Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe

This Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe is delicious and cheesy. Layers of homemade sauce, with ricotta, mozzarella cheese and noodles baked until perfection.

I love a classic homemade lasagna recipe and this is hands down the best lasagna my lips have ever had the pleasure to come across.

The sauce is made with San Marzano plum tomatoes, Italian sausage and just the right amount of herbs. I usually make it once a year when Pat’s on one of his hunting trips because he’s not the biggest fan of ricotta (I know right?). So when he’s gone hunting is when I get to cook all the things us girls like. And every time I make this recipe I think to myself: “I need to make this more often!”

It’s that good.

The girls and I even had the leftovers the next night for dinner and they’re always good if not better then the night before. I swear something magical happens to Italian dishes in the fridge overnight.

To Make This Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe You will Need:

• olive oil
• yellow onion
• garlic
• ground sirloin
• bulk (hot) Italian sausage
• kosher salt
• basil (dried)
• oregano (dried)
• parsley flakes (dried)
• whole San Marzano tomatoes
• tomato paste
• water
• whole milk ricotta
• eggs
• freshly ground black pepper
• parsley
• parmesan cheese
• mozzarella cheese
• flat “no boil” lasagna noodles

MAKE THE SAUCE:

Start by chopping up 1 large yellow onion. Heat a large Dutch oven on medium to medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion.

While sautéing the onions, smash, peel and mince up the 2 cloves of garlic and add that in with the softening onions.

Once the onions are softened, add 1 pound of both ground (hot) Italian sausage and ground sirloin. Use a wooden spatula to break up the meat, stirring and cooking it over medium heat until no longer pink.

Continue to cook the meat thoroughly until there is no trace of pink left; do not drain off the fat!

Measure and add in 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of each dried basil, parsley flakes and oregano.

To the cooked meat mixture, add 12 ounces tomato paste.

Next you’ll need 1 large (28 ounce) can of whole San Marzano tomatoes. These are like the Cadillac of tomatoes and they make for an excellent, less acidic sauce.

Ps. It doesn’t matter if the can that say ‘with basil’, it really doesn’t matter as long as they’re whole San Marzanos.

Now let’s make a hand-crushed sauce! Simply pluck out a tomato, hold it in your hand like so.

Squeeze the life out of it. Do this over the pot because they contain some juice and so the pot can catch the juices that squirt out. Add the crushed tomatoes and (of course any juices) into the pot.

And so now you can tell everyone that you make a hand-crushed tomato sauce.

Next, pour any remaining sauce out of the can and then add 1/4 cup of water back into the can, swirl to loosen any sauce that’s still clinging to the sides and pour that in to the pot as well.

Stir until the ingredients are all combined. Smells heavenly.

Reduce the heat to low, put a lid on it and let it simmer for 45 minutes, I stirred it only occasionally.

While that’s simmering away on the stove-top grate 16 ounces of mozzarella cheese. Reserve 1/2 cup for the ricotta and pop the rest into the fridge.

Make the ricotta:

Start with 3 cups of whole milk ricotta. I like to use whole milk ricotta because it’s rich and more authentic. But if you want to use… the other kind (aka cottage cheese) then go on right ahead. I won’t judge.

To that crack and add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Toss in 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley. I’m using fresh in the filling so the green specks stand out against all the red and white.

Lastly add in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan and the reserved 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

Use a spatula to stir until everything is thoroughly incorporated.

Depending on how much time you have left on the sauce, you might want to put it in the fridge too.

BUILD THE LASAGNA:

Once the sauce has finished simmering, I like to set up a lasagna making station. Keeps me organized and I like need that.

First let’s talk about no-boil noodles.

These noodle sheets are my go-to for pretty much all my lasagna recipes! Who wants to boil noodles only to have them tear and who wants to dirty one more pot? Not this girl. I’m a huge fan because these noodles don’t need to be boiled! Just simply layer in your lasagna as is. These sheets not only fit perfectly but they also shave off a lot of time in lasagna making so I highly recommend using them.

Let’s build this classic homemade lasagna, shall we?

Preheat your oven to 375° and lightly spray your lasagna pan with nonstick spray.

First layer:

• a scant cup of sauce
• 4 noodles
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture
• 1-1/2 cups of sauce.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella over top.

Second Layer:

• 4 noodles
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture
• 1 cup of sauce
• sprinkle a 1/2 cup of mozzarella.

Third Layer:

• 4 noodles
• last 1/3 of the ricotta mixture

Spread 1 cup of sauce over top.

FINAL LAYER:

• 4 noodles layer
• remaining sauce
• last of the mozzarella

Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes rotating the pan half way through.

Multiple layers of deliciousness are going on in this classic homemade lasagna!

Yes I did eat this whole giant piece and the salad. Hey I’m a hunters widow and it’s how I cope.

Enjoy! And if you give this classic homemade lasagna recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 12 servings

Classic Homemade Lasagna

Delicious. Cheesy. Classic. Layers of homemade sauce, with ricotta, mozzarella cheese and noodles baked until perfection.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 cups whole milk ricotta
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 4 cups grated Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 16 no boil lasagna noodles, or "oven ready" lasagna sheets

Equipment

• All-Clad 00830 Stainless-Steel Lasagna Pan with 2 Oven Mitts/Cookware, Silver

Instructions 

MAKE THE SAUCE:

• In a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat; sauté chopped onion in olive oil until they start to soften. Add in minced garlic, ground beef and the ground Italian sausage.
• Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat, stir occasionally until the meat is fully cooked and is browned.
• Measure and add in kosher salt, basil, parsley flakes and oregano.
• Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine.
• Crush each San Marzano tomato by hand into small pieces over the pot (to catch any juices) and add it to the pan. Add any remaining sauce from the can. I like to add a quarter cup of water to the can, swirl to remove any excess sauce and pour that in as well. Stir to combine.
• Reduce the heat to low, replace the lid on your Dutch oven and let the sauce simmer for 45 minutes.

MAKE THE RICOTTA MIXTURE

• In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, parsley, black pepper and a half cup of both Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
• Stir and keep in the fridge until ready to assemble the lasagna.

Assemble the Lasagna:

• Preheat your oven to 375° and lightly spray a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray or olive oil.
• Spread scant cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking pan.
• Layer 1: Start with laying down 4 noodles and top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (spread it out). Spread out 1 to 1-1/2 cups of sauce, sprinkle with a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mozzarella. Just eyeball it!
• Layer 2: lay down 4 more noodles and top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (spread), pour 1 cup of sauce (spread) and sprinkle a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mozzarella.
• Layer 3: lay 4 noodles down, top with the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1 cup of sauce (no cheese).
• Layer 4: 4 remaining noodles, the remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cup or so of Mozzarella.
• Bake the lasagna for 30-40 minutes (rotating the pan halfway through) or until cheese is thoroughly melted and golden.
• After baking let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serving: 1g, Calories: 577kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 157mg, Sodium: 1081mg, Potassium: 704mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1104IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 410mg, Iron: 3mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Mains & Entrees

Cuisine: Italian