture).

• Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese followed by ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

• Repeat those layers (meat, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan) 2 more times for a total of 3 complete layers.
• To finish, top with remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella (1 cup) and remaining Parmesan cheese (¼ cup).

HOW TO BAKE LASAGNA

• Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. If you leave your lasagna uncovered in the oven, it will become dry. I like to create a tent with my foil by raising it high in the middle so the top of the lasagna remains untouched then tightening the foil around the baking dish. If your foil isn’t large enough to do this, then spray the foil with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking to it.
• Bake lasagna at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Remove the foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to let the cheese turn golden.
• Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This will allow the lasagna to set and to cool slightly in order to create cleaner slices.

Can you make Lasagna ahead of time?

Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead meal to either refrigerate and bake the next day or to assemble and freeze.

• Assemble and Refrigerate. You can make and assemble the entire lasagna a day in advance and refrigerate (without baking). I actually think the lasagna tastes better this way because the flavors have more time to develop and meld.
• Make Sauce in Advance. You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it or freeze it for up to 3 months. If you use cold, thawed sauce in your lasagna, you will need to bake your lasagna an addition 15 minutes or so.

How to store the best Lasagna

You can freeze lasagna that is baked or unbaked. Freezing homemade lasagna is a great way to enjoy a bake-and-eat dinner any night of the week without any prep! For best results, I recommend freezing unbaked lasagna, but both methods will work.

How to Freeze Uncooked Lasagna

• Assemble lasagna according to recipe directions in a freezer safe dish.
• Cover lasagna tightly all around the dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap.
• Cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil.
• Label lasagna.
• Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator the night before to thaw completely.
• Remove plastic wrap and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake lasagna according to directions, adding an additional 10-15 minutes.

How to Freeze Cooked Lasagna

• Bake lasagna according to directions in a freezer safe dish.
• Let cool on the counter for one hour.
• Cover lasagna with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before freezing (this will prevent an unpleasant texture).
• Cover lasagna tightly with a second layer of plastic wrap all the way around the dish.
• Cover the lasagna tightly with one layer of aluminum foil.
• Label lasagna.
• Place evenly in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• When ready to bake, place lasagna in the refrigerator the night before to thaw completely.
• Remove plastic wrap and cover lasagna tightly with foil.
• Bake entire lasagna according to directions, adding an additional 10-15 minutes.

HOW TO FREEZE INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS of LASAGNA

• Bake lasagna according to directions.
• Let lasagna cool completely then slice into individual servings.
• Freeze lasagna in freezer safe plastic bags.
• To reheat, remove servings from the bag to a baking sheet.
• Bake individual servings at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes.

How to Cook the Best Lasagna from frozen

• Remove plastic wrap from lasagna and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake lasagna covered at 350 degrees F for 1 ½ hours.
• Uncover and bake an addition 15-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

What to serve with the Best Lasagna

This Lasagna is the show stopper so it really doesn’t need much except a simple green salad and garlic bread, but we also love serving it with:

• Buttery Breadsticks (new pics coming soon!)
• Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
• Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
• Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Lemon, Butter
• Tomato Cucumber Salad
• Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter
• Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Ranch
• Berry Salad with Honey Mascarpone
• Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
• Winter Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Looking for more Italian recipes?

• Loaded Zuppa Toscana
• Italian Vegetable Soup
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Skinny Chicken Parmesan (Grilled)
• One Skillet Cheesy Meaty Penne
• Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup
• Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo

Want to try this Lasagna Recipe?

Pin itto your ITALIAN, DINNER or MEAT Board to SAVE for later!

Find me on Pinterestfor more great recipes! I am always pinning :)!

©Carlsbad Cravingsby CarlsbadCravings.com

©Carlsbad Cravings Original

Looking for more Italian Recipes?

Tomato Basil Soup

Creamy Tortellini Toscana

Parmesan Meatballs and Orzo in Basil Cream Sauce

One Pot Italian Chicken and Orzo

Creamy Basil Parmesan Italian Soup