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A large baking dish of cheesy, make-ahead lasagna with a corner piece missing. Two servings of lasagna are placed on white plates beside the dish. The lasagna has a golden, slightly browned top.
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Classic Lasagna Recipe

This Easy Lasagna Recipe delivers rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and layers of melty mozzarella in one satisfying dish. No-boil noodles and straightforward assembly mean dinner's ready without the fuss!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 16
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion chopped fine
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound meatloaf mix OR Italian sausage
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 can tomato puree 28-ounce
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained 28-ounce
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried

 Lasagna   

  • 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese shredded (4 cups)
  • 24 ounces whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese (3 cups)
  • 3 ounces Parmesan cheese grated (1 and 1/2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

For the sauce:

  • Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add meatloaf mix and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
    6 cloves garlic, 1 pound meatloaf mix OR Italian sausage
  • Stir in cream and simmer until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes.
    1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Stir in tomato puree and tomatoes, bring to simmer, and cook until flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
    1 can tomato puree, 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • Off heat, stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried, Salt and pepper

For the lasagna:

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
    24 ounces whole-milk or part-skim ricotta cheese, 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried, 1 large egg, Salt and pepper
  • Spread 1 cup sauce over bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish (avoiding large chunks of meat).
  • Lay 3 noodles in the baking dish, spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixture over each noodle, then top with 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup sauce (in that order). Repeat layering process 2 more times.
    12 no-boil lasagna noodles, 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese
  • Top with remaining 3 noodles, remaining sauce, remaining 1 cup mozzarella, and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
  • Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil, place on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake until spotty brown and bubbling around edges, 25 to 35 minutes.
  • Let casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To Make Ahead:

  • Lasagna, prepared through step 4, can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, covered with aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month; if frozen, thaw completely in refrigerator
  • To bake, unwrap lasagna, cover with greased aluminum foil, and bake on foil-lined sheet in 400-degree oven until hot throughout, about 1 hour; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is golden, about 10 minutes

Notes

  • You can assemble the lasagna a day before and store it in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to blend even more. When ready to cook, just bake as directed.
  • This recipe doubles (and triples) beautifully so it's great for feeding a crowd, taking dinner to a friend, or freezing for another day.
  • To freeze for later, complete it through step 4, then wrap well and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.
  • To bake after freezing, unwrap lasagna, cover with greased aluminum foil, and bake on foil-lined sheet in 400-degree oven until hot throughout, about 1 hour; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is golden, about 10 minutes

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 16 servings | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 658IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 333mg | Iron: 1mg

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