Worlds Best Lasagna (Printable Version)

Comforting Italian classic with tender pasta, rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and bubbling golden cheese.

# List of Ingredients:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
02 - 15 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Meat Sauce

06 - 1 lb ground beef, lean
07 - 1 lb Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, casing removed
08 - 4 cups marinara sauce
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to skillet. Cook while breaking up meat until fully browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
05 - Combine ricotta cheese and egg in mixing bowl. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
06 - Spread thin layer of meat sauce on bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish.
07 - Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in single layer over sauce, slightly overlapping to cover bottom.
08 - Spread half of ricotta mixture evenly over noodles. Top with one-third of mozzarella cheese, then additional meat sauce.
09 - Layer remaining noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and meat sauce in same sequence.
10 - Finish with final layer of noodles, remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
13 - Remove from oven and allow lasagna to rest for minimum 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The layers stay tender and saucy without turning into a soupy mess once you know the resting trick.
  • You can assemble it hours ahead and just slide it in the oven when guests arrive.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when all the flavors have melded together.
  • It feeds a crowd without breaking the bank or requiring fancy ingredients.
02 -
  • If you skip the resting time, your lasagna will be a delicious hot mess on the plate instead of neat slices.
  • Draining the fat after browning the meat keeps the sauce from getting greasy and pooling in the pan.
  • Using uncooked noodles means you need enough sauce to hydrate them, so don't be stingy with the marinara.
03 -
  • Spread the ricotta mixture all the way to the edges so every bite has that creamy layer.
  • If you want deeper flavor, brown the meat in batches instead of crowding the pan so it caramelizes instead of steaming.
  • A little fresh parsley on top right before serving makes it look like you tried harder than you did.
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