Ultimate Homemade Lasagna
- PREP 45min
- COOK 2hrs 30min
- TOTAL 3hrs 15min
This is the best lasagna with the most delicious homemade meat sauce. Our homemade sauce takes about 2 hours to make. It’s so worth it for the flavor you develop (highly recommended). The recipe below makes enough for 2 lasagnas, so you can save half the meat sauce to use another day (it freezes for 3 months).
As a shortcut, you can use store-bought sauce, which saves 1 ½ hours.
You Will Need
Meat Sauce
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup (15g) finely diced onion
1/2 cup (75g) finely diced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup (75g) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½ cups water
2 large (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes, 56 ounces total
1 to 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, optional, see notes
Assembling Lasagna
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 unbroken lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
Directions
Make Meat Sauce
If your sausage has casings, slice them lengthwise and peel them off. If you bought ground sausage, skip this step.
Place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and beef, breaking them into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned (about 10 minutes).
Stir in the onion and carrots. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown.
Add garlic, basil, oregano, and the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, and the tomato paste turns more orange.
Pour in 1 ½ cups water and use your wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the canned tomatoes and bring to a low simmer. Season with salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar if needed.
Slowly simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours, skimming off any excess fat. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Make-ahead: This meat sauce keeps in the fridge for 3 days or freezes for up to 3 months. The recipe makes 9 cups – you’ll need 4 ½ cups for your lasagna. Use the rest for a second lasagna or with spaghetti!
Prepare Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish, or use non-stick cooking spray.
Cook noodles (if needed). If using traditional noodles, boil them according to package directions (about 10 minutes) in a large pot of salted water with a tablespoon of olive oil. Drain well. Skip this step for no-boil noodles.
Combine ricotta, parmesan, and the beaten egg in a bowl.
Set aside 4 to 4 ½ cups of the prepared meat sauce.
Spread about 3/4 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.
Arrange noodles lengthwise, overlapping slightly to cover the sauce. If needed, cut extra noodles to fill any gaps.
Spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with a third of the mozzarella cheese and 1 ¼ cups of meat sauce.
Add another noodle layer and repeat with more ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and sauce.
Top with a final layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce, and sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Bake Lasagna
Cover the lasagna loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover it and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is crusty around the edges. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Shortcut meat sauce with store-bought sauce: Cook the sausage, beef, onions, and carrots as directed in the recipe above. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in two (28-oz) jars of jarred sauce and scrape up any browned bits from the pot. Return the meat to the pan and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the carrots are tender. Skim off any excess fat and adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Sugar in the sauce: If your sauce tastes too acidic, add a pinch or so of sugar to balance it out.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.