Lasagna Recipe
Cheesy, meaty and packed with flavor, our showstopping lasagna recipe is sure to become a family classic.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 785
- Total Fat
- 40 g
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Cholesterol
- 119 mg
- Sodium
- 1170 mg
Every home cook probably thinks they have the best lasagna recipe, and that’s because this dish is near and dear to so many family’s hearts. It’s the epitome of comfort food, and making lasagna at home is a labor of love that results in a hearty, heartwarming dinner. Though there are a lot of lasagna recipes to choose from, ours has been perfected with years of testing and retesting, so you can be sure you’re getting top-notch lasagna every time. Made with homemade beef ragu, it’s a guaranteed crowdpleaser that will leave your family fighting over seconds.
How to Make Lasagna Like a Pro
Start with homemade beef ragu: While you can use any jarred sauce if you’re making lasagna in a pinch, for a true homemade lasagna recipe, we prefer homemade ragu. Ours simmers over the stovetop to develop a meaty richness while letting the bright acidity of the tomatoes shine through. We think it’s one of the most important ingredients for lasagna, key to making the dish extra hearty and rich.
Look for wide, short lasagna noodles: For this lasagna recipe we’re using wide, short lasagna noodles. That way you don’t have to cut them to fit in your pan. Our lasagna recipe calls for gently boiled noodles, so be sure not to use no-boil noodles with this recipe.
Add flavor enhancers: We use pancetta to add meaty richness, parmesan to add savory tanginess and a splash of white wine to brighten everything up. A mix of fresh and dried herbs — like fresh basil and dried oregano — help add depth and complexity of flavor, too.
Lasagna Ingredients
Ground beef: Beef adds hearty richness to the ragu in this recipe, thanks to the perfect balance of fatty flavor and bright tomatoes.
Pancetta: Speaking of fatty flavor, we love to add some crispy pancetta to this recipe for even deeper complexity. It imparts natural umami that’s rich and gently smoky.
Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses: While some other lasagna recipes rely on bechamel, this lasagna is made with ricotta. Ricotta adds a dense creaminess that’s lush and velvety in every bite. We also add some mozzarella cheese for that stringy cheese pull that’s essential to any cheese lasagna recipe.
Canned tomatoes and tomato paste: Canned tomatoes are super easy to stash in your pantry, so they’re a great ingredient to incorporate into any simple lasagna recipe. When coupled with tomato paste, the canned tomato products act as the backbone of the sauce in this recipe, providing vibrant acidity that perfectly offsets the richness of the meat and cheese.
How Many Layers Does Lasagna Have?
Any good recipe for lasagna will have at least four layers. This gives the ingredients ample space to spread out, and it lets you have something to really dig into. After all, one of the best parts of baked lasagna is being able to see every bit of noodle, cheese and sauce on your fork as you dive in.
How to Reheat Lasagna
One of our favorite parts about this cheese lasagna recipe is how easy it is to make in advance and reheat later. In fact, it’s one of the best freezer-friendly dishes to prepare for busy weeknights or family dinners (read up on how to freeze lasagna). If you have extras that you’d like to reheat, simply take your casserole dish out of the refrigerator and place in a 350 degree oven until completely warmed through. If you notice that the cheese on top is getting a little too crispy for your preference, you can also cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and let it heat up while covered, though keep in mind that this will take slightly longer.
If you’re taking it out of the freezer, you can bake it straight from frozen, which will take about double the time.
Equipment for Lasagna?
You’ll need some basic kitchen equipment including bowls, forks, spatulas and a slotted spoon. In addition, you’ll need the following items:
- A heavy-duty Dutch oven to simmer your homemade ragu.
- A large pot to boil the noodles.
- A heavy-duty 13-by-9-inch casserole dish with sides high enough to contain the many layers of lasagna.
The Best Lasagna
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 5 hr
- Active: 2 hr 30 min
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 785
- Total Fat
- 40 g
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Cholesterol
- 119 mg
- Sodium
- 1170 mg
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 5 hr
- Active: 2 hr 30 min
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 785
- Total Fat
- 40 g
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Protein
- 42 g
- Cholesterol
- 119 mg
- Sodium
- 1170 mg
Ingredients
Directions
- Place the beef in a large bowl and "pull" it apart with two forks as if you were shredding pulled pork, breaking up the clumps and loosening the meat without compacting it.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a large bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Spread the beef in an even layer in the same pot and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, breaking up any clumps and scraping up any browned bits from the pot, until the meat is browned and completely cooked, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the browned meat with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the pancetta, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, half the garlic, the bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it's very fragrant and brick red colored, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil and reduce until the liquid is very thick and no smell of alcohol remains, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the reserved pancetta and beef, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Add the basil and Parmesan rind and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce resembles sloppy joes, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There shouldn't be any rapid bubbles while cooking. Instead, the ragu should release occasional small bubbles. If the ragu reduces too quickly, add 1/2 cup of water and continue cooking. Repeat if necessary. The ragu needs the full 2 to 2 1/2 hour cook time to develop the flavors.
- Discard the bay leaf, basil and Parmesan rind. Break up any remaining clumps of meat with the back of a spoon, making an even textured sauce. Season with salt and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles, stirring occasionally and separating them to prevent sticking, until softened and bendable but are still hard and chalky in the center, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl of cold water and set aside until ready to assemble.
- Stir together the ricotta, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the remaining grated garlic and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside until ready to assemble.
- Lightly oil a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking pan. Spread 1 cup of the ragu evenly in the bottom of the pan. Lay a single layer of noodles over the ragu (if you're using long noodles, you will need to cut some noodles to fill the gaps). Spread 1 1/2 cups of the ragu over the noodles. Dollop 3/4 cup of the ricotta mixture over the ragu and spread lightly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, followed by another layer of noodles. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ragu, ricotta mixture and mozzarella, creating 4 layers of pasta and ending with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. (The lasagna should come just above the top of the pan but it will sink down slightly as it cooks.) Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Lightly oil a piece of foil and cover the pan. Put the pan on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake the lasagna until bubbling gently around the edges, about 1 hour.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Remove the foil and then continue to bake the lasagna until the top is browned and crisp around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Cook’s Note
Look for wide and short dried lasagna noodles – then you won't need to cut longer noodles to fit a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Do not use no-boil noodles.
