Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe – Rich, Cheesy, And Delicious!

There’s no other comfort food that can compare with a good homemade lasagna! Just the thought of cooking and layering all of the ingredients sends waves of warmth straight into your body. But what if there’s a bad-tasting lasagna? That won’t work because we want it to be filled with rich, hearty flavors. Here’s a recipe that guarantees that the lasagna won’t have that watery taste or that thin sauce anymore. Each layer tastes good, whether it is the meat sauce, ricotta filling, or melted mozzarella on top.

I came up with this lasagna recipe many years ago when I needed a comforting meal to make for my family that would give me some leftovers for tomorrow. Well, I rushed with it the first time, so I couldn’t slice it right, resulting in a complete fall of all of its parts to a delicious pile of cheese. The taste was great,t though, and from then on, I always leave it to rest after taking it out of the oven.

So, if you want to learn to make lasagna the right way, follow the instructions below.

What You’ll Need

For the Meat Sauce

• 3/4 lb Italian sausage (340g), casings removed

Italian sausage adds an incredible amount of flavor without making you use too many ingredients!

• 3/4 lb ground beef (340g)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup / 150g)
• 7 cloves of garlic, finely minced (about 35g)

The original recipe calls for fewer cloves, but I honestly love them more this way.

• 6 oz tomato paste (170g)
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes (794g)
• 15 oz tomato sauce (425g)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (6g)
• 1 tsp dried basil (1g)
• 1.5 tsp salt (9g)
• 3/4 tsp cracked black pepper (2g)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional (1g)
• zest of 1 lemon, optional

For the Pasta

• 12 lasagna noodles (about 340g dried pasta)
• Water for boiling
• Salt for pasta water

For the Cheese Filling

• 15 oz ricotta cheese (425g)
• Whole milk ricotta makes the filling very creamy.
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (4g)
• 1/2 tsp salt (3g)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (1g)
• Optional: extra lemon zest

For Assembly

• 16 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (450g)
• 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (25g)

Brown the Meat

Begin by preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place a large pot with a lid on the stove and place it over medium-high heat.

Combine the meat and begin breaking it up with a wooden spoon. This way, you’ll make small crumbles instead of big chunks,s and the whole lasagna will be equally tasty everywhere.

The meat will start making a constant sound while cooking, and you’ll be able to smell its flavors. In about 6 to 8 minutes, the meat will brown.

The first time I tried this recipe, I added too much meat to my pot, and it didn’t brown. Instead, the meat was steaming. As a result, I got an unpleasantly tasting lasagna. To avoid this mistake, let the meat stay in the pot for a couple of minutes undisturbed.

Pro Tip: Italian sausage is the key element of this recipe. Instead of usual ground beef, it adds a special touch of herbs and spices that makes the whole lasagna taste amazing!

Cook the Onion and Garlic

Add the onion and minced garlic directly to the browned meat.

Keep cooking on the same temperature for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften. The garlic must give you the aroma of sweetness.

By the time this is happening, my kitchen smells unbelievable. The onions blend with the meat, and the garlic mellows, giving a really pleasant taste.

Watch your heat level and don’t let the garlic burn, or it will affect the entire flavor of the sauce negatively.

Build the Tomato Sauce

First of all, add tomato paste and cook for a minute.

It is important not to omit this step since it will make the sauce richer and sweeter.

While the tomato paste cooks, it will turn a darker color.

Once this is done, add the following elements:

• crushed tomatoes
• tomato sauce
• sugar
• Italian seasoning
• dried basil
• salt
• black pepper
• red pepper flakes, optional

Stir the mixture and bring it to a simmer.

You should see that your tomato sauce doesn’t look watery. Small bubbles will rise to the surface.

Pro Tip: Try tasting the sauce after you cook it for a few minutes. It can happen that you may need a bit more sugar or salt due to different levels of tomato acidity.

Let the tomato sauce simmer for about 25 minutes until slightly thickened.

I usually add the zest of a lemon 2 minutes before finishing. Despite it seeming strange, it will add an incredible taste without any lemon notes.

Cook the Lasagna Noodles

In a separate pot, cook a bunch of pasta according to instructions, making sure it turns al dente.

I made the mistake of cooking the pasta for too long once. So, when it was ready to bake, it became extremely soft.

After cooking, strain it and rinse it with cold water for a couple of seconds.

The lasagna noodles must be a bit firm since they will cook further in the oven.

Pro Tip: Usually, I cook 2 additional noodles, as at least one of them will stick and tear.

Make the Ricotta Filling

Mix the following elements in a bowl:

• ricotta cheese,
• egg,
• chopped parsley,
• salt,
• black pepper

You should get a mixture that looks smooth and creamy.

Pro Tip: I strongly suggest using parsley to add some freshness to the rich taste of the meat sauce.

You can experiment with additional herbs if you wish.

Prepare the Lasagna Layers

Preheat your 9×13-inch baking dish.

Apply about 2 cups of meat sauce to the bottom of it. Doing so will prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Next, layer the pasta noodles, ricotta mixture, and meat sauce alternately.

The trick is to add a layer of ricotta to pasta without damaging it. Using a small offset spatula will help you with that.

Finish with the last layer of pasta covered with meat sauce on top.

Now, arrange fresh mozzarella slices on top of the sauce and sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese.

Now, you should see that the layers look like a mountain of lasagna.

Pro Tip: There’s no need to bother about creating beautiful lasagna layers. All layers melt after baking, leaving the dish looking nice.

Bake Until Browned and Bubbly

Begin baking your lasagna in a covered form at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.

Take off the cover and bake for another 15 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Pro Tip: To get some golden brown lasagna, you can broil it for 2-3 minutes. Just make sure not to burn it.

The smell you should experience now will be irresistible. It consists of melted cheese, a rich tomato sauce, and crispy mozzarella.

Rest It for a While

Don’t think it’s unimportant to rest your lasagna.

Leave your dish to cool down for about 15 minutes.

Otherwise, the lasagna won’t come out nicely sliced and will simply flow in a mass of cheese.

Now that it has rested, you’ll get a great lasagna cut into even pieces without any problem.

Mistakes to Avoid

Overcooking the Noodles

This mistake occurs because you keep cooking the pasta in the oven. Boil it to al dente.

Watery Sauce

Use the sauce that was boiled long enough to thicken.

Omitting the Resting Stage

If you try cutting your lasagna right away, it will crumble into a mess. Leave it to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Burnt Garlic

Because it cooks quickly, it’s easy to burn the garlic while cooking. Decrease the heat slightly if you have to.

Not Flavored Cheese Filling

The cheese filling should have additional herbs added to it.

Ways to Change It Up

Use Mushrooms

If you’re interested in trying something else, add sautéed mushrooms to the onions. Cremini mushrooms work really well with this recipe.

Spicy Lasagna

If you’re in the mood for something spicy, don’t forget to include red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage.

Make a White Lasagna

Instead of tomato sauce, add béchamel sauce along with spinach or any other vegetable.

How to Store and Serve

Lasagna has been one of my favorite foods to cook since I can store it easily.

• Fridge: cover and store for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: freeze baked or unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months.
• Reheat it in a covered pan in the oven at 350°F until warmed up, or microwave single portions.

In my opinion, lasagna tastes even better if eaten the next day.

Serve it as is or accompanied by garlic bread, roasted veggies, or any salad of your choice.