Easy Homemade Lasagna

Easy Homemade Lasagna – This recipe that seems so daunting is truly, truly easy! Homemade tomato meat sauce, parmesan spiked ricotta, and plenty of melty mozzarella all held together with perfectly al dente lasagna noodles. What seems like a special Sunday night treat can be enjoyed any day of the week!

Is lasagna not one of the greatest dinner time creations? Each bite is so perfectly cheesy and saucy. It’s a meal that will certainly impress with very few opportunities for failure! It’s also one of the BEST meals to prep ahead to save yourself time during those busy weeknights.

You can prep the sauce and ricotta mixture ahead of time and assemble when you’re ready to bake, or even assemble this entire lasagna ahead of time and store it in the fridge OR freezer. Let it warm up a bit at room temp, then pop that bad boy into the oven right when you get home from work.

Ingredients

• Olive oil – For sautéeing. You can also use vegetable, canola, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, avocado, or coconut oil.
• Beef – Ground beef. You can use extra lean, lean, or regular. If you use regular, just use a bit less oil to sauté
• Onion – White or yellow onions will be best. If you something mild like shallots or even a stronger red onion, that will work.
• Garlic – Freshly minced or from a jar.
• Tomato paste – Usually comes in a small can or tube. Tomato paste is very thick and a bit darker than tomato sauce. You can make your own by cooking tomato passata or sauce until the water has evaporated and the sauce has thickened to a paste.
• Tomato sauce – Tomato passata can be used instead. I’m not talking pre-made marinara here! You’ll need the plain can of tomato sauce.
• Crushed tomatoes – Or diced tomatoes. I prefer a completely smooth sauce for lasagna, but it’s completely up to you.
• Italian seasoning – If you don’t have any, use a blend comprised of one or more of these dried herbs: oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram, basil, and parsley. Italian seasoning will also, usually, have some onion powder and garlic powder.
• Salt & pepper – Season to taste
• Ricotta – I like to get the extra smooth ricotta. You can use some cottage cheese or even soft goat cheese if you like the flavor.
• Parmesan – Both in the ricotta mixture and on top of the lasagna. I prefer freshly shaved parmesan to the shaky-container type, but you can use whatever you want. Pecorino romano, asiago, or grana padano can be used instead.
• Parsley – Freshly chopped. I like parsley in the ricotta as well as sprinkled over the top to serve.
• 1 egg – To hold your ricotta mixture together. You can leave it out if you really don’t want to use it.
• Mozzarella – Freshly shredded is my preference, but use pre-shredded to save time. Provolone will work instead.
• Lasagna sheets – I like to use oven-ready sheets. I have also made lasagna with uncooked regular lasagna sheets and have had complete success. You can use fresh sheets! If you really want to, you can boil the sheets before layering.

How to make easy homemade lasagna

1. Sauté: Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion to the pot. Sauté, breaking the beef into small pieces, until it is completely cooked through. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to mix the tomato paste into the beef.
2. Sauce: Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasoning to the pot, and stir. Bring the sauce to a bubble then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a bit of water.
3. Ricotta: Mix the ricotta, parsley, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, and a pinch of each salt and pepper in a bowl. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning as needed, then mix in the egg.
4. Assemble: Spread about 2 cups of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13″ casserole dish. Layer: 4-5 lasagna sheets over the sauce, then spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, top with 2/3 cup mozzarella, then 1 2/3 cups sauce. Repeat those layers, starting with the noodles, twice more. Finish with 4-5 lasagna sheets, the remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella, and remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.
5. Bake: Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 45-55 minutes. Use a knife to stab through the middle of the lasagna to test the doneness of the noodles. Once they are tender, remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. If you want the top browned, even more, turn on the broiler for 1-3 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

FAQ

Tips for perfect homemade lasagna

• If you usually make lasagna with boiled sheets, I highly recommend trying my version! Less mess, and way better texture on the noodles.
• Since the noodles need moisture from the sauce and cheese, make sure the sauce isn’t too thick. Stir in some water or broth to thin it out if needed.
• Make sure to spread plenty of sauce on the bottom of the pan
• Test the lasagna after 45 minutes by stabbing through the middle with a knife to test the noodles.
• Turn on the broiler at the end for a couple of minutes to get some extra delicious browning and flavor.
• If you have leftover sauce, warm it up and spread a few scoops onto each plate to serve.

How to store leftover homemade

You can transfer leftovers to a separate airtight container or wrap the casserole dish with either plastic wrap or foil. Transfer to the fridge and it will last 3-5 days. To reheat, I find it’s easiest to let it come to room temperature for 20-30 mintues. You can use the microwave or preheat the oven to 325F. Pour a splash of water or broth into the casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

You can also freeze your lasagna. Either before or after baking! Cover the casserole dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. It will last for up to 3 months frozen. Let the lasagna thaw for 2 days in the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before baking or reheating.

Did you love this recipe? Try these:

• Baked Feta Pasta
• Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Peas
• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Tortellini Soup
• Bolognese

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