Worlds Best Lasagna (Printable version)

Italian comfort classic with layers of pasta, seasoned meat sauce, and three cheeses bubbling to golden perfection.

# What You Need:

→ 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 Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook while breaking up the meat until fully browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix until smooth consistency is achieved.
06 - Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
07 - Place 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping.
08 - Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third of the mozzarella cheese, then more meat sauce.
09 - Layer noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, mozzarella, and meat sauce in the same sequence.
10 - Top with the last layer of noodles, remaining meat sauce, then cover with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
13 - Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The uncooked noodles soak up all the sauce flavor as they bake, so every bite is deeply seasoned and tender.
  • You can assemble it hours ahead and just slide it into the oven when guests arrive, making you look effortlessly put together.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the layers have had time to settle and meld together.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting time, I learned this the hard way when I tried to serve it right away and the whole thing slid apart on the plates.
  • Make sure your meat sauce is slightly thinner than you think it should be, because the noodles will absorb a lot of liquid as they cook.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to cut clean slices, wiping it between cuts to keep the layers neat.
  • If the top starts browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil until the inside is fully cooked.
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