Classic Lasagna
Homemade lasagna is layers of tender lasagna noodles, homemade meat sauce with ground beef and Italian seasoning, creamy whole milk ricotta cheese, provolone slices, and shredded mozzarella baked until bubbly and golden. It’s the ultimate comfort food – just like Mom used to make. Perfect for family dinners, meal prep, feeding a crowd, or when you want classic Italian comfort. Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, serves 12 people using simple ingredients.
This homemade lasagna is layers of noodles, meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and tons of cheese. Just like mom used to make!
Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods. Layers of pasta, meaty tomato sauce, and melted cheese. I love it so much I even eat the leftovers for breakfast!
Putting it together may seem like a long process but it’s really easy. You can prep the different layers separately and then assemble when you’re ready to bake.
This homemade lasagna is worth the little effort for the big payoff of cheesy, saucy pasta layers you pull hot from the oven, bubbly and crispy along the edges. It’s made just like my mom used to make at the family restaurant. The thick layers of rich meat sauce and creamy ricotta cheese will fill your belly and your heart!
Serve alongside an Italian chopped salad and my mom’s easy garlic knots for the perfect Italian dinner.
More Lasagna Recipes
- Skillet Lasagna – Quick one-pan version
- Spicy Lasagna Soup – Soup form
- Lasagna Casserole – Easier to assemble
- Crock Pot Lasagna Dip – Party appetizer
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Ingredient Notes
Lasagna Noodles – Use regular lasagna noodles, NOT oven-ready ones. Cook them al dente, cool, and drain.
Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef (93/7%). Ground turkey or ground Italian sausage are great substitutes.
Tomato Sauce – Use your favorite tomato sauce. Mine is a spicy arrabbiata sauce.
Tomato Paste – Adds depth and thickness to the meat sauce. Don’t skip this!
Italian Seasoning – I use homemade Italian seasoning. Substitute oregano, basil, and rosemary. Add a bay leaf while cooking!
Ricotta Cheese – Whole milk ricotta is best because it makes it super creamy. Cottage cheese is a great substitute. Just get the small curd one for better texture.
Mozzarella Cheese – Be sure to get the block and grate it yourself so it melts better.
Provolone Cheese – Non-smoked provolone slices add flavor and help hold the layers together.
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How To Make Homemade Lasagna
- Bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions to al dente. DO NOT overcook! Drain, rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, minced garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Cook until onions are soft. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain if desired. Return pan to heat and add tomato paste. Stir to combine and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ½ cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a deep 9×13 baking dish. Place lasagna noodles slightly overlapping over sauce (I use 5 noodles across).
- Remove bay leaf from meat mixture. Spread all the meat evenly over noodles. Top with provolone cheese slices, covering as much meat as possible.
- Add another layer of noodles. Add ½ cup sauce and spread around.
- Scoop all ricotta cheese onto noodles and spread evenly with spatula (or use your hands!). Top ricotta with half the shredded mozzarella.
- Add final layer of noodles. Top with remaining tomato sauce, spreading to cover noodles evenly. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes until sides are bubbly and cheese is melted. If cheese browns too quickly, cover with aluminum foil until finished cooking. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. This lets the layers set!
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Freezing
Refrigerator: Store wrapped tightly for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat entire dish in 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Reheat slices in microwave (add extra sauce if needed).
Make-Ahead: Assemble up to 2 days ahead. Wrap with plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil tightly. Store in refrigerator until ready to bake. You can also freeze at this point!
Freezer: Assemble and freeze unbaked, OR bake, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before baking or reheating.
How to Layer Lasagna Properly
Cover Each Layer: Use enough noodles, overlapping if necessary, to cover the whole layer. You don’t want a bite without noodles!
Sauce on Bottom: Place sauce under first layer of noodles so bottom doesn’t stick to baking dish.
Start and Finish with Noodles: Layers should begin and end with noodles to hold everything in.
Sauce on Top: Top layer of noodles needs sauce to keep them from drying out.
Cheese Timing: Add the top cheese at beginning OR wait until halfway through baking so it doesn’t get too browned.
This layering is similar to the way to make this baked eggplant parmesan that is also a family favorite in my house. Especially when we need more veggies!
Variations
Ground Turkey: Use instead of ground beef for leaner version.
Cottage Cheese: Substitute for ricotta if that’s what you have. If you have large curd, I recommend mashing it or blending in the food processor a few times to smooth it out.
Fresh Herbs: Use double the amount of fresh herbs instead of dried.
Add Egg to Ricotta: Beat an egg into ricotta to make it thicker. Especially good if using low-fat ricotta or cottage cheese.
Vegetables: Add sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or zucchini to the meat sauce.
White Sauce: Classic lasagna uses béchamel (white sauce) instead of ricotta. Try it for authentic Italian version!
Sausage: Use half ground beef, half Italian sausage for more flavor.
More Italian Comfort Food:
- Southern Baked Spaghetti – Make-ahead pasta
- Italian Pistachio Cookies – Flaky, nutty cookies
- Tiramisu Cups – Classic, creamy dessert
- Creamy Cannoli Dip – Italian dessert
Frequently Asked Questions
(1) Noodles cooked too long and absorbed too much water. (2) Noodles not drained enough. (3) Too much sauce in the layers. Use thick meat sauce and minimal additional sauce.
Sauce on bottom, then noodles, meat, cheese. Repeat. End with noodles, sauce, cheese on top.
Yes! Freeze unbaked OR bake first, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before cooking/reheating.
Not necessary, but it makes the ricotta thicker if you like that. It’s especially helpful with low-fat ricotta or cottage cheese because they have more water in them.
This recipe is designed for regular noodles that you boil first. Oven-ready noodles need different liquid ratios and are usually thinner. They don’t really hold up well to the heavy layers.
Resting 10-15 minutes lets layers set so they don’t run out when you slice. It will still be hot!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook noodles to al dente only. Don’t overcook or they get mushy.
- Drain and rinse noodles with cold water to stop cooking.
- Use lean ground beef (93/7%) to avoid greasy lasagna.
- Add bay leaf while cooking meat sauce for depth of flavor. Remove before assembling!
- Overlap noodles to cover each layer completely.
- Spread ricotta with your hands or spatula for even coverage.
- Cover with foil if top browns too quickly.
- Let rest 10-15 minutes after baking so layers set. Trust me, it will still be hot!
- Prep meat sauce and noodles up to 2 days ahead for easier assembly.
- Fresh herbs work great – just use double the amount of dried.
- Baking time varies 30-45 minutes depending on dish size and oven.
- Don’t reheat and let sit – only let unbaked lasagna rest.
This homemade classic lasagna recipe is the ultimate comfort food! Make it for your family and watch it disappear.
Homemade Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 16 ounces lasagna noodles
- 2 teaspoons Olive Oil
- 1 medium Yellow Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1.5 pounds lean Ground Beef
- 4 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 cups Tomato Sauce
- 8-10 slices Provolone Cheese non-smoked
- 4 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 32 ounces Ricotta Cheese
Instructions
- Boil the lasagna noodles
- Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Cook noodles according to package directions, to al dente. Do not over cook.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Prepare the meat sauce
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat olive oil.
- Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the onions are soft.
- Add the ground beef. Cook until no longer pink. Drain if desired.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the tomato paste. Stir to combine and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
- Assemble the lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a deep 9×13 baking dish add 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Spread to cover the bottom of the dish.
- Place a layer of lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping, over the sauce. I use 5 noodles across.
- Remove the bay leaf from the meat mixture and gently spread all the meat over the noodles.
- Top with the provolone slices, spreading out to cover as much of the meat as possible.
- Top with another layer of noodles. Add 1/2 cup sauce and gently spread around.
- Remove the ricotta cheese from the container and place on the noodles. I like to scoop or spoon it around the layer and then spread using a spatula or spoon (or my hands) to cover the layer evenly.
- Top the ricotta cheese with half the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Add a final layer of lasagna noodles. Top with remaining tomato sauce, spreading to cover the noodles evenly.
- Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes or until the sides are bubbly and the cheese is melted. If the cheese starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the lasagna with aluminum foil until it is finished cooking.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Cook noodles to al dente only. Don’t overcook or they get mushy.
- Drain and rinse noodles with cold water to stop cooking.
- Use lean ground beef (93/7%) to avoid greasy lasagna.
- Add bay leaf while cooking meat sauce for depth of flavor. Remove before assembling!
- Overlap noodles to cover each layer completely.
- Spread ricotta with your hands or spatula for even coverage.
- Cover with foil if top browns too quickly.
- Let rest 10-15 minutes after baking so layers set. Trust me, it will still be hot!
- Prep meat sauce and noodles up to 2 days ahead for easier assembly.
- Fresh herbs work great – just use double the amount of dried.
- Baking time varies 30-45 minutes depending on dish size and oven.
- Don’t reheat and let sit – only let unbaked lasagna rest.
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