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The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe

The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe

The recipe itself is a straightforward, classic American-style lasagna with a hearty meat sauce (beef, peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes) layered with noodles and three cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan).
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 813
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the meat sauce
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef chuck
  • 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 large bell pepper any color, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 3 ounces tomato paste half a 6-oz can
  • 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 pinch garlic powder or garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup sugar start with 1, taste, add more if needed
  • Salt
To assemble
  • 1/2 pound dry lasagna noodles about 9 noodles
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/2 pounds 24 oz mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1/4 pound 4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method
 

Get your pasta water going
  1. Fill a big pot with water, add a good handful of salt, and get it on high heat. It takes forever to boil, so start now.
Brown the beef
  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the beef and cook until it's not pink anymore. Scoop it into a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour out all but about a tablespoon of the fat.
    Brown the beef
Veggie time
  1. In the same skillet, toss in the diced onion and bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds (it should smell amazing). Dump the beef back in, give it a stir, and let it all hang out on low heat for 5 minutes.
    Veggie time
Build the sauce
  1. Transfer the meat and veggie mix to a medium pot. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Stir in the parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and vinegar. Now, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir and let it simmer. Taste it. Too tangy? Add another tablespoon of sugar. Keep tasting until it tastes good to YOU. Let it simmer on low for at least 15 minutes, stirring so it doesn't stick.
    Build the sauce
Cook the noodles
  1. Your water should be boiling! Add the lasagna noodles and cook them according to the package directions for "al dente." Drain them, rinse with cool water, and lay them out flat on an oiled baking sheet so they don't turn into one big noodle.
    Cook the noodles
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. (Do it now. Seriously.)
Assemble the layers
  1. In a 9x13-inch pan, spread a cup of sauce on the bottom. Lay down 3 noodles. Top with a third of the remaining sauce, then a third of the mozzarella. Plop half of the ricotta around by spoonfuls, then sprinkle half of the parmesan.
    Assemble the layers
  2. Add another layer of 3 noodles. Spread half of the remaining sauce, half of the remaining mozzarella, all the rest of the ricotta, and all the rest of the parmesan.
  3. Finish with a final layer of 3 noodles. Spread the last of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella.
    Finish with a final layer of 3 noodles. Spread the last of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella.
Bake
  1. Tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil (don't let it touch the cheese). Bake for 45 minutes. If you want the top a bit browner, take the foil off for the last 10 minutes.
    Bake
Cool and serve:
  1. Let it sit for 15 minutes before you cut into it. This is the hardest part, but it’s worth it.
    Cool and serve:

Notes

 if you’re looking for the single, perfect, authentic lasagna recipe, the internet has a million of them. This isn’t that.
This is the "I-want-something-hearty-and-homemade-without-having-a-culinary-degree" version. It’s forgiving, flexible, and fun to make.
If your layers are messy or you forget the oven step (like someone I know), it’s okay. The point is to end up with a pan of hot, cheesy, comforting food that you made.
The imperfections are just part of your kitchen’s story. Now go preheat your oven. Trust me, do it now.