This classic lasagna recipe has layer upon layer of meaty and cheesy deliciousness! Perfect as a freezer meal or a big family dinner, this lasagna is made easy with no-boil noodles, a rich bolognese-style sauce, herbed ricotta cheese, and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan!
This is one of my Pasta recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
If there was ever a dish that my kids request all the time; this is it. This lasagna has been a hit for everyone I’ve served it to, and I’m sure you’ll love it as well!
Served alongside some garlic bread and a nice salad… it’s Italian-style dinner perfection.
Lasagna has a lot of steps, and my version involves making a homemade bolognese-style sauce, but I promise, it’s 100% worth the effort and time.
In fact, the bolognese sauce can be made entirely ahead of time and refrigerated or even frozen, and the whole lasagna can be assembled and made later, or frozen too!
I’ve also included a shortened version of the meat sauce in case you’d rather make that.
So please don’t be intimidated, this is one of those recipes that seems overwhelming, but we’ll break it down step by step!
How to make lasagna?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make bolognese sauce. I like to do this a day or two ahead of time.
- Make ricotta filling. This can be done ahead of time.
- Layer. Add some bolognese, then top with noodles, ricotta filling, mozzarella cheese, more bolognese, and parmesan. Repeat that 2 more times.
- Bake. This dish is baked covered part of the time, then uncovered to finish baking and brown the top.
Helpful Tip!
Making lasagna can seem like a daunting task, considering that you have to make the sauce, the cheese filling, then layer it all, and it bakes for quite a while. I highly suggest following the prep ahead methods listed in the “chef tips” section of the recipe so you can break down the labor intensive recipe into easily manageable steps 🙂
Variations of this recipe
- Noodles – feel free to use any type of lasagna noodles for this recipe. I highly recommend the wavy no-boil noodles, but if your store doesn’t carry them, regular no-boil, or regular pasta will work just fine.
- Sauce – if you have a spaghetti or meat sauce that you love, feel free to substitute that for the bolognese sauce.
- Veggies – the bolognese sauce is a great way to sneak in some veggies. It already has celery and carrots, but some grated zucchini or chopped mushrooms would be great additions.
- Cottage cheese – we’re not huge fans of cottage cheese in lasagna, but I know a lot of people enjoy it. You can use cottage cheese, but I would suggest using a small curd variety, or processing it in a food processor to break down the larger curds.
FAQ’s
Not at all, you can use any lasagna noodles you have available. If you have traditional noodles on hand, feel free to boil and drain them, or soak them in hot water for about 20-30 minutes, then drain.
No, I make zero claims of authenticity when it comes to this lasagna recipe. This is just how my family loves this recipe, and it’s an Italian-American meal.
Making lasagna ahead of time
Feel free to assemble this recipe ahead of time, but I wouldn’t do more than a day ahead of time.
You can also make parts of the lasagna ahead of time, which significantly cuts down on the prep time.
How to prep ahead for this recipe:
- Sauce – the bolognese sauce can be made several days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
- Ricotta – the ricotta can be combined with the seasonings, cheese and egg and kept refrigerated.
Freezer
This is a great freezer meal! Assemble the lasagna in a freezer-safe container and cover tightly with 2 layers of foil, or a tight fitting lid.
Freeze for up to 3-6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bake as directed, adding a bit of extra time to account for the dish being cold.
Storage
Leftover lasagna should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 4-5 days.
More Italian-Style Recipes:
My Favorite Lasagna Baking Dish!
You can use any deep 9×13 pan, but I really like the high sides of this baking dish… no worrying about things bubbling over in the oven!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 30 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh basil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch ground nutmeg optional but recommended
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 16 oz shredded whole milk Mozzarella cheese part skim will work as well
- 1 1/2 cups shredded or grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best, divided
- 12 oz box dried oven-ready wavy lasagna noodles this variety doesn't need to be boiled
- 1 batch bolognese sauce see "chef tips" #2 for the link to that recipe
Garnish
- additional minced fresh basil
- minced fresh parsley
Instructions
Prepare
- Make bolognese sauce (link), meat sauce (in Chef Tips section below), or use store-bought (Rao's makes a good one).
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a deep 9×13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Make herbed ricotta
- In a large mixing bowl, add ricotta cheese, dried Italian seasoning, fresh basil, salt, pepper, nutmeg (if using), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and egg. Set aside.
Assemble the lasagna
- To the bottom of prepared baking dish, add about a cup of the bolognese sauce.
- Top with 4 lasagna noodles, then spread about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture in an even layer over the top. Sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese over the top of that.
- Spread approximately 1 – 1.5 cups of the bolognese sauce over the top of the cheese, then sprinkle with about 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times.
- For the final layer, add 4 more lasagna noodles, then about 1 cup of bolognese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with a bit of extra dried Italian seasoning if desired.
Bake
- Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Add the foil, sprayed side down, over the lasagna dish and cover loosely.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly, and the cheese has melted and started to get golden brown.
Serve
- Remove lasagna dish from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with additional minced basil and parsley and serve hot.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- This is not an authentic Italian recipe, just an Italian-American adaptation that my family loves.
- This is my homemade bolognese sauce (link) that I use in this recipe. It can be made ahead or frozen.
- If using store-bought bolognese, you’ll want between 5-6 cups of sauce.
- If you are using regular lasagna noodles, either boil and drain them, or add them to a baking dish and top with hot water and let sit for 20-30 minutes, then drain.
- If your baking dish won’t accommodate 4 lasagna noodles in the layers, just use 3.
Ways to prep ahead for making lasagna:
- Sauce – the bolognese sauce can be made several days ahead of time and kept refrigerated.
- Ricotta – the ricotta can be combined with the seasonings, cheese and egg and kept refrigerated.
Quick meat sauce:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. Italian sausage (hot or mild)
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 7 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine (or substitute with equal amount of beef broth)
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2/3 cup beef broth (reduced sodium is preferred)
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)
- Heat a large skillet over MED HIGH heat. Add oil, then add beef and sausage. Cook until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain.
- Add onion to the skillet and cook over MED heat for about 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Pour in wine and cook about a minute, or until reduced.
- Return meat mixture to the skillet.
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, vinegar, parsley, salt, oregano, sugar, thyme, red pepper, and black pepper.
- Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to LOW and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and basil and simmer for another minute or two.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Broome says
To die for recipe. I tweaked it by adding cottage cheese to the ricotta mixture because that’s what my boyfriend loves. One question, if I were to freeze this, would I need to bake first using the oven-ready noodles or can it go in the freezer without baking first. Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and tweaked it to make it the best for you and your boyfriend 🙂 You can freeze it unbaked, then thaw and bake as directed.
Samantha says
Made this the other night and it was the biggest hit! I legit need to keep your Bolognese sauce on hand at all times so I can make this in a pinch. Soo yummy!
Jamie says
I know how to make a decent bolognese sauce aside from that I followed everything exactly. 1/4 cup of grated cheese made it too salty. Next time I would lightly sprinkle. Btw the ricotta mixture, mozzarella and your bolognese there’s plenty of flavor. The tweak would be NOT 1/4 cup of grated cheese. Other than that it’s a solid recipe
Allyson Zea says
This was so flavorful and absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Sandra says
My kids loved this lasagna recipe! They’re requesting for it again soon!
Beti says
This lasagna is absolutely amazing! Everyone loved it!
katerina @ diethood.com says
My family loves lasagna!! I am so excited to try this over the weekend!!
Erin says
Looks beyond delicious! My family would definitely love this!
Catalina says
Lasagna is always a favorite in our family! I will make your recipe next time!
Kat says
This is a great recipe! We are not fans of ricotta so instead, I mix small curd cottage cheese with cream cheese instead then I add 4 dollops across per lasagna noodle 😊