Classic Lasagna
Nothing says love like a big pan of layered cheese, pasta, meat, and sauce. This Classic Lasagna recipe is always a crowd pleaser made with 4 simple layers, and comes together in just minutes with an easy hack. The oven does the rest for you! This classic meat lasagna recipe is a traditional Italian one and sure to become a family favorite in no time!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
Assembly
- 12 lasagna noodles (regular or no cook)
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 3/4 pound freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Sauce
- Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in large dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
- Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Don't bother cooking regular noodles. Just soak them in really hot tap water in the baking dish for 20-30 minutes before using rather than dirty another pot. They won't be fully cooked, but soft and will finish cooking in the oven. (Obviously you can cook them according to package directions if you prefer, though). No-cook noodles don't need to be cooked or soaked at all.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, nutmeg, and remaining parsley in a medium bowl.
- Spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Lay lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. Spread with another 1 1/2 cups of the sauce.
- Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, half of the remaining mozzarella cheese, and another 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Top with another 1 1/2 cups of sauce.
- Top with a third, final layer of lasagna noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Cover with foil then bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1529mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1296IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 4mg
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