Classic Lasagna
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Comforting, familiar flavors but refined—my all-time favorite lasagna layers oven-ready noodles, a rich meat sauce, veggies, and plenty of cheese.
I love this lasagna recipe because it beautifully combines the familiar flavors of the lasagna I grew up on with the refined taste of a restaurant-style dish. It’s also relatively easy to make, thanks to the use of oven-ready or no-boil lasagna noodles, which save time and effort while delivering a taste remarkably similar to fresh homemade pasta—a definite win! The noodles are layered with a flavorful meat sauce made with Italian sausage, vegetables, crushed tomatoes, and cream, as well as creamy ricotta, gooey mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. Baked until bubbly and golden, it’s the perfect cozy dish for a crowd, and it reheats and freezes well, too. This is definitely my go-to lasagna recipe!
Table of Contents
“Best Lasagna recipe – ever! And that includes those prepared in notable Italian restaurants…Conversation at the dinner table was reduced to sighs of delight and the utterance of an occasional OMG or YUM.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lasagna
- Onion, Garlic, Carrots, and Celery: These vegetables are the base of the sauce, contributing to the depth of flavor.
- Italian Sausage: The key flavor component of the sauce, it adds richness and depth of flavor with its spices and fat content.
- Red Wine: Ådds acidity and complexity to the sauce.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Provides body, acidity, and tomato flavor to the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Added to the tomato sauce to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and wine.
- Thyme and Bay Leaves: These herbs contribute aromatic flavors to the sauce.
- Ricotta Cheese: Mixed with egg, cream cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, used as a creamy layer in the lasagna, adding moisture and richness.
- Cream Cheese: Adds extra creaminess and tang to the ricotta mixture, and prevents the ricotta from becoming grainy when baked.
- Egg: Acts as a binder in the ricotta mixture, helping it to set and maintain structure when the lasagna is baked.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: A hard, aged cheese that’s rich in flavor, added to the ricotta mixture and also sprinkled on top of the lasagna.
- Oven-Ready (No Boil) Lasagna Noodles: These noodles do not require pre-boiling, which means you don’t have to worry about them slopping around and sticking together, which is always an issue when using regular lasagna noodles to prepare lasagna. They absorb moisture from the sauce and cheese during baking, cooking to perfect tenderness. I like the Barilla brand.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Adds stretchy, melty texture to the layers of the lasagna.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Make the Sauce
Begin by placing the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a food processor. You need to give them a rough chop first, otherwise, they won’t chop evenly.
Pulse until minced but not puréed, so that they melt into the sauce.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, and add the sausage.
Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the sausage into small pieces, until slightly browned but not cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the partially cooked sausage to a plate. Set aside.
Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the minced vegetables.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
Add the wine and continue cooking, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly absorbed by the vegetables, a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes, cream, salt, pepper, sugar, thyme and bay leaves.
Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
Add the sausage back to the pot.
Continue simmering until the sausage is fully cooked and the flavors all meld together, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Fish out the bay leaves and discard.
2. Make the Ricotta Filling
Combine the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
Process until evenly combined, then add the basil.
Pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
3. Assemble the Lasagna
Spread about 1-1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
Arrange 3 noodles over the sauce, and dollop a third of the ricotta filling over the noodles.
Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles.
Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
Repeat layering of sauce, noodles, ricotta filling and mozzarella 2 more times. Top with the remaining 3 noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake for 40 minutes in a 375°F oven. Carefully uncover and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake, uncovered, until the noodles are tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the edges are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! The lasagna can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead of time before baking. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking from cold.
Yes, lasagna can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze it before baking, ensure it is thoroughly defrosted in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you follow the recipe’s baking instructions. For already baked lasagna, place any leftovers in a freezer-safe container, or cut it into individual servings. Each serving should be tightly wrapped first in plastic wrap and then in foil. To reheat, cover the lasagna with foil and warm it in an oven preheated to 325°F (165°C) until it is heated through.
Italian sausage is the best choice for this recipe because it is loaded with spices and herbs, such as salt, oregano, basil, fennel, garlic, and red pepper flakes. In contrast, ground beef is completely unseasoned, which means it lacks these built-in flavors. If you decide to use ground beef, I recommend amping up the seasoning by adding a mix of herbs and spices mentioned above.
Video Tutorial
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Classic Lasagna
Comforting, familiar flavors but refined—my all-time favorite lasagna layers oven-ready noodles, a rich meat sauce, veggies, and plenty of cheese.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1½ pounds Italian sausage (bulk or removed from casing)
- ¾ cup dry red wine
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For the Ricotta Mixture
- 1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta (about 1¾ cups)
- 3 oz. cream cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh basil
For Assembling
- 12 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
- 16 ounces shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Place the onions, garlic, carrot and celery in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until finely minced but not puréed.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the sausage into small pieces, until slightly browned but not cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the partially cooked sausage to a plate. Set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the minced vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
- Add the wine; continue cooking, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly absorbed by the vegetables, a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, cream, salt, pepper, sugar, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, transfer the sausage to a cutting board and chop into smaller pieces (big chunks don't work well in lasagna).
- Add the sausage back to the pan and continue simmering, covered, until the sausage is fully cooked and the flavors meld together, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Fish out the bay leaves and discard.
For the Ricotta Mixture
- Combine the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until evenly combined. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped.
For Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spread about 1½ cups of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over the sauce (there will be a bit of space between the noodles; they expand as they cook). Dollop a third of the ricotta filling over the noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, ricotta filling and mozzarella 2 more times. Top with the remaining 3 noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake for 40 minutes. Carefully uncover and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake, uncovered, until the noodles are tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the edges are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The lasagna can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead of time before baking. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking from cold.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The lasagna can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you choose to freeze it before baking, ensure it is thoroughly defrosted in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you follow the recipe's baking instructions. For already baked lasagna, place any leftovers in a freezer-safe container, or cut it into individual servings. Each serving should be tightly wrapped first in plastic wrap and then in foil. To reheat, cover the lasagna with foil and warm it in an oven preheated to 325°F until it is heated
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 776
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated fat: 23g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Sugar: 9g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 46g
- Sodium: 1812mg
- Cholesterol: 158mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn! This recipe looks amazing, like all of your recipes:) I am making this tonight. We don’t eat port but I found a turkey italian sausage. Do you think this will work? Is there anything I should change with my cooking method when I substitute chicken and turkey in recipes? I do substitute quite often so I’d like to fine tune my results! Thanks for your cooking inspiration!!
Corey
Hi Corey, Turkey sausage will work well here – no need to make any other changes. In general, turkey and chicken sausage work well in place of pork sausage because they all have a fair amount of fat. When substituting lean ground chicken or turkey for ground pork, however, you have to make changes but it would depend on the recipe. Feel free to email me if you have any specific recipes you’re wondering about. Enjoy!
I made this dish over the thanksgiving weekend. I first discovered this recipe over the summer and have now made it 4-5 times and always to wonderful reviews and comments. Initially, the recipe seems overwhelming and for me it was! I have discovered that the more you make it, the easier it becomes. It is, by far, one of the best recipes I have ever made. Thank you!
I accidentally left out one layer of noodles and ricotta mixture when assembling the lasagna. Any suggestions on how to fix it?
Hi Catherine, I’d suggest just putting that layer on top and then putting some additional cheese on top of that. It’ll still taste great.
Took a little more time making the sauce but it’s the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Wow. Made exactly as published. Wonderful. Will be my go to for Lasagne. Thank you Jenn!
Can I substitute sweet Italian sausage with any other kind of sausage? I have looked everywhere and can’t find them.
Sure, Donna, that’s fine, just make sure it’s raw sausage. You could also use 1/2 ground meat and 1/2 ground pork, but the sauce won’t be nearly as flavorful that way.
AMAZING.
Absolutely delicious! A winner at my house.
Made this last night and it turned out amazing! The best part by far was the Ricotta mixture with the Bolognese sauce coming in a close second. I used red wine vinegar as a substitute for red wine in a pinch and the sauce still turned out great.
Can you refrigerate just the sauce for 48 hours ahead of time in your lasagna recipe
Sure Marlene, that will work. Hope you enjoy!
Wow – this was fantastic. I put down a thin layer of the cheese over homemade semolina lasagna noodles (diabetic) then a layer of thinly sliced meatballs I had to use up, then another thin layer of cheese. I also added about a cup of homemade chicken broth to the sauce to compensate for the raw lasagna and the fact that my son kept stealing spoonfuls of the sauce when it was almost done because it smelled and tasted so great. Also I had no cream so used a couple tablespoons of the cream cheese in my sauce. The recipes for both the cheese mixture and sauce were so superior that even with all my changes, the dish turned out wonderfully and was greatly appreciated by all. Thank you Jenn for not only this recipe but all ypur wonderful recipes.
Hi Jenn! If I prepare this early in the day, is it best to cook it and reheat it for dinner? Or refrigerate and cook it later? Thanks!
Hi Ellyn, I’d refrigerate it and cook it later. Enjoy!
Oh my goodness, this was so good! I made it exactly as the recipe stated and froze it since I was taking it to a weekend away with the the girls. I let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours prior the baking and baked as the instructions stated. It was delicious! Better than any restaurant lasagna I’ve ever had.
Can this be made a day ahead?
Make the sauce, let cool, assemble, cover and refrigerate?
Yes, definitely!
Can I just use regular catelli lasagne? Is there enough liquid in the recipe to cook it?
Julia
Hi Julia, You’d need to took them about 3/4 of the way though before using them in the lasagna. If not, they’d be too hard/crunchy.
I made this tonight. Because of an overly-frustrating day, it took me nearly three hours to go from starting the sauce to getting it in the oven. Along the way, I got interrupted a few times and even messed up the assembly. 😎
Well…it came out spectacularly. Nothing better for de-stressing than a big plate of lasagna, that’s for sure. I loved the sauce, nice and thick. I’m going make another batch and use it for pizza sauce. I won’t have to have any other toppings, because it’ll already be packed full of sausage.
Thanks!
Oh, Jenn, this is one of the best darn meals I’ve ever made – and I am rarely fully satisfied with my own meals (high standards). Like all home-made lasagna meals, it involved a LOT of effort, of course, but it was definitely worth it and I would be happy to make this one for company.
I made a few substitutions based on what I had in my fridge, including 2 percent cottage cheese instead of much more expensive ricotta (and I can’t imagine the ricotta tasting any better) and half-and-half cream in place of heavy cream. I also used almost 1 lb of veggie ground round and 1/2 pound of mild Italian sausage, crumbled, which yielded plenty of sausage flavour. Finally, I used fresh sheets of lasagna, which were pure perfection. At cooking time, I didn’t cover the lasagna at all and it was perfect after 45 minutes at 375 degrees + 10 mins. of resting time. It was, in my experience, much less messy than covering the lasagna with foil (even when properly oiled), so I’m glad it worked out sans foil cover.
I am starting to feel like a broken record with these reviews, but I like to convey my gratitude where it’s due, so thanks for another huge hit of a recipe!!! You rock.
I came upon your website recently while searching for a homemade granola recipe. I tried your recipe and have been making it faithfully every few weeks–even some for my close friends. So I thought I would try another one of your recipes, sausage lasagne . The bolognese sauce is delicious. I added some fresh baby spinach to one of the layers. The only other change I would make is to use regular lasagna noodles since they are a bit thicker than the ready to bake kind. Great recipe! Thank you.
I would love to use your recipe but can you tell me if I use homemade lasagna, do I need to cook it first?
Thank you!
No need to cook them first if they are homemade noodles Elena!
Thank you so much for the tip about adding cream cheese to the ricotta mixture to get rid of the grainy texture. My family thought it made all the difference-they didn’t leave a speck behind and stuffed themselves silly (they said “I’m full but it’s too good to stop eating!) thanks for turning me into a great home cook!
Made this tonight for dinner and followed the recipe exactly. So glad I did because it tasted awesome! My husband said it was like being at a restaurant. Definitely making this again and again.
This was terrific. Never made lasagna before because it’s usually too much trouble, and handling cold cooked noodles is just not my thing. But this is everything the recipe says and more. I will be making this again. 🙂
Delicious! I am so impressed! I question the need for any added salt, given that in the sausage and cheeses. I am thinking just a drop of lemon juice might “brighten” the ricotta mixture instead of adding salt, and eliminating the added salt in the sauce would likely be unnoticeable. Thoughts?
Yes, Roseanne, I think you could get away with those tweaks. Please let me know how it turns out!
Jenn – Do you think this would work if you assembled it all the day before and refrigerated it, then baked it straight from the fridge? If so, how would you adjust the cooking temp/time? I love your recipes, by the way!
Yes, Alison — that will work. You’ll probably need to add 10 minutes or so to the cook time. And glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi,
In my country, there is no such thing as sweet Italian sausage. Here (Hungary), sausages are usually flavored with paprika, caraway and garlic. Bavarian sausages are also available (those do not have paprika). What kind of flavoring does the sausage you use have? Is it a smoked sausage? Can you use ground meat instead?
Otherwise, I love your website and recipes, I’m gonna bake your banana oatmeal cookies tonight! Thanks!
Eszter
Hi Eszter, I wouldn’t recommend smoked sausage (you want it raw). I think that the Hungarian sausage would be fine and would suggest sticking to sausage (versus ground meat). Or, if you’d prefer, you could go with 1/2 ground meat and 1/2 ground pork, but the sauce won’t be nearly as flavorful. Hope you enjoy!
This was delicious–a nice variation on traditional lasagna. My husband is a kidney donor so we carefully watch our salt and fat intake, so while I would stick to the recipe for company, our family version is much lower in fat and salt. I do not add any salt, use no salt added tomatoes and added a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes and oregano to the sausage mixture and finally milk instead of cream. Also, I switched the ricotta to no salt cottage cheese, did not add salt and reduced the Parmesan cheese to 1/2 cup.
Let me begin by saying, this is my favorite food website and that’s saying a lot! This isn’t my first recipe review and certainly won’t be my last! Because Jenn and her recipes are amazing!! I preface this because I have disclosed a very embarrassing moment below, lol! I know there are others out there who have done something equally embarrassing when something is this good! At first glance, I thought…lasagna with no beef and carrots, cream cheese and cream?? Not sure how I feel about that…coming from the traditional, beef/sausage combo with a plain red sauce, ricotta mindset…I followed this recipe exactly, except for one minor change (which I will get to) and I have to say it is absolute perfection!!!! Not only is this the best lasagna I have ever had, the ingredient amounts are just PERFECT! Everything fits exactly into a 9 x 13 pan, with nothing left over! OK, to give others an idea just how good this is….(I can’t believe I’m admitting this!) I actually ate a piece right out of the fridge, cold…with my hand, like as if I was eating an apple (don’t judge me!)
At first glance the recipe looks a bit complicated, but it’s truly very simple and I think a novice could handle it!
The only change I made: I didn’t use olive oil to cook the sausage, I just didn’t think it was needed, as sausage can be pretty greasy. People…..you MUST MAKE THIS! Jenn, fantastic!!
This was wonderful. It was labor intensive…but so worth it. I shared my leftovers with my daughter and her family. She posted on Facebook that this was absolutely the best lasagna she had ever tasted. Thank you!
Is the wine a sweet red or a dry?
Hi Paula, I would use a dry red.
Oh my goodness. This was amazingly delicious. Definitely not the quickest recipe on the site, but worth it! I prepared it last night and baked it tonight for a family dinner. For working people, I recommend splitting up the preparation and baking because it took me a bit longer than indicated. Of course that was partly due to my incessant checking of the recipe to make sure I was following it exactly! My mom is not a huge lasagna lover and she said this was one of her favorite meals and probably the best lasagna she has ever had. So thank you! By the way I have made about 60% of the recipes on this site and, despite loving all of them, this is only the second time I’ve been compelled to leave a comment. Absolutely fantastic.
I made this last weekend and it was wonderful but I do have one question. I scooped the sausage out with a slotted spoon after browning and put it on a paper towel lined plate. In your recipe you say to add the sausage back in with all the juices. Isn’t it mostly just fat that has cooked out? The recipe tasted great without it but doesn’t say to save the liquid until you are adding it back in.
Hi Linda, Glad you enjoyed it! I don’t line the plate with paper towels so the juices (yes, mostly fat) just accumulate on the plate. I like to add it all back in for maximum flavor but it certainly isn’t essential.
I am making that this weekend – looks wonderful! Just 1 question – what kind of red wine did you use? That always confuses in recipes.
I have tried a lot of your recipes and they always come out great! Thank you for all you do!
Hi Esther, You can use any red wine — like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Merlot — that is inexpensive but good enough to drink. I often buy the mini bottles sold in packs of four to use for cooking.
Made this last night. It was outstanding! My wife and I thought it was delicious and my son, who doesn’t eat sausage, thought it was great. We’re about to eat the leftovers tonight. This is the 3rd recipe I tried from your website and I’m pleased to say it’s the 3rd “keeper”. Thank for posting so many wonderful recipes!
OH BOY, was that delicious. Second helpings were had by all. Thank you for recipes that make me the star of my kitchen.
This. Is. Awesome. Hands down the best lasagna I have ever made! My no-bake noodle package wasn’t quite enough so I had to boil up a couple regular ones to finish it off. Other than that, I followed the recipe to the letter!
Made as written except used Catelli gluten-free no-boil lasagna and it was excellent.
I made this tonight, it was amazing!! Thank you for your recipes! This is my favorite web page. I can’t wait to get your cookbook!
Looking forward to trying this, your recipes are always hits! One thing I am curious about–what brand of canned tomatoes do you like? In general, I would love your recommendations for brands of common items like that. You strike the perfect balance between yummy homemade food without overly fussy preparation! Thanks!!
Hi Ali, I usually buy Furmano’s, but I’m honestly not that picky about it — I just make sure there are no added herbs or spices. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I just made this recipe & it came out great! My husband particularly loved the sauce & the fact that it was homemade. We typically use jarred sauce, but this may be our new go-to sauce for pasta in general. Its well worth the extra work involved. Thanks for putting this recipe on your blog!
Hi Jenn,
I have a jar of roasted red peppers in my pantry. Do you think I could add some to this recipe? I’m assuming probably not too many so it doesn’t make the lasagna too watery. Thoughts?
Hi Kelly, Sure, I think that would work as long as you don’t add too many and drain them well. Please let me know how it turns out!
Thanks Jenn! I chickened out and didn’t add the red peppers…*this* time. I didn’t want to risk adding extra moisture given the time commitment. All I could picture was a puddle under the gorgeous lasagna. Next time I make this (and there *will* be a next time as it was the best lasagna I’ve ever made or eaten, anywhere), I’ll cut down on the amount of crushed tomatoes to keep the moisture level consistent.
AMAZING lasagna! My husband and daughter raved…we must have spent the first 15 minutes of our meal extolling its virtues. Thanks so much for all you do!
Is there a vegetarian version of this recipe ?
Hi Sophia, Sorry, I don’t have a vegetarian version, but I will work on it. Stay tuned 🙂
Hello! This recipe looks absolutely delightful, but I have a problem. I am underage, so I can’t purchase alcohol, and my parents do not care much for alcoholic beverages like red wine so I do not have any bottles lying around. The alcohol wilI probably evaporate during cooking, but my parents are still worried. Is there any substitute?
Sam, No worries, it’s fine to just leave it out — it will still be delicious. 🙂
This looks devine. Do you think beef mince would work in place of the italian sausage?
Hi Mim, I’d honestly stick with sausage — it adds a ton of flavor to the sauce.
Hi, have tried many lasagna’s over the years
and always disappointed.
This one sounds good, one question…
can this be prepared early in the day and baked for supper? Also what is the best way to reheat it?
My previous issues are too much water/liquid on the plate when I serve it.
Will this do the same?
Thanks!
Hi Deborah, You can definitely prepare this lasagna in the morning, or even a day ahead, and bake it for supper. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave (in individual portions) or covered with foil in a 325°F oven until hot. And you should not have the issue of water/liquid on the plate with this recipe. Hope you enjoy it, and please let me know how it turns out!
After 42 years of marriage and lots and lots of multiple overnight houseguests, I usually make lasagna ahead and freeze. I then thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator and bake. Will this recipe freeze well?
Yes, Jean — lasagna freezes well. Ideally, you want to assemble it in a freezer/oven-safe container and freeze it unbaked. When you’re ready to cook the lasagne, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe.
This sounds great, and I love the no-boil noodles! Do you think marscapone would work as a sub for the cream cheese if I wanted to keep it all Italian?
Yes, Erin — I think mascarpone would work well. Enjoy, and please let me know how it turns out!
This was delicious!! I made it tonight swapping marscapone for the cream cheese and it worked perfectly! I also made one other change to accomodate my little one which was to reduce the Italian sausage (sigh… five year olds and their palates!!). I used one pound of 85/15 ground beef with three mild Italian sausage links. I then added all the meat back to the sauce immediately to simmer for the full 30 minutes to get as much of a flavor bump as possible. It was delicious and very impressive for only 30 minutes! I usually simmer my family’s bolognese recipe for at least a couple hours. I am definitely going to steal some of the method from this recipe to improve upon that beloved recipe even more. I also successfully split the recipe into two 8x8s – I had to be very judicious with my sauce near the end, but I made it! I gave half to my parents and they loved it too. What a great recipe! Thanks!!
I love all of your dishes that I have made so far, great recipes! The sausage lasagna do you boil the noodle?
Hi Tamara, Thanks! I use no-boil lasagna noodles (made by Barilla), which you should be able to find in the pasta section of your supermarket. They make lasagna much easier!
This will be delicious as every recipe of yours I’ve tried. Thank you Jenn!
I’m always at a loss as to what to take for a homemade dinner for someone when ill, just moved, etc. I assume this would freeze well perhaps and could bake in aluminum disposable pans ? What suggestions would you make for freezing and if could put it into a couple of smaller sizes to pull out say for just 2 people?
I’m making a grocery list to prepare this for my church Singles group this weekend! I trust your recipes much, it’s comforting to know I can prepare one for a group without a test run!
Hi Debra, Ideally, you should freeze lasagna unbaked — simply assemble the lasagne in a freezer-safe/oven-safe container, cover tightly, and freeze. When you’re ready to cook the lasagne, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe. That’s a great idea to freeze it in smaller portions — just assemble it in smaller pans and keep an eye on it in the oven as you may need to reduce the cooking time just a bit.
Hi Jennifer….
This recipe sounds great, and am looking forward to trying it. I find the addition of cream cheese an interesting ingredient to Lasagna, as I have never used it in Lasagna before. As I love cream cheese, I am just wondering if it wouldn’t make the lasagna too rich(?)
or..maybe on the other hand that wouldn’t be such a bad thing! 🙂
Hi Ann, I promise it doesn’t make it too rich. It really just adds a very slight (and pleasant) tang, and ensures that the ricotta bakes up creamy instead of grainy.
Hi Jennifer,
made this on the weekend. Delicious! Cream cheese and all! Great Lasagna recipe. Will stick with this one. Thanks again!
So glad, Ann! Thx for letting me know. 🙂
This is really good my whole family loves it!!! Since it is time consuming can I make it the day before (not bake) and leave it in the fridge. Then next day I just throw it in the oven?
Sure, Diane, that would be fine. You can also bake it ahead of time, refrigerate it, and reheat it the next day prior to serving. Hope that helps!
I’m not a big fan of ricotta cheese. Could I use fresh mozzarella instead?
Hi Brian, You could but that would be a lot of mozzarella in one lasagna. You might try it with the ricotta/cream cheese blend suggested; it sort of melts into the mozzarella and doesn’t have a strong flavor. Plus the texture of the ricotta is much improved by adding cream cheese.
Wouldn’t béchamel work in place of the ricotta? And, the cream cheese would make it even richer.
Hi Beverly, You could definitely use a béchamel in place of the ricotta, but in that case I would probably omit the ricotta/cream cheese mixture and mozzarella and just make a straight Lasagna Bolognese. This is more a typical American-Italian lasagna.