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Homemade Lasagna

Homemade Lasagna

Layers of noodles, the most delicious meat sauce, ricotta cheese filling and lots of mozzarella make up this classic Homemade Lasagna dish. Completely from scratch, easy to make, make-ahead and freezer friendly.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Rest Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dinner, Freezer Friendly
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 9 lasagna noodles cooked
  • 1 pound ground beef or a mixture of ground beef and italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup onions small diced
  • ½ cup carrots small diced
  • ½ cup celery small diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 29 ounces tomato sauce
  • 14 ounces petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ½ teaspoons basil dried
  • 2 teaspoons oregano dried
  • 1 tablespoon parsley minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Cheese Filling

  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
  • 3 tablespoons romano grated
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon parsley minced
  • 1 large egg

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot of salted water cook the lasagna noodles to al dente. Since the noodles will continue cooking when the lasagna is baked, cooking them to "al dente" will prevent them from getting over-cooked.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef, crumbling it as it cooks.  Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Remove from the heat and strain off the fat. Set aside until needed.
  • In the same pan, over medium-low heat add in the olive oil, onions, celery and carrots. Sauté until softened. Add the garlic to the pan and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  • Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add in the remaining seasonings. Keep at a simmer, stirring occasionally for at least 30 minutes. Add in the meat, remove from the heat and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients for the cheese filling. Mix until fully combined. Set aside.
  • Preheat an oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
  • Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of the pan. Just enough to cover the bottom. This helps prevent the noodles from sticking.
  • Next layer 3 noodles, side-by-side on top of the sauce. Now spread an even layer of the cheese filling on top of the noodles.
  • Pour ⅓ of the meat sauce on top of the cheese filling then sprinkle with ½ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Repeat these steps until you reach the last noodle layer. Press down gently to make room for the remaining sauce and cheese.
  • Spread the remaining cheese filling over the noodles, top with the remaining meat sauce and 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and place in the oven.
  • Bake for 45 minutes. At this point the lasagna should be nice and bubbly.  Remove the foil, turn to broil and continue cooking for a few minutes to lightly brown the cheese.
  • Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

The dried herbs in this recipe can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning.
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