Worlds Best Lasagna (Printer-friendly)

Comforting Italian classic with tender pasta layers, rich meat sauce, and creamy melted cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 sheets 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, 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 Steps:

01 - Preheat 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 skillet. Cook while breaking up meat until completely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix until smooth and homogeneous.
06 - Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
07 - Arrange 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles in slightly overlapping arrangement over sauce.
08 - Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with one-third of mozzarella cheese, then add one-third of remaining meat sauce.
09 - Layer 4 more noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, one-third mozzarella cheese, and one-third meat sauce.
10 - Finish with final 4 noodles, remaining meat sauce, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
13 - Allow lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Every bite delivers tender noodles, rich sauce, and melted cheese in one perfect forkful.
  • It feeds eight people generously and tastes even better the next day.
  • You can assemble it hours ahead and bake it right before guests arrive.
  • Leftovers freeze beautifully, giving you homemade comfort food on demand.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time or your first slice will slide apart into a puddle of cheese and sauce.
  • Using uncooked noodles works perfectly as long as your sauce has enough moisture to hydrate them.
  • Drain the meat well after browning or the lasagna will be greasy instead of rich.
  • Cover tightly with foil for the first bake or the edges will dry out before the center cooks through.
03 -
  • Let the meat sauce cool slightly before assembling so it doesn't melt the cheese prematurely.
  • Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice clean, picture-perfect servings.
  • Make two lasagnas at once and freeze one unbaked for an effortless future dinner.
  • If the top starts browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil during the final bake.
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