I come from an Italian background, so I grew up eating Italian food. I love it. I think it is delicious, hearty, and comforting. Of all the Italian dishes out there, my favorite is lasagna.
World’s Best Lasagna Recipe
You can make it in many different ways, but lasagna with meat sauce and Italian sausage is for me, the best! Italian sausage gives it a unique and spicy flavor that is balanced perfectly with the use of a creamy layer of ricotta cheese.
This lasagna recipe with beef is so good because the meat and sausage sauce is simmered for more than an hour, which makes it amazing.
You might even want to make a little extra, freeze it, and have it later with some spaghetti and Chianti!
How To Make World’s Best Lasagna?
- Using a dutch oven over medium heat, cook ground beef, Italian sausage, minced onion, and garlic, until browned
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and sugar.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and two tbsp chopped parsley. Turn heat to low and simmer the sauce for 1 ½ hour, stirring occasionally.
- In a small mixing bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, remaining two tbsp chopped parsley, and ½ tsp salt
- preheat oven to 375F
- Assemble lasagna: Using a 9 x 13-inch baking dish,
First layer: 1 ½ cups meat sauce
Second layer: arrange precooked noodles over meat sauce to cover
Third layer: spread ½ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles
Fourth layer: top the ricotta mixture with a third of the mozzarella cheese slices
Fifth layer: Spoon 1 ½ cup meat sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
Cover with aluminum foil (spray foil with oil spray to prevent it from sticking to the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes before serving.
How to reheat lasagna without drying it out?
Avoid reheating lasagna in the microwave oven without covering it. This will dry it out. For best results, place leftover lasagna in an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil and place it in a 350F hot oven until the sauce is bubbly again, anywhere from 15 to 30 mins depending on the amount of lasagna.
How to layer a lasagna?
There’s no bad way of layering a lasagna really. It depends on your taste. For better results, always start with a layer of meat sauce. Then, a layer of pasta. You can then add a layer of your creamy component and cheese.
Depending on how much pasta you like on your lasagna, you can divide your creamy and sauce layers with a layer of pasta. I prefer to have less pasta in mine, so I add a layer of cheese between ricotta and meat sauce.
So, here’s how I made it: meat sauce, pasta, ricotta, mozzarella cheese, meat sauce, Parmesan cheese, and start over again with the pasta layer. Ending with a layer of meat, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
Can I Assemble Lasagna and Cook it Later:
Yes, you can, but only keep assembled lasagna, covered in plastic wrap, for one day in the fridge before baking it. Be sure to let the meat sauce cool completely before assembling the lasagna if you are not going to bake it immediately.
Using hot sauce on a dish that won’t be baked right away may promote the growth of bacteria.
Recipe Tips:
- You can use lasagna noodles that are not pre-cooked, but I find the extra step unnecessary.
- Make a little more meat sauce and freeze it. It makes for a great ready-made spaghetti sauce.
- I find it is easier to use the back of a spoon to spread the ricotta and meat sauce layers, rather than a spatula.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese is the creamiest for this recipe. If you can’t find it, you can use shredded mozzarella instead.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY
- 3 INGREDIENT RAVIOLI BAKE
- FRENCH TOAST BAKE
- EASY BAKED ZITI RECIPE
Best Homemade Lasagna
This lasagna recipe with beef is so good because the meat and sausage sauce is simmered for more than an hour, which makes it amazing.
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Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- ¾ lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
- 2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1 ½ tsp dried basil leaves
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 12 pre-cooked lasagna noodles
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¾ lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Using a dutch oven over medium heat, cook ground beef, Italian sausage, minced onion, and garlic, until browned
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, and sugar.
Add salt and pepper to taste and two tbsp chopped parsley. Turn heat to low and simmer the sauce for 1 ½ hour, stirring occasionally.
In a small mixing bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, remaining two tbsp chopped parsley, and ½ tsp salt
preheat oven to 375F
Assemble lasagna: Using a 9 x 13-inch baking dish,
- First layer: 1 ½ cups meat sauce
- Second layer: arrange precooked noodles over meat sauce to cover
- Third layer: spread ½ of ricotta mixture over noodles
- Fourth layer: top ricotta mixture with a third of mozzarella cheese slices
- Fifth layer: Spoon 1 ½ cup meat sauce over mozzarella and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Repeat layers and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
Cover with aluminum foil (spray foil with oil spray to prevent it from sticking to the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Let lasagna cool for 10 minutes before serving.
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FAQs
Thanks to its defined small curds, cottage cheese stays moist instead of turning chalky as ricotta is prone to do after an extended cooking time. To round out the cheese layer, I mix in super-melter Fontina cheese (spring for an aged Fontina for even richer flavor) and nutty, savory Parmesan cheese.
What is the correct order to layer lasagna? ›
Begin Layering
After the initial sauce layer, add a layer of pasta sheets, ricotta mixture (or bechamel), sauce, and cheese. Then repeat the layers. Top the last layer of your lasagna with sauce and cheese. You can also alternate layers of sauce and ricotta cheese.
How to layer the best lasagne? ›
Quick Overview:
- The first thing that goes on the buttered tray is a layer of red sauce. This is so that nothing sticks to the bottom.
- After that, add a smaller layer of white sauce.
- Then finally a layer of pasta.
- Repeat the process: red sauce, white sauce, pasta.
Too much between one layer and another will keep you from ever getting a perfect slice. Too little and all you'll taste is pasta. Do not put large pieces of vegetables or meat in lasagna for the same reason as above. To get a perfect lasagna, the filling should be finely sliced or even creamy.
Is lasagna better with cottage cheese or ricotta? ›
The key to creating the absolute best lasagna is to use a combination of ricotta and cottage cheese. Ricotta brings the rich creaminess while cottage cheese lightens things up and seasons the whole dish. For even more cheese, we recommend also using shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano).
What can you add to cottage cheese to make it taste better? ›
SAVORY
- Veggies. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and avocado: pretty much whatever suits your fancy. And a drizzle of olive oil.
- Seeds and nuts. Stir in your favorites together or separately.
- Grains. Quinoa, anyone?
- Salsa. You decide: mild, medium or hot! Or try hot sauce.
- Eggs. Plus salt and pepper.
- Crumbled bacon. Yum!
Let me break it to you: If you want to make a lasagna, three layers just won't cut it! For the perfect lasagna, you need at least 4-5 layers to really enjoy all those mouth-watering flavors. And, here's a pro-tip: make sure to season each layer generously, but not too much. The average lasagna has 8 layers!
What is the best bottom layer for lasagna? ›
Start by spreading a layer of your tomato-based sauce (either a plain tomato sauce or your pre-made ragù) on the bottom of your dish. Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets. Then, add a layer of white sauce, followed by another single layer of pasta sheets.
How many layers does authentic lasagna have? ›
Generally, lasagna has about 3 or 4 layers of pasta, with sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, béchamel, and sometimes meat or even meatballs or sausage between those layers. Our many layer lasagna has around 12 layers of pasta, or even more depending on how thin you end up rolling the dough.
Is it better to cover lasagna while baking? ›
If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly.
(Do notice that I put the noodles criss cross – perpendicular from the layer below – it helps it to hold together when you serve it). So, the noodles directly on the cheese means there won't be enough for a top layer of noodles.
Do you cook lasagna covered or uncovered? ›
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until cheese is golden brown, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
What makes lasagna taste better? ›
Five Secrets of Building the Ultimate Lasagna
- Secret #1: No-Boil Noodles Actually Taste Better. ...
- Secret #2: For a Rich Sauce, Use Pork Sausage Instead of Ground Beef. ...
- Secret #3: Fresh Mozzarella Actually Makes a Difference.
Acidic ingredients like tomatoes and citrus can react with aluminum (the most common metal used in bakeware), creating a metallic taste in your food. This is why lasagna and other casseroles with acidic ingredients are often baked in glass.
Does lasagna cook better in glass or metal? ›
Glass pans are the way to go
For a lasagna that looks amazing and tastes great, it's important to skip the metal pan and go straight for the glass bakeware. Glass baking pans obviously don't contain aluminum, so you can layer your sauce, noodles, and cheese without worrying about losing flavor to a chemical reaction.
Why do people use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in lasagna? ›
I recommend cottage cheese because, in lasagna, the flavor and texture is superior to the more traditional ricotta.
What is the point of cottage cheese? ›
Cottage cheese is high in protein and is an excellent source of calcium. Choosing a low-fat cottage cheese can reduce saturated fat intake when substituting it for other higher fat foods, such as cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise or ricotta cheese. It's also full of vitamins and minerals that support a healthy diet.
Why do people use cottage cheese instead of ricotta? ›
Ricotta Substitutes
If you don't have ricotta on hand, here are six totally solid substitutes. Cottage cheese: As far as ricotta substitutes go, light and mild cottage cheese is your best bet. In fact, some people prefer to use cottage cheese because it has a similar flavor and fewer calories.
What is a substitute for cottage cheese in lasagna? ›
You can use a variety of cheeses as a substitute for cottage cheese, such as ricotta, cream cheese, or mascarpone. Can I make this recipe ahead of time? Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time and bake it later. Assemble the lasagna up to the point of baking, then cover it and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
