This incredibly Easy Lasagna recipe is a classic. It’s layered with a cheesy mixture, savory meaty sauce then baked till bubbly and golden brown. It’s the perfect dish for a weeknight dinner, special holiday meal or make it ahead for feeding a crowd.

 

Authentic Italian pasta dishes are some of the best recipes, especially for beginners. Most classic dishes and sauces are almost fool-proof. When I say this recipe for lasagna is easy, I really mean it. It can be made and in the oven quite quickly.
What side dishes are BEST for lasagna? I serve ours with traditional sides like a House Garden Salad and Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Pasta meals are my go-to recipes when feeding a crowd, especially lasagna because it can be made ahead of time. Make it for your next potluck or when you are entertaining a large group. I also like to make my easy lasagna for Christmas Eve or even for Christmas dinner when I am looking to switch things up a bit from the Traditional Roasted Turkey or Baked Ham.

If you are looking to make lasagna on a busy weeknight, go ahead and use your favorite store bought marinara sauce to make this a super easy recipe. My personal favorite brand is the Raos. Their marinara sauce is expensive but is VERY good. I highly suggest using my Homemade Easy Marina Sauce for the BEST Lasagna. It only takes a a bit more time to put together.

As for the cheeses in our homemade lasagna recipe… we have Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan. Three staple Italian cheeses. Freshly grated cheese is BEST, they contain no thickening agents. If you are pressed for time I would suggest purchasing the Sargento Brand pre-shredded Mozzarella. Do not use the shaker canned Parmesan, go for the thick shredded version that is typically in a plastic dish.

Easy Lasagna Ingredients

What ingredients will you need to make lasagna? The ingredients don’t look all that different to other authentic Italian or pasta dishes. Some nice aromatic vegetables, some meat, tomato sauce- the only big differences are the lasagna pasta noodles and a lot of cheese.. lots. In case you need to make a quick grocery run before starting our Easy Lasagna recipe, here’s what you’ll need to get:

• Lasagna Noodles – Barilla or any store-brand pasta will work fine here. We went with a nicer store-bought pasta brand and used Rummo lasagna noodles this time around, they are a personal favorite when presentation is important to me.
• Meat – We went with a 50/50 blend of ground beef and Italian sausage. There’s plenty of options when it comes to picking meat for lasagna, so pick what tastes best to you. Some folks swear by beef and pork, beef and veal, beef and lamb, or even ground poultry like ground turkey and chicken.
• Onion – White or yellow onion here, please.
• Garlic – Minced garlic from the jar is fine.
• Pasta Sauce – Go with your favorite spaghetti or pasta sauce here. If you’re wanting a bit more of a homemade lasagna recipe, consider making some of our Easy Marinara Sauce– it tastes amazing with this casserole!
• Italian Seasoning – If you don’t have any on hand, check your spice drawer to see if you have the ingredients for our Italian Seasoning recipe.
• Salt and Pepper
• Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese will work way better in this recipe than pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded has this powder coating on it that makes melting it a bit more difficult. Buy these big mozzarella pearls or balls from the store and shred by hand for the best lasagna.
• Parmesan Cheese – Same as the mozzarella: freshly grated parmesan is way better than parmesan from the can.
• Egg
• Ricotta Cheese – Whole milk ricotta from Calabro or anything similar will work best. Ricotta is a bit of a secret lasagna ingredient that all the best lasagna recipes tend to use.
• Parsely – Fresh parsley works best. Try to only use dried parsley in a pinch.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Lasagna easy

We were keen on making this a quick, easy lasagna recipe. You’ve got to boil lasagna noodles and cook meat sauce but everything else is pretty simple to do- just layer ingredients and let the oven do the work. Here’s a quick guide with pictures in case you need any extra help:

• Before starting the lasagna recipe, prepare lasagna noodles using package directions. Set aside and then put a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add ground beef, sausage, diced onion, and minced garlic.

• Break meat up and mix well while cooking until no pink remains. Drain off excess fat before adding pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the meat mix.

• Let simmer for 5 minutes, just to let the flavors get to know each other and meld a bit. Cut the heat and then prepare a cheese grater and cutting board. Shred mozzarella cheese, set aside, and then finely shred parmesan cheese.

• Over in a separate mixing bowl– we used a measuring cup for convenience- crack an egg. Use a whisk to beat egg thoroughly.

• For the cheese mixture, Combine beaten egg with ricotta cheese, some mozzarella, some parmesan, and fresh parsley.

• Grease a 9×13 baking dish with whatever fat you prefer. Now we can get started assembling lasagna. Once greased, add about a cup of your meat sauce to the dish and spread across the bottom.

• Top the layer of meat sauce with a layer of lasagna noodles– it should take about 3 lasagna noodles.

• On top of the layer of lasagna noodles, spread about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture.

• You’ll repeat these steps two more times: 1 cup of meat sauce, 3 lasagna noodles, and then 1/3 of the ricotta mix. You’ll eventually top with your last 3 lasagna noodles and any remaining meat sauce. Cover the top of your assembled lasagna with some aluminum foil shiny side down.

• Transfer to an awaiting 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. At that point, remove from the oven, take off the aluminum foil, and add remaining grated parmesan.

• Additionally, sprinkle on any remaining mozzarella as well before returning to the oven.

• Let lasagna bake for another 15 minutes or so- however long you need to get the cheese melty and bubbling. For added browning, move lasagna to top rack and use broiler to brown lasagna top to preference before serving.

Storage / Freezing

Storage: The question of “How long is lasagna good for in the refrigerator” is a tough one to answer. However long it is, store it correctly- move to an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and foil. The safe answer for how long it should last is 3-5 days, but plenty of people swear that theirs has lasted a whole 7-10 days with no problems. We suggest staying on the side of caution and enjoy your lasagna before the 5 day mark.

Freezing: Frozen lasagna is much easier to keep and lasts much longer. Let lasagna cool completely before covering with plastic wrap and foil tightly and keeping in the freezer. Expect it to last 3-6 months, but quality is best before the 3 month mark.

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