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 – do I need to adjust the cooking time if I use boiled noodles? Going to try this for dinner tonight 🙂
Hi Trena, you can keep the timing the same. Enjoy!
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner. I also make it every June for my mother-in law’s birthday, at her request. It’s perfect and one of the few recipes I follow exactly except I use 2# sausage, at hubby’s request. The meat sauce (gravy?) is so good on spaghetti too. Never disappointed with Jenn’s recipes.
This was excellent. I’ve made a lot of different versions of lasagna and liked this recipe a lot. I agree that the sausage adds a lot of flavor. I learned from an Italian mother from Bologna to use carrots and celery in the red sauce but I’ve generally used white wine instead of red and never added cream. The only change to the recipe was that I did not have ricotta so I made a white sauce to replace it to moisten the lasagna sheets. (Delia Smith All in one white sauce is my go-to) and I had to use a blend of part skim shredded mozzarella and some buffalo mozzarella.
Hi Jenn! I was just thinking about how I never comment but I am such a huge fan of yours. At this point your recipes are pretty much the only recipes I make. I just finished assembling the lasagna for Christmas Eve (I’ve made it a few times before and it is absolutely amazing) and I’ll also be making it with your herb and garlic ciabatta bread and your big Italian salad. I already made your ginger snap cookies and for the rest of the holidays I’ll be making your cheddar and sausage bread pudding, sun dried tomato dip and shrimp cocktail 😂You are literally a staple in my house!
I hope you have a relaxing and wonderful holiday with your family and thank you for all that you do. It brings me so much joy making your recipes for my family.
Hi Rachel, Thanks for your note and very kind words about the recipes. I’m so glad you like them and really flattered that you rely on so many of them – I appreciate you taking the time to let me know! Hoping you and your family have wonderful holidays! ❤️
The recipe says to cook within 24 hours of making or freeze. Would it be horrible to let this sit in my fridge for 48-72 hours uncooked? Just want to prepare for Christmas.
Hi Angela, I think you can get away with 48 hours, but I wouldn’t push it to 72.
My grocery store has mild, sweet, and hot Italian sausage. Which one are you using in your picture here? Thanks!
Hi Andrew, I usually use hot or mild, but any of those options will work well.
So delicious! I’ve tried other recipes but this one is it!. The ricotta blend is divine. I didn’t have mozzarella so I used Colby Jack and next time I don’t think I will add the 2nd tsp of sugar. I tasted it too much in the sauce. The family loved it and devoured the whole pan.
Hi Jen, your recipes are always terrific and the instructions insure a great result. I need to make a meatless lasagna. I was thinking of adding into the layers fresh baby spinach, but can you suggest something to bring in some flavor without the meat? Thank you.
Hi Gerri, If you want a meatless lasagna, I’d recommend this one instead as the sausage gives this one a ton of flavor. It’s also really good!
Jenn, Your suggestion was perfect! Everyone enjoyed the lightness of the lasagna. I particularly liked the addition of the creme fraiche in the sauce.
You may have answered this question previously but I couldn’t find a way to search. I love this recipe and made it numerous times. My daughter doesn’t like sausage. Can I substitute ground beef?
Hi Lynn, You can substitute ground beef – just make sure you season it well as the sausage adds a lot of flavor.
Hello Jenn. I would like to make this lasagna but I would have to omit the sausage because my husband is a vegetarian. Do you think it would still be tasty and worth the effort? Thank you.
Hi Ann, The sausage adds a ton of flavor to this, so I wouldn’t recommend omitting it. If you’d like a vegetarian version, I’d suggest this recipe – it’s delicious. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I like the look of this recipe; it’s enough different from the way that I’ve always made it that I will give it a go. The only thing I will do is leave out the celery. I’ve never liked celery so that’s reason enough but I’ve never known any of my Italian relatives to use it in lasagne.
Hi Jenn,
Love your recipes! Just wondering if it would be ok to omit the whipping cream?
Hi Linda, I wouldn’t omit it. You could replace it with half and half or whole milk. And so glad you like the recipes! 🙂
Could you add spinach to the ricotta mixture?
Sure, Tanya – I think that would be a nice addition.
If I were to add fresh spinach to the ricotta mixture, how much?
I’d go with a 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach. Enjoy!
Can I use fresh lasagne sheets in this recipe?
Yep 👍
Made this for a family birthday and it was a huge success! I made it a week ago and did not cook it, put it in the freezer, and followed thawing and baking for frozen. You would never know. I’m making another two today to freeze and then cook for company. Thrilled I found this website!
Hi Jenn, I am making this right now -just tasted the sauce and it is delicious! The recipe says to simmer the sauce for 20 minutes covered and then 10 more, covered. Is it supposed to say uncovered? My sauce seems thin, so I’m simmering a bit more uncovered. Thanks!
Hi Cathy, Covered is correct, but it honestly doesn’t make much difference since it’s only 10 minutes. If your sauce seems thin, it’s perfectly fine to simmer uncovered. Please LMK how it turns out!
This turned out beautifully! I made one for my family and one for my sister (she’s been under the weather). We all agree that this is the best lasagna we’ve ever had 🙂 – truly a special treat. Thank you! (perhaps my issue was making a double batch of sauce at once – I may have overlooked something)
So happy it turned out well!
I plan on freezing the lasagna. How do I proceed when ready to bake?
Defrost on the counter for how long and then bake as usual?
Or differently?
Thank you so much…
Hi Ines, If freezing it prior to baking, when you’re ready to cook it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe. Enjoy!
I divided this into 2 meals – should I be adjusting the cook time?
Hi Erica, Are you dividing it into two 8-inch pans? If so, the baking time should be about the same. Hope you enjoy!
Three of us ate almost an entire pan in one sitting, and we are not generally over-indulgers. This is the only lasagna recipe you’ll ever need. I like to make mine with fresh homemade pasta sheets. I never bother making a salad or soup with this. You won’t regret trying this!
Corinne do you roll out of the pasta sheets and then use them right away as you’re layering it all in the dish? Or do you get them at an Italian market and use them straight from the fridge? Homemade noodles takes dishes like this to an almost ethereal level but I’m never sure at first whether to use it freshly rolled, dried or cooked. Thanks!
Just jumping in as I saw this question. In my experience, one always boils fresh pasta before using it to assemble a lasagna. Hope this helps. You don’t have to boil it to a mush. Leave it somewhat al dente as it will finish cooking in the lasagna. 🙂
Another winner Jenn but I have to tell you a funny story. I had lots of family for the weekend and while I going about assembling the lasagnas (I made two), I was listening to a couple of guests chatting amongst themselves in the background. I got so caught up in their conversation, after the first layer of noodles I forgot to add the next two layers of noodles – just kept layering sauce and cheeses! GAH! I only figured it out as I was finishing up and saw the still full boxes of noodles on the counter – LOL! I ended up just kind of shoving the noodles in approximate layers and crossed my fingers. Even w/that fiasco it was perfect and of course no one noticed a thing! 🙂
Ha — clearly it’s pretty forgiving — glad it came out well despite the mistake!!
This is so yummy! I make it atleast once a year, usually around Christmas time. It’s so decadent and such a treat!
As always, thanks for sharing! ❤️
I just made this tonight; it was quite tasty.
However, my guests and I decided that we like more ricotta mixture in our lasagne (just personal preference on this one; your recipes are always a big hit when I make them exactly as written). 🙂
Any warnings if I try to double the ricotta mixture? I do have a pan deep enough to accommodate this.
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, Glad you liked it, and yes, this should work with double the ricotta. 🙂
Thanks for confirming!
HI, this looks like a fantastic recipe. Never had lasagna with just sausage though. Would it be ok to do half ground beef and half italian sausage.
Sure, Janet, that should be fine. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn-
Great recipe! My family loves it. I have a question the cheese mixture, I always seem to have a lot leftover. Is that typical or am I doing something wrong?
Still tastes good but just wanted to make sure!
Thanks for all the wonderful recipe!
So glad your family enjoys this! You really shouldn’t have leftover cheese. If you do, I’d just sprinkle a little more on each layer. 🙂
As everything I have made from your site has been a huge hit, I am planning to make this for the first time and serve it at a party. I normally use fresh pasta. Do you think it will hold up to the “heft” of this dish. Many thanks for all the great dinners.
Glad you like the recipes! Yes, I think fresh pasta would hold up fine here. 🙂
Can I use light cream instead of heavy cream?
Also, would Parmesan work instead of parmigiana reggiano?
Thank you!
Yes and yes 🙂
Can this be made a day ahead?
Yes, I’d assemble and refrigerate and bake before serving. Enjoy!
This is fantastic. It was perfect with a mild sausage from a local company. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes, so used whole peeled tomatoes instead. I simmered the sauce according to the recipe and blended with my immersion blender before adding the sausage to the sauce and it worked great. I also didn’t have fresh basil, but used Italian parsley; tasted amazing. This recipe is totally worth the time that goes into it. My husband asked me to use this recipe from here forward!
This was amazing. I’ve made countless lasagnas and have always been disappointed. I did change out the ricotta mixture for béchamel sauce though (as I don’t like ricotta), and I made double the sauce (saved some for another use) and let the sauce simmer for over an hour. Seriously the BEST lasagna I’ve ever made. Thanks so much for this recipe.
This was fabulous! After many other recipes tried and tested, I’d pretty much given up on lasagna, immensely preferring the Baked Ziti on this site. But on a rare California rainy day this week, my sweetie declared it a day for lasagna so I gave this a try. Definitely a keeper – I should’ve tried this long ago! Didn’t change a thing, other than subbing hot Italian turkey sausage since we don’t eat red meat.
By far the best lasagna I have ever had, restaurant or homemade. I’ve made this so many times. Thank you!
This was absolutely incredible!!!!! Don’t change anything!
Hi Jenn,
I’m doubling the recipe and making 2 lasagnas for a dinner party tomorrow night. Should I increase the baking time since there will be 2 pans in the oven at once? Both pans can fit together on the same rack.
Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes!
Maura
Hi Maura, The timing shouldn’t be significantly different, but they may take a few extra minutes in the oven. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Our FAVORITE lasagna!!! WOW!!!!!
I admit it – I was forced to make 2 tiny variations in the recipe. Used traditiona lasagna noodles as that is what sat in my pantry. No heavy cream & I subbed in FAGE GREEK YOGURT & held my breath – fantastic!!! Creamy sauce and no one knew. Searched your reader comments to see if anyone did that – and sharing here in case anyone else finds themselves in my predicament. (Does that mean I was eating healthy since I combined it with your Italian Salad?)
Jenn thank you for the flavor you bring to our kitchen table and the excellent instructions.
If I prefer not to use red wine, should I substitute something else or simply omit that step?
Hi Trisha, it’s fine to omit it — enjoy!!
My husband who says he’s never been able to find a good lasagna recipe has now made this four times in the last couple of months and absolutely loves it. Another fantastic recipe. Thank you, Jen!!
I made this last night for the first time – but since we are practically a vegetarian household, I substituted the sausage with Impossible meat and added italian seasoning for that “italian sausage” essence. It turned out wonderfully! We’ll be eating this for the next few days. Thank you!
Thanks for another great recipe Jen. Made this for my mom’s birthday and it came out perfect. I haven’t made lasagna in years because assembly was just a pain with the cooked noodles sliding around, and I didn’t think the oven-ready noodles would be any good. Boy was I wrong. Best lasagna recipe I’ve ever used. Didn’t make any changes and I can’t wait to make it again.
Hi Jen. Thanks for all the great recipes; I’ve not found one we didn’t thoroughly enjoy.
We try to eat reasonably healthy, so I was wondering about using ground turkey and turkey sausage (akin to your wonderful turkey meatballs) for the sauce. Do you think that would work and still have good flavor? Thanks for your thoughts.
Hi Diana, Turkey sausage would work well here, but I’d stay away from the ground turkey as the sausage adds so much flavor. Hope that helps (and please LMK how it turns out if you try it)!
Turned out great using turkey sausage (I followed your advice and used Shady Brooks) as the only meat. Thanks for the counsel; left to my own devices I would have mixed ground turkey and turkey sausage and it would not have been nearly as flavorful. We loved it.
Glad it came out well — thanks for the follow-up!!
Just made this lasagne for the first time. It is by far the best meat lasagne recipe out there. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. Thanks Jen for another fabulous recipe.
My son told me, after lunch today, that this is the best lasagna he has ever had! My husband and I really enjoyed it too. Hope to make this a lot.
Hi! If whole milk ricotta is not available in our country, what is the best substitute?
Hi Melz, Do you have access to reduced-fat ricotta? If so, I’d use that. Hope you enjoy!
Can’t wait to try this for NYE!! Question- did you use the Emile Henry 11×13 or 11×8 for this recipe? It’s hard to gauge on your pictures, but they look more like the 11×8 pan I saw at the store today 🙂 Beautiful dishes! Thanks so much!
Hi Rebecca, I actually use a 13 x 9-inch pan. You can find that referenced in the instructions under “For Assembly.” Hope that clarifies!
Sorry for my typo. Meant 9×13! Great, thanks for clarifying.
This recipe is the best homemade lasagna. From the first bite, I could see everyone’s eyes rolling back on their head. That was a quiet dinner. I froze some, pulled it out 6mos later, still as good as the day made it. I would give this one 10 stars. Tastes better than any Italian restaurant. Salute
Another fantastic recipe. My wife says it’s the best she’s ever had. Just ordered your cookbook. Thanks to you, I rock in the kitchen.
Can this be baked frozen?
I would recommend thawing it before cooking.
Best lasagne ever! I was initially hesitant because lasagne takes so much time. This recipe was more than worth it. I didn’t have the tomatoes on hand I thought I did so I used Midi brand marinara sauce and added a small amount of tomato paste. Our son, who has had great classic Italian food at the home of a friend and her extended family members, called this called “great classic lasagne”. Then I knew it was a hit! So delicious!
I made two pans of this lasagna for Christmas dinner, and it was a huge hit! All the guests loved it and a few even said it was the best they’ve ever had, including my husbands grandma ;). That’s a big compliment! Thank you for yet another great recipe. I have both your books and visit this site regularly and I’ve never been disappointed!
Hi Jen,
Can I use ground beef instead of pork ? will it a alter the flavour?
Hi Cezanne, Ground beef will work here, but make sure it’s well seasoned (sausage adds a lot of flavor). Some spices I would add — a bit of oregano, Italian seasoning, whole or ground fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Hope you enjoy!
Hello Jen! This recipe looks fabulous and making for dinner party. Can I substitute the Quattro Formaggi blend from Trader Joe’s (Parm, Asiago, Fontina, & Mild Provolone) for the Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese in the Ricotta mixture? Thanks- Having made many of your recipes, I am sure this one will be fabulous also 🙂
Hi Liz, So glad you like the recipes! You can substitute the cheese blend for the mozzarella but I would not recommend using it in place of the Parmesan. Hope that helps and that you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jen, made this a few times and its soo good. I would like to use the regular Barilla lasagne noodles instead of no bake noodles and freeze it. Can you tell me if I should cook the noodles and then just proceed with your recipe? Thank you!
So glad you like it! Yes, what you’ve described sounds like the way to go. 🙂
Hi Jenn – love your recipes and the cookbooks!!
What kind of salad would you serve with this? (Dinner party Saturday night). So many of them seem heavy to serve with lasagna. I’d like a simple green salad but am leaning towards your home made Cesar dressing. Thank you!
So glad you like the recipes!
The lasagna would pair nicely with this Big Italian Salad. BTW, I have a feature on the website– for all main dishes, I suggest one or two sides that I think would pair nicely with them. To see what I’ve suggested, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe. Immediately under the recipe, you’ll see the dishes that I’ve suggested. Hope that helps!
Thanks a million!
Quick question please. I have sliced fresh mozzarella in my frig and wondering if fresh would work as sub for regular shred type mozzarella in this recipe? Thoughts? Love this site and have used many of your recipes with great success! Thanks Jen
Hi Dawn, I don’t love fresh mozzarella for dishes like lasagna because it doesn’t melt as well so you don’t get that gooey result, but if you’d really like to use it up, it will work. Also, thanks for the nice words about the recipes; so glad you like them!
I haven’t made lasagna in years and it almost felt like I was cheating on your baked ziti recipe! This was an enjoyable dish to make on a slow Sunday. My family gobbled it up and my 5 year old asked for seconds. My only regret was that I didn’t double it and make one for the freezer. Thanks Jenn!!
Would this recipe work with the gluten free version of this type of noodle? If so, are there any special directions? I’ve never cooked with gluten free noodles and will be entertaining someone with dietary restrictions. Also, I would like to make it in advance and freeze it uncooked until the event. Will this work when working with gluten free noodles?
Thank you!
Hi Trudy, I’ve never made this with gluten-free noodles but a number of people have commented that they have successfully. One reader mentioned that she used Catelli gluten-free no-boil lasagna noodles if you can find those. And I would assume that like regular noodles, you could freeze this unbaked. Please LMK how it turns out!
Barilla GF no bake noodles work great and can be frozen, just like wheat noodles. My only observation is they seem to need even more moisture, so an extra can of good quality tomato sauce is a good idea. I like lasagna con sucre (with a pinch of sugar per 14 oz of sauce). More veggies keep moisture higher too… Crimini mushrooms, zucchini, and/or frozen or fresh spinach. I often use small curd cottage cheese in lieu of ricotta.
All good to know — thanks for your input!