No 1 Best Lasagna Recipe
Feb 5th, 2010 by Lasagna
I have tried many different Lasagna recipes over the years. This is the culmination of all that trial and error, a wonderful recipe that needs to be shared with the world. The ingredients and actual recipe are at the end of this article. I know you won’t be disappointed with my Best Lasagna Recipe!
Start with the following in a pot:
1 pound (450 g) of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound (450 g) of ground beef
1/2 cup (120 mL) of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
The flavor of the Italian sausage varies from brand to brand. You may need to try a different brand the first couple of times you cook this dish. Find the flavor you like the best.
Brown the ground beef, Italian sausage, onions and garlic in a pot until they start to cook. It takes about 6 to 9 minutes to brown the meat. I like to use a Dutch oven to cook this portion of the recipe. I use a medium low temperature to brown the meat. It is optional to remove the grease from the meat once it is finished browning, your choice.
Add the following:
1 (28 ounce) (784 g) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) (230 g) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) (168 g) cans of tomato paste
1/2 (120 mL) cup of water
Gently stir this into the cooking meat.
Add the following:
2 tablespoons (30 mL) white sugar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) fennel seed
2 teaspoons (10 mL) fresh Basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) ground pepper
Gently stir these seasoning into the sauce.
Cover the pot and let the meat sauce simmer. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes This is the ideal simmer time but not mandatory. If you don’t have time it will still be great after one hour of simmering.
I will sometimes make this sauce and refrigerate it after it finishes simmering. I will use the meat sauce the next day to put the rest of this recipe together. For some reason Italian meat sauce taste even better the next day. But that’s up to you.
Soak 12 lasagna noodles.
The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling.
Put the following in a mixing bowl:
23 ounces (644 g) of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) fresh grated nutmeg
Grate fresh nutmeg over the Ricotta cheese.
Add the following:
1 egg
2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh Italian parsley chopped
Mix these ingredients together with a spoon
Now we start building the lasagna layers.
Use a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Spread 2 Cups (480 mL) of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Remove your lasagna noodles out of the water bath. Shake water off wet noodles.
Lay 6 noodles across the layer of sauce.
Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the layer of noodles.
Spread 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer
Spread 2 cups (480 mL) of meat sauce over the cheese layer
Lay down the next layer of noodles
Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over noodles
Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses saving some cheese for the top of the lasagna
Put the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
It should look similar to the picture above.
Cover with foil
Bake in preheated oven at 350 F (177 C) for 25 minutes
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.
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This helps pay for the hosting cost of the website. Thanks and enjoy!!
Ingredients
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 cup of chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste
1/2 Cup of Water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons fresh Basil leaves chopped
4 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
23 ounces of ricotta cheese.
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 egg
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 lasagna noodles
–Serves 12 people–
Very Nice Site! Thanks!
Nice Site! Thanks!
Any chance you can make a print view for us folk that want to print and follow w/o the pictures
Nice! Thanks!
Hands Down – The BEST Lasagna I’ve had the pleasure of eating!
Pete
If you hit the tab at the top of the page “Print Lasagna Recipe” you get a version of the recipe without the pictures.
Love the la-la-la-la-lasagne! I’m so glad I found this blog! Thanks so much for sharing all these recipes. YUMMO!
)
skillet lasagna recipe…
I came across your site while I did a search on Google for Lasagna Recipes and your article on Skillet Lasagna was informative….
Nice Site! Thanks!
How many people does this recipe approximately serve? I am looking to prepare a lasagne using this recipe for 15 people.
Hey George,
It serves 12 people.
I love this lasagna recipe!!
I always make terrible lasagna. But last night I googled “lasagna recipe” and was attracted to your page & the No 1 Lasagna Recipe. Well, the ingred’s looks yummie so I tried it. I now have a strong love affair with the meat sauce, hubba hubba. (My husband feels betrayed). Wasn’t too sure of nutmeg in the ricotta, but I’m a thrill seeker. “Fennel seed ~ what the!!?? Sounds wierd, but I’ll go for it.” The recipe calls for one pound of mozzarella, but the bag I bought was two pounds. I couldn’t see that other pound separated from its loved ones… so, I kept the family together and used the whole dang bag. Yum, cheesy…
I finished loading the thick layers and went to place the dish in the oven when I nearly threw my back out! I swear it must have weighed 5 or 6 pounds. Needless to say, my friends and I loved the meal! And now my husband knows why I have “eye’s” for the sauce. (No worries, we are in counseling and I know our marriage will be stronger due to this little hiccup).
I will make this recipe again. Thanks, YOU ROCK!
deAnn (www.verticalcreativity.blogspot.com)
The mylasagnarecipe.com is cool site, thanks,
Your site- mylasagnarecipe.com is excellent resource, tnks, webmaster.
Good luck.
Does it make a difference if you don’t use fresh parsley/basil?
I have made it both ways, no one could tell the difference
The site mylasagnarecipe.com is interesting site, respect, admin.
The site mylasagnarecipe.com is amazing site.
Thanks, owner.
The mylasagnarecipe.com is cool resource, respect, owner.
Good luck.
I have never made a homemade lasagna before this. I am a newlywed and had received a nice lasagna dish as a present so I decided to give it a try. Without a doubt this was very easy especially with the step by step directions and photos. But the best part was the TASTE! It was the best lasagna I have ever had – better than Italian restaurants! My hubby was IMPRESSED and we ate the lasagna as leftovers for a week! Thank you for a great recipe that will be used for years and years.
Melissa,
Congratulations on your marriage and your first Lasagna Dish. Glad to hear your new husband enjoyed it. It is the best lasagna recipe around.
will a pound of lasagna noodles suffice? the amount of noodles to use was left out of the ingredient list
Hey Aaron,
You need 14 noodles.—-
Soak 14 lasagna noodles.
The lasagna noodles need to be soaked in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
While the noodles are soaking you can make the cheese filling.
Nice site
Thanks, webmaster.
I can’t believe that mushrooms and cottage cheese were not used in this recipe…mushrooms really add a lot and so does cottage cheese, drained well. I have a brother-in-law who hated cottage cheese…well, I made mine and we didn’t tell him about the cottage cheese…he ate 3 helpings! This recipe is great, but mushrooms and cottage cheese will make it really be out of this world in taste. Also, if your lasagna is runny, add just a little flour…you won’t taste the flour and the sauce will be nice and thick. Another thing, I do not care for the tomato paste and tomato sauce taste in lasagnas…just get a jar of Ragu…and then follow the recipe. Your lasagna will be BETTER
Wow. What a recipe. Quite easy to make and excellent step by step directions. This was the first meal my girlfriend and I made together and it couldn’t have been more fun and memorable. And the taste… nothing short of amazing! Thank you.
Jonathan,
Thanks for the great comment. I am glad you were successful with your lasagna.
What a GREAT site you have here!!! I’m loving this – I LOVE lasagne!
Delicious! Great idea to add the sweet Italian Sausage!
I’m so pleased to see that the greatest lasagna recipe is so close to my recipe! : ) Mine doesn’t use nutmeg, never heard of putting that in lasagna before, will have to try it. Just discovered this site and happy that I did. My recipe is actually not mine, it’s the recipe I cut off the back of the Creamette lasagna noodle box YEARS ago. I’m really glad that I did because that recipe can’t be found on any of the boxes anymore. It’s tattered, but it’s fabulous!
Also, I hadn’t thought of soaking the lasagna noodles, mine calls for cooking them and they are always so hard to work with.
Thank you!!
Just wanted to stop by again and let you know I made my lasagna and forgot to add the nutmeg *smacks head*. I’ll add a link to my post today over here to share your fabulous recipes
Lasagna Master: Thank you so very much for the reicipe for lasagna!
I had lost my own recipe years ago and wanted a “new” one to use as a “road map” to a delicious meal served with red cabbage on the side.
I found your recipe similiar to my own, except for the nutmeg and lack of cottage cheese. I have used the nutmeg and added an extra layer with a cottage cheese base as well.
I will get back to you on the taste…its being served to husband this afternoon as it is a coming home meal for him.
This lasagna recipe looks delicious! I’ll definitely have to try this one.:)
OMG! that was amazing lasagna. made it for 12 people ranging from footballl players to cultured indy rock hippies, and bonified skiers, they loved it, me too although it was more work than i thought to do in an afternoon. thank you so much. you made my day!!!
Trish,
Thanks for the comment. It is well worth the effort! I sometimes make the sauce the day before. You know how italian food is better the next day, well that includes this sauce.
lasagna master,
why 14 lasagna noodles i only used 12, is this like a bakers dozen??? again it was amazing already have messages from my son in philly who took it to phillies baseball game party, thanks again
Lasagna Master,
I am in the middle of making your lasagna–is it really only 2 layers of noodles? I am suddenly panicked.
Thanks,
Katie
Yes two layers of noodles
Okay so I made it. I added a third later of pasta, between 2 layers of sauce and with some Mozzarella and Parm on top and it was a total hit. It probably would have been fine with just two layers of pasta, just got nervous.
But for nought!
Best,
Katie
Glad it was a hit!
It is the best lasagna recipe!!
Loved the Recipe!………………….so did my dinner guests…….only ONE problem i found with it………..i have arthritis and it was so full of delicious and heavy ingredients that i dropped my pan getting it out of my oven………so i threw forks on the kitchen floor and invited all that had come for a formal dinner party, to an inpromptu kitchen floor picnic. i guess my guests LOVED it…………………my floor was shinning after they all left!
Remember with nutmeg, LESS is MORE … don’t over-do it! Nutmeg always goes with savoury, creamy dishes…try some (a little!) in your next potato bake and you’ll see…
Hi Lasagna Master. This recipe looks fantastic. A quick question — what if I wanted to add some veggies – spinach, bell peppers, and mushrooms – how would you suggest best adding these to the mix? I like your mix of meat, sauce, herbs, but would just want to add a little of the veggies too. Thanks in advance for the tip.
Jenna
Are you wanting to bake a meatless lasagna or this recipe with veggies added?
this recipe is good and ideal for the special occasion. i will try to make my own lasagna on my mother-in-law birthday with the following procedures. this is would be a unique recipe as i made ever!
This is my first time making lasagna…. I was just wondering what the difference is between ricotta cheese and cottage cheese? if i wanted to use cottage cheese, would I just use the same amount instead of the ricotta> Which tastes better?
If you want to use cottage cheese you might want to use this recipe: http://mylasagnarecipe.com/2007/12/lasagna-made-with-cottage-cheese/
I have never made the No 1 Recipe with cottage cheese so I cant guarantee it would be good. My mother made her lasagna with cottage cheese when I was young, I loved it. But I like ricotta cheese better.
I made this recipe and absolutely loved it. The meat sauce was delicious and to top it off my kids had seconds. Thank you so much for the site!
I have made this recipe twice now and it is absolutely the best!!! The only modifications I made were to omit the sugar and the water from the sauce preparation but I followed everything else to a T. It’s really a fantastic recipe. I am so glad that you posted it! The pictures are very helpful also. Thank you for sharing it
I love your website, I am going to try this recipe next week and I am so excited to! I have a few questions tho. Would the sauce still be good for spaghetti? Or should I make a few alternatives? If I am going to use ground italian sausage how much should I use?
Thanks!!
Hey Steffie
Yes this makes wonderful spaghetti sauce.
If you use ground italian sausage use 1 pound.
Being a lasagna virgin, I was very happy to find this recipe. I followed every step exactly as is and lasagna turned out yummylicious! It was not runny, not dry, just perfect. My Husband and my father-in-law helped themselves to seconds. I am sure to make it again in the future. Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe.
Just one question: what kind of wine would be suggested to have with this delicious meal?
I run the no cook lasagna noodles under cold water before layering. This assures that they’ll cook properly without any dry spots
Be sure every noodle is covered with cheese and/or sauce. Spread your filling all the way to the edges of each noodle. Otherwise th part of the noodle that is exposed will not soften up, and you’ll have a crunchy surprise around the edges of your lasagna.
Hi Lasagne Master…Thanks for this great recipe! I am making this for Christmas Eve tomorrow night and was wondering if you use the “no cook” noodles to soak for the 15 minutes…or are they the regular noodles? Do you recommend using the “no cook” and running them under water instead of the regular and soaking them? I’m confused!
Many Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Regular Lasagna Noodles- soak in hot tap water for 15 minutes.
No-Cook Lasagna Noodles- simply run cold water over the no-cook noodles to get each noodle wet. This helps them cook evenly.
Thats all you have to do for each type of lasagna noodle.
Dear Master:
I wish I would have seen that you respond quickly, cuz I would’ve asked this: I ran out of crushed tomatoes! All I had was diced. I looked online to see if I could substitute (drained). I saw “Yes”–well we’ll see, as it’s in the oven NOW. I crushed them the best I could. I panicked tho when I saw I had quite a bit of sauce left.? Another ?: Are you layering noodles or just side-by-side? I no way could fit 6 noodles in my 13×9 pan…THis is my Christmas eve dinner and I’m panicking a bit………but I figure it’s sort of “all in there”-and should taste OK….maybe a bit goopey. I’ll let you know, but the tastes of the sauce were awesome!!!!!
Hey Jeanne
As you can see by the photo above my noodles overlap alittle.
Hope your lasagna turned out great!!
Happy Holidays!!
I see now! (I initially passed too quickly on the lasagna noodle picture, have made lasagna for years and never layered it, der!)—-but I am thrilled to say It didn’t matter! Despite my bit-too-runny sauce (because of the diced/crushed tomato issue) AND the noodle issue, my family said “This tastes like a really good Italian restaurant recipe!” They truly went on and on about it!!!!! My boys (sort of picky) ate such huge portions so much as to be astounding……..it says it feeds 12, ha-ha (these were not pre-teen boys in growth spurts!) Regardless, it’s heavenly eating!!!
For those like me who have kids running around and always tons of distractions, the pictures are great. Also, I searched substitution for Italian Seasoning–cuz I don’t buy that usually. I used Oregano, Sage, Basil, and Marjoram. FOR THE NEXT TIME: What does your seasoning consist of? also-I used pine nuts cuz I had some and got great reviews with those as well. Maybe next time I’ll grind them up. thoughts? ( I love them!) Thanks again for THE BEST LASAGNA, truly!
This recipe and blog post is simply fantastic. I’ve made this three times now and my friends / family love it. Thanks for posting the pictures and detailed instructions.
I made this (my first lasagna) on Christmas Eve. OMG…hands down the BEST lasagna I have ever eaten. My Italian Significant Other said “It is WAY better than my Grandmother’s lasagna and her lasagna is LEGEND.” I was so excited as I had been very nervous to make lasagna for someone who grew up eating it weekly.
I only made a few changes to the recipe: three layers of noodles instead of two (wanted it a little thicker and lots of leftovers);I used half lean ground chuck and half ground chicken (you could not tell it was not all ground chuck but probably cut out a decent amount of fat); I used half crushed tomatoes and half tomatoes from my garden that I had frozen this summer; at the Sig Other’s request I added some well drained and pressed dry frozen spinach over one layer of Ricotta and some whole fresh Basil leaves over the next Ricotta layer.
The Sign. Other commented that the Ricotta layer was so flavorful…the nutmeg was the key! Also said the meatsauce was the best he had ever tasted as well.
Thanks so much as I now have a wonderful Meat Sauce AND lasagna recipe.
A Crowd pleaser yes indeed. A very hearty, tasty lasanga. ***** When I saw the recipe originally I knew it was going to be good. I prepared it over the Christmas break with Garlic, Basil “Cheesy Bread” and it was an instant hit. What name do I put on it for future reference, want to give credit where credit is due. Looking forward to more of your delicious recipes. “Happy New Year”
-Edward J.-
hi i don’t see fennel seeds in supermarket here in the Philippines can you gave me substitute of fennel seed do you think i can substitute star anise?
You can substitute anise seed, cumin or caraway seed
Hi Lasagna Master…I made this recipe for Christmas Eve and my family LOVED it! Thanks for the tip on the noodles too!
I actually made two lasagnas that night and froze one of them…
How long should I defrost it?
At what temp should I cook it…and how long in the oven?
Many Thanks Again!
Thaw before reheating and reheat un-covered.
I use my cooking thermometer to test for doneness.
Times all vary with different sizes and portions.
I reheat on 350 degress F.
Be sure to heat through and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Hi,
I have a question.Can I bake the Lasagna in a microwave instead of the conventional oven?
Thanks.
NO MICROWAVE!!!!!
Bake only!!
This is the best lasagna I have ever made! Great stuff!!!
love it.
Hi,
My Dad’s birthday was Jan 1, and I decided to make this lasagna for the party b/c the recipe was so simple and the pictures were so inviting. I followed the recipe to a tee and the lasagna was a HUGE success! Everyone loved it and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was! It’s the 6th and they’re still talking about it lol!
If I make it again, I think I’ll add a bit of my own “flava” to it, you know, just so it can be my own, but your recipe is an AWESOME head start. Thanks so much for sharing!
What kind of pan is it that you use, the one in the photos? Can you give brand name?
I’m making my third round of this Lasagna since Christmas eve! I made it for a boys’ Laser Tag party and now we are snowed/iced in and I’m bored!
Jennifer
Thanks for the feedback. I know this recipe is the best!! It is such a rich wonderful lasagna! I had to share it!!!
Jeanne
Believe it or not I get all my pots and baking dishes at QVC. My wife and I tivo In the Kitchen each sunday morning. We have found that QVC has the best cookware at great prices!
This looks like a fabulous recipe – I’m already famous for lasagne but this looks better than mine. I’d like to make it in two halves and freeze one as its for a small dinner party and anyhow we Brits don’t eat as much ….
Can you recommend dish size and oven temperature/timing?
Thank you!
Ciao
Wow, what a great recipe, Thanks for sharing…your post too descriptive with images, i like it…thanks again.
Your dish looks awesome! I am planning on making it for my husband’s pot luck lunch tomorrow and I was wondering about how to best reheat this dish. I am really new at cooking and I would like to make it today and then heat it up for him the morning so I don’t run short on time. Thanks so much!
Thaw before reheating and reheat un-covered.
I use my cooking thermometer to test for doneness.
Times all vary with different sizes and portions.
I reheat on 350 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes.
If you don’t have a cooking thermometer then use a knife. Insert in to the middle of the lasagna after 20 minutes and pull out to test temp to the touch
Be sure to heat through and let stand for 10 minutes before serving
Is it safe to prepare this lasagna the day before, refrigerate it uncooked, and then cook it the next day? I am thinking about the raw egg in the ricotta cheese. I am entertaining a large group and would like to have everything ready ahead of time.
If I am going to prepare it the day before I cook the meat sauce and refrigerate that overnight. It always tastes even better the next day. I then assemble the lasagna the next day when I am ready to cook and serve it. This gives you the best results.
I must say that is one delicious looking dish!
This lasagna was awesome! I doubled the recipe and made two pans for a large group. It was delicious!
What’s your opinion on cooking this a few days in advance, freezing then thawing and re-heating day of use. Any loss of taste or texture by freezing? Thanks.
Steve
I cook the sauce ahead of time and assemble the lasagna the day I want to serve it. I like it better this way, you can have issues with moisture if you cook the entire lasagna then freeze.
Hello!
I just moved to the Usa from Italy, I was born and raised there.
I will not comment the bolognese sauce (it is not the way I make it, but I’m sure it is delicious). The only thing that I wanted to tell you is that there is this huge mistake in thinking that we use ricotta to make lasagna. We only use mozzarella and some grated parmesan; the creamy filling is BESCIAMELLA a sauce/cream made with milk, butter, flour salt and nutmeg. Here is the recipe if you want to try it:
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
salt (just a little bit)
a hint of freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Turn off the heat. Add flour and stir until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil. Season with salt and nutmeg. Cook 5-6 minutes and remove from heat.
(TIP: if you can’t get the creamy, smooth texture, try mixing the butter mixture and the milk with an immersion blender)
Enjoy!
It’s my husbands Bday today & i wanted to do something different..
thought of a lasagna with candles
with the help of mr.google i found ur site..thank you goolge and thank u for this great site..usually when i look for a recipe through the net i look at different sites then pick which i think is the best, but with the lasagne..I didn’t have to do the search..luv from 1st sight
Just came from grocery with all the stuff i need..going to do it now and let u know how it was.
Thanx again
I love Lasagna!
This blog is great!
Thanks!
Hi,
I’m excited to make this recipe & I’ve never made lasagna before. I got some Barilla lasagna sheets & it says not to boil them but just lay them during the layering & then bake. Should I still soak them like your recipe calls for?
Thanks!
You dont have to soak the NO BOIL Noodles. But alot of folks like to atleast get them wet so there is no chance of a dry spot. Simply hold them under the running water for a quick wetting.
[...] Anyway, Lasagna is the ultimate LAYERED food that I can think of and it’s something that I know I can possibly come up with anytime [and yes, even in the midst of all these boxes that has yet to be unpacked], be it the vegetarian version with eggplant or the carnivorous one such as this. The recipe is posted here, for those who might want to do the said recipe. It may seem long and difficult to follow, but it is in fact easy, a lot easier than expected. Credits to mylasagnarecipe. [...]
Does anyone know a supermarket in England that sells the sweet Italian sausage? Or if not, what is a good substitute? The only Italian sausage I can find is chorizo, all other sausages are English pork sausages in various flavours
I would use the English pork sausage before using Chorizo. I am afraid the Chorizo flavor will over power the lasagna.
Thank you for putting up this recipe. The first time I made it, it came out perfect. You can purchase throw-away tin foil pans that are perfect fitting. Anyway, I have to tell you that the “sauce” tastes so good that we are going to just make the sauce and freeze it for spagetti and other stuff. Thanks again.
Your lasagna recipe looks sinfully good. I used it as a general guide to prepare my lasagna, a lower calorie, no meat, quicker version, which leaves the tomato sauce less adulterated.
For the sauce, I add 1/16 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/4 c. cheap red wine to your recipe above. I used a larger pan, which required a minimum of 15 lasagna noodles, and cooked it in boiling water with 1 tsp salt and 1 Tb olive oil for 10 min.
The freshly grated nutmeg (I only used 1/4 tsp because my dish was more simplistic and would have been overpowered) is key to flavoring the ricotta layer. Another trick is mix the freshly grated Parmesan (I prefer Parmesan Reggiano) and mozzarella cheese in with the ricotta cheese.
Contrary to what the previous reader suggested, try to NOT use the disposable aluminum pans. They react with acid in the tomatoes, and more dangerous to handle because they are flimsy and prone to leaking. A well made aluminum pan is good, just not the disposable ones (not good for environment either). A thin cookie sheet or any roasting lid is a good substitute for aluminum foil to loosely cover the pan for the first 25 min. of baking. Finally be sure to let the lasagna rest for at least 15 min. as directed to allow the lasagna noodles to soak up the juice/flavors, and achieve perfect texture (your lasagna will be less watery).
Your website is a fantastic resource for cooking! I look forward to trying out more recipes.
Your recipe sounds absolutely fantastic, and i am sure it will fill the craving my friends are having for ‘a really awesome lasagna’! I was just wondering how much and what layering to add some spinach? is fresh or frozen best? Also will this addition make the lasagna runny?
Thanks so much, from all the great reveiws i cant wait to try this version!!
Im cooking for my boyfriend and some of our co workers this recipe sounds awesome wish me luck. I have never made Lasagna before so my boyfriend and i have a bet going on I think Im going to win this bet with your recipe. Ill keep you posted.
I made the Lasagna and it was a hit. I won the bet and my boyfriend loved it! Thank You.
Hi.. I’m trying out your recipe but in Singapore, it’s so hard to find ricotta cheese. Is there any substituition instead.
Some people use Cottage Cheese instead of ricotta cheese. Some mix cottage cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella.
Oh I see , so the amount of the cottage cheese should be the same?
I manage to find Ricotta chesse at a high end super market.
One more question, my religion does not allow me to eat pork, what will be the best substitution for Italian Sausage. Would any beef franks or Cabonassi do?
Thanks for the great help!
You can buy beef or turkey sausage instead of pork.
This recipe sound sabsolutely amazing. My husband is abig fab of lasagne and Ill try to surprise him this weekend. I am hoping its better than the one his mother makes hehehe. Ill keep you posted. Lasagne kind,how long do you think total prep time is? I think ill do the overnight deal where you prepare the sauce the night before, and prepare for supper on sunday. what goes well with this? salad? something light?
thanks again.
I agree with your plan, make the sauce the night before then assemble the rest the day of the meal. I know it will taste awesome!!! Good Luck
What a cool site you have, all dedicated to the lasagna…very fun!
Dear all,
I made this and it turned out AMAZING!!!! to quote my husband: maybe you can teach my mum how to make this sometime. well, I was thrilled to bits. thank you so much!!!
Some tips: For those people based in the UK, I used sweet chili flavored pork sausages from waitrose and they worked great ( i just puuled the meat out of the casing) . Also as suggested by Lasagne, the sauce is definitely better the next day- on night one, I tasted it with a bit of plain noodles as a bolognese and on day two it seemed much more flavorful and thicker. I did add a special touch, (tell me what you think of it, lasagne) With the ricotta I layered in spinach, too. (Basically a jumbo bag and a half of small leaf spinach cooked in olive oil a clove of garlic and a teaspoon of creme fraiche, pepper and salt. )remember to drain off all the water from the cooked spinach before layering into the cheese. Delicious and extra healthy, too. We are eating it again tonight along with a salad and I am already looking forward to it.
Lasagna Master,
First, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing the world such a noble service in promoting this recipe. It is easily the best lasagna that several people who had the pleasure of having it and I have ever had. Considering that I come from a family of excellent Italian American cooks, that’s high praise indeed! I found a similar recipe on the All Recipes site but yours is definitely better. It is obvious that you have tweaked it to perfection. I took your advice and made the sauce the night before. I am going to make the sauce by itself again when I feel like meat sauce over pasta. The only things I did differently are as follows:
I used bulk sausage meat and mixed it well with the ground beef.
I used a 50-50 mixture of grated parmesan and Romano cheeses instead of just parmesan cheese.
I put a few tablespoons of the grated parmesan/Romano mixture into the Ricotta (I notice you use Polly-O brand – My Italian Grandma used to insist on it and so do I!)
I used dried basil instead of fresh, but I would definitely recommend using fresh parsley in this recipe.
I used crushed San Marzano tomatoes because they are the best.
I used a “5 cheese Italian” blend of shredded cheese on the top layer, if only to give it a little more zing on top.
To respond to some of the other posts, as far as using a “besciamella” sauce instead of ricotta, that’s a great alternative for those who don’t like Ricotta. As this is Italian-American lasagna, we prefer ricotta in meat lasagna. American seafood or “white” lasagnas often use the besciamella (or bechamel as they say in French).
Someone mentioned Chorizo sausage – That is a cooked Spanish sausage. It is not Italian and not suitable for lasagna. If you live in an area where Italian sweet sausage is difficult to find, you can always make your own bulk sausage meat. Google on it and you will find recipes using ground pork and other spices. You don’t need the sausage casing for this recipe and it’s better in my opinion without it anyway.
I must admit that I am totally in love with this recipe and I’m eating the lasagna for lunch and dinner every day until it’s all gone. If only my mother and grandmother were alive to enjoy it. I am sure they would admit that it was better than theirs. They were the absolute best Italian cooks but lasagna was the one thing that eluded them.
I think this is a really neat site. It is inspiring me to create my own site with some of my mom’s and grandma’s tried and true Italian recipes.
Hey Renee
I am so glad you enjoyed the lasagna!! It is addictive!
Good luck with your new blog and be sure to post your blog link
here for us to see.
Hi! Thank you for visiting my blog! I love your lasagna too. I’m a vegetarian, so I’m going to take a look around and see if you have any meat-free recipes.
Anna ^_^
Hey there,
I have the lasagna baking in the oven now… My house smells divine. I tried the sauce… Oh my, I always wanted to make sauce from scratch (it was super easy) and thanks to your recipe I DID IT!! WhooHoo!! I cant wait to taste it in an hour!!
Thanks Again… Deanna – Green Bay, WI
I have some frozen, blended homegrown tomatoes on hand, and I would like to use them in this recipe. Do you think it would work well to substitute the 28 oz of crushed tomatoes for my frozen homegrown tomatoes? Or how would you use the homegrown tomatoes as a substitute? Thanks.
Cheryl
Deanna,
So happy you like the lasagna!!
You will get addicted!!
Hey Cheryl
I would try the homegrown tomatoes. I bet it will be great!!
This recipe is great!! Huge compliments all around. It’s also very close to the one my nonna unfortunately took to the grave with her and I’ve been trying to replicate. I think I’ll try using a spicy Italian sausage next time and if that doesn’t work I’ll try adding a little crushed red pepper to the sauce because hers seemed to have a little more of a bite to it. Regardless, you have a huge hit with this one.
Detomaso
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Spread the word!!
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST LASAGNA I EVER HAD.EVEN MY 5 YEAR OLD LOVED IT,HE NEVER EATS ANYTHING.THIS WILL BE A FAMILY FAVORITE.THANKS FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE
This was really good, I bought all the ingredients from Pikes Market here in Seattle and ended up with a really good all organic Lasagna. Cheers
Overall dish was good but I made a few changes. I’m not a fan of adding water to a base sauce so I used 1/4 cup red wine and 1/4 cup beef broth. I felt it gives the sauce a ‘deeper’ flavor. I also noticed that you used pre-shredded cheese (ugh). I highly suggest you shred your own cheese(s).
I’m going to increase the ingredients to make this 3 layers.
Great site!
[...] musajen wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptTop 5 lasagna recipes. World’s best lasagna recipe website. History of lasagna including lasagna noodles. Italian lasagna recipes. [...]
hey there,
I’m going to try and make this recipe and i am very excited- although i have a question one of the ingredients is 2Can of TOMATO SAUCE?? does this actually mean tomato sauce that we all use ie, for meat pies? or is this a special kind of sauce?
thanks heaps for this recipe
Hey MW,
I know you will love the recipe!!
It is simple Tomatoe Sauce in a can. The brands I use are Hunts or Contadina. Just ordinary tomatoe sauce like you would use to make chili or spaghetti
Hey again,
thanks for your reply
I am from Australia there might now be Hunsts or Contadina, but i am sure i will find something equivelant
You can make your own homemade tomatoe sauce. Here is a recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Tomato-Sauce/Detail.aspx
Dear Lasagna,
My boyfriend and I are very inexperienced cooks (university students used to grilled cheese, to be precise). We really wanted to try cooking a lasagna and your recipe looked the most promising of the ones we found online. I can’t believe how fool-proof your recipe is! Our lasagna turned out perfectly despite many mishaps (we were missing some ingredients because we were too cheap to buy fennel seed and nutmeg and we couldn’t find any of the fresh herbs at the grocery store — and we only cooked the sauce for half an hour because we were too hungry to wait longer). Thanks for your incredible recipe! We also changed some things — we used two containers of ricotta cheese and added spinach, and we also added cumin to the meatsauce. It turned out delicious!! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the lasagna recipe. I will have to try your variation!!
A question for you Mr. Lasagna Master,
I’d like to give this lasagna as a gift. But I have to send it via a courier to the recipient. I read others who have wanted to layer, bake, then freeze the finished result. I’d like to know how the dish would hold up if I assembled and froze the lasagna without baking it. That way, I pull the lasagna out of the freezer and send it on its way to the happy recipient. That person would defrost it and bake away at their own convenience. What do you think?
Great idea! I think the only way it would work is if you sent it nextday delivery and packed it in a styrofoam case and dry ice. Let me know how it turnes out.
I was wondering- will it affect this recipe at all if i use a 9×13inch Pyrex/Glass dish?
I’m not sure if it is glass or pyrex.
Will I need to change the cooking time or temperature?
Thanks! I”m excited to try this recipe out!
Hey Carley
Yes you can use the 9×13 dish. I use a 9×13 glass dish in the recipe photos above.
Thanks for this recipe-it is fabulous and a real crowd pleaser!
This looked like the best and most informative recipe I have found, since I lost my own recipe years ago. I am trying it with the no boil noodles, thanks for the recipe. It comes out of the oven in 35 minutes so will get to try it tonight! Thanks again!
This recipe made me look like a rock star tonight for a big family dinner. I have never made a lasagna before and both of my brothers are chefs– everyone LOVED it. No would have ever guessed that I had never made this before! It was delicious. Rave reviews!
Anna Joanna
Glad you liked the recipe. I bet you are going to love the lasagna!!!
Beth
That’s awesome!! This lasagna recipe makes us look like professional chefs!! It’s that good!!!!
I have always made lasagna from the recipe they slap on the back of the noodle boxes. Horrible. No one ever likes it, not even me. So I did a search for a good lasagna recipe and this one popped up. It was the first one I saw, the only one I printed out, and the only one I tried. My friend has had the same lasagna trouble so she came over to my house and we made it together to see if it would turn out okay and be a recipe worth keeping. Uh, YEAH! It was amazing. From the moment we put the sauce together we realized this was no back-of-the-noodle-box recipe. And then came the aromas. We got hungrier and hungrier with every breath we took. And it only got better as we created the layers and put it into the oven. We could hear it sizzle and we’d peek through the oven window and see it getting all golden and bubbly. It was so exciting to see a masterpiece…no hard or mushy noodles, no too-tangy sauce, no prepackaged flavors. Since we made it from scratch, it tasted that way and it was totally worth every step. We’ve decided next time we’ll take your advice and make the sauce a day ahead of time. It’s hard for us to wrap our minds around how there may be a way to make this recipe more amazing. This is one for family get-togethers and special occasions. Thank you!
Jessica,
So glad you enjoyed the lasagna recipe.
Hey Lasagna! This recipe looks GREAT! Can’t wait to try it!
But I have to ask, if I want it to serve only 6 people instead of 12, can I halve the amount of ingredients used? And if we use beef sauages with the ground beef, will the beefy taste be too much? This would be my first time making lasagna and I want it to be just right! And thanks so much for posting the recipe! 
Hey Lavender,
I would suggest another option. Make the recipe for 12 and freeze the other half. I guarantee you will soon eat the left overs!
I have never tried the beef sausage so I cant say, I might try Turkey Italian Sausage before beef if you don’t want any pork.
Thanks
I made a low fat version of this using chicken sausage, ground turkey, low fat ricotta and part skim mozzarella. I also used rice pasta as I can’t have wheat or gluten. It turned out pretty tasty, you can see pics and read my review at: http://manminusgluten.blogspot.com/2009/11/lasagna-for-everyone.html
Hi,
at this moment…) plus at least thyme tomorrow? Or if I could find basil or oregano? I feel hopeless….and its a lot of sauce 
I used to made lasagna using a recipe from a friend and it almost similar with yours, but instead of italian mix seasoning, I used to have thyme and bay leaves. It was good. However, in the current small city where I live now, it is very HARD to found any italian herbs…I found parsley and fennel seed, but there is no thyme, bay leaf, basil nor italian seasoning. I was very determined to make lasagna today so I ‘pushed’ myself to make the sauce with your recipe, except the seasoning parts..which I know is very critical. I hope tomorrow I can go to other supermarket to find basil and italian seasoning and a friend’s house who said she has the thyme leaves brought from her home country. Do you think it will worked if I re-heat the current sauce (which does not smells right
the hopeless,
feb
Hey Febri
The seasoning is critical just as you said. Yes you can reheat it tomorrow when you get the right seasonings. Good Luck!
Very excellent recipe!!! It combines all the wonderful lasagna ingredients into one yummy recipe. Duly noted about the type of Italian sausage that should be used, as this will make it or break it from an overall flavor prospective.
One comment…when converting from the English to metric system, in some sections, you have converted dry ingred into a metric wet measure…Liquid ounces convert to milli liters (ml not mL as you have written), and dry ounces convert to grams. Please correct these conversions for our metrically minded friends as this is confusing.
Being a metric challenged American I will attempt to correctly convert the recipe again over the holidays.
definitely bomb lasagna. I made it last month and now I’m making it again right now! I do have some concerns though. 1st: When browning the meats, how brown should the ground beef be before continuing. I remember the first time I did it, the meat was rather brown but this time, I added the sauce when there was still a lil red because I’ve been letting it cook for nearly 15 mins. I cooked it in a sauce pan the first time and in a pot this time.
Also,
The baking times I followed with your recipe left part of the lasagna noodles still hard. I extended the cooking time for nearly 40 mins until it came out perfect.
Just wanted to Thank you for this awesome Lasagna Recipe.
First off I want to say… I’m No Cook..
But i wanted to make a really nice Home Made meal that I could be proud of for my entire Family.
To be honest I was a little worried when I read over the list of ingredients and the steps. But it recipe was extremely easy, with the well layed out steps and photos. I would think anyone could do it..
The meal was a smash… Even my little one who is extremely picky ate it right up…
So Thanks! Mad me look good in front of the whole Family.. Including In-Laws…
ya um! I am not a good cook at all but can be when I have good directions. My first 2 recipes I tried for lasagna were iffy at best and I was almost going to give up hope. But with a new fall/winter season I had to try again and went with this recipe which was the first one from my google search. This was a hit with the family and a keeper for my binder. Thanks Lasagna!
I followed your exact recipe except I used ground turkey and lamb. It was hands down the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted and if you tell my mom, I’ll have to hunt you down! Seriously, great recipe!
This is the best lasagna recipe and site that I’ve found! From the instructions, to the meat, to the sauce to the completed lasagna, everything is amazing and tastes great! The only thing I did different was sautee the onion and garlic in the pan first to release the flavor a little more then added the meat, etc. This was my first lasagna and now I’m making my second one thanks to you.
Thank you! I followed this recipe, deviating a little since I did it from memory, and it was DELICIOUS. I made it for my new
boyfriend and his friends– let’s just say it was a hit. I’m glad I was able to impress them with my “skills.” I’ve made lasagna before but this recipe was great. I would never think to use nutmeg. I did use a lot more garlic than suggested, but that’s a personal preference…and more mozz cheese. I’m having a lasagna cook off with my mother today and I know I’m going to win 
Do you have any veggie lasagna recipes/recommendations? Thanks again!
Great recipe!
I’m not a ricotta cheese fan (well, I’m am, but my stomach isn’t), so I took a frozen veggie mix (carrots, broc, cauliflower, squash, etc.), put it in the food processor, and used it instead of ricotta. I used 23 oz, just like the recipe called for.
Delicious! And it’s healthier and I got my veggies for the day.
That looks like a bloody good lasagna! Great blog and wonderful recipe ideas. I teach on a few cooking Holidays around the world and I will definitely be recommending this blog to my students.
This recipe is absolutely scrumptious. I’ve made it twice with the same rave reviews.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Yvette
Hey,
The recipe looks great and from the reviews I can assume it is. The only thing is I am in the middle of exams and I’m trying to plan my days out so that I make sure I get all the studying I need to do done but I’m making a dinner for some friends this weekend and I was wondering it I could get an approximate prep time for the meat sauce.
Thanks!
Amanda
I was just reading through the last of the posts and I noticed the one concerning measurements. As a metric speaking Canadian it made sense to me, but we tend to just back and forth between the two systems.
And I just want to say Thanks to Lasagne for doing all the conversions. It wasn’t really necessary, considering how easy it is for us to convert things on google, and that fact that you did shows
that you really care about your readers.
Below is the recipe, in point form, with most of the changes Valigirl requested, but if there were are any others google is a very efficient way to correct the conversions.
Happy Holidays!
No 1 Best Lasagna Recipe
Cook in 9 x13. Bake covered @ 350 F for 25 minutes. Uncovered for 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Meat Sauce:
Brown :
1 lbs (450 g) sweet Italian sausage
1 lbs (450 g) of ground beef
1/2 c. (125 ml) (64 g) onions
2 cloves of garlic
Add:
1 (28 oz) (784 g) can of crushed tomatoes
2 (8 oz) (230 g) cans of tomato sauce
2 (6 oz) (168 g) cans of tomato paste
1/2 c (125 ml) of water
Add:
2 tbsp (30 ml) white sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) fennel seed
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh Basil leaves
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh Italian parsley
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml)Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) ground pepper
Let simmer for an hour and a half.
**As far as I can tell measurements this size are typically only in tsp or ml, although oz. are used occasionally. If you were looking for ozs http://www.foodgeeks.com/resources/conversion_charts has a good conversion chart.
Cheese Filling:
Mix:
23 oz (644 g) ricotta cheese.
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fresh grated nutmeg
Add:
1 egg
2 tbsp ( 30 ml) fresh Italian parsley
Start Building:
2 c. (500 ml) meat sauce
6 noodles
Half of the ricotta mixture
Half of the mozzarella
Half of the Parmesan
2 (500 ml) meat sauce
6 noodles
Remaining ricotta mixture
Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses (Leave some for the top)
Last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
This is truly one of the best lasagne recipes ever. I made it for a birthday party and it was gone in minutes! It’s a little time consuming to make, but the results are truly worth it!
Much respect to the recipe ownder for this one. The number of comments speaks for itself. I’m just putting mine together now. I left out the sausage, unfortunately, but only because my “vegetarian” gf couldn’t get over that hump this time. I still put in two small pieces of chorizo for added flavour. Looking forward to enjoying it.
This recipe was amazing by far best lasagna recipe I’ve had the pleasure in making I did switch a couple of things instead of beef I used ground turkey and Turkey Italian sweet mild sausage, but other then that everything was the same and it was so delicious!
Thanks!!
we dont have sweet italian sausage here in the philippines, what sausage can i use for a substitute?
You can use any mild sausage, beef, pork, turkey.
I only have 15 oz of Ricotta cheese..can I add some cottage cheese?
I would not add cottage cheese
Will 15 oz of Ricotta be enough?
Yes you should be fine
I replaced the hamburger with ground venison and the italion sausage with pork sausage. The meat sauce is cooking now and it tastes wonderful. You’d never know I used venison in place of beef. The homegrown tomatoes give it a real tomato flavor. This is the second time I’ve made this lasagna.
Cottage cheese in lasagna?! blasphemy! How rude to tell someone what will make THEIR recipe better when you haven’t even tried it and then to suggest using cottage cheese, flour, and ragu to make lasagna “better”. Something tells me that is NOT the person to take lasagna cooking tips from.
Would u recommend me trying it without the sausage, because i am not a fan of sausage really..??
yes, it will still be great but not as rich.
I served this last night to a group of 32 people. I had made four to be sure and have enough and never cut into the fourth. Everyone was very complementary but I was a little disappointed. It was good but I felt that it needed more”zip”. I tend to add more spices than a recipe calls for but did not this time. Next time, I will double the spices
Can lasagna be assembled ahead of time and not cooked for a couple of days or should I cook and then reheat? I have made the meat sauce but have not assembled it yet. I want to serve it in a couple of days but don’t want to assemble when I have company already here.
I have the same issue next week with family coming in for holidays. I will cook the sauce the day before everyone arrives to get that out of the way. I will keep the sauce in the fridge until the day I need it. I want ultra fresh lasagna so I wont assemble the lasagna until the day I want to serve it. That’s just me, I want top shelf lasagna for my family this holiday. I don’t assemble lasagna then store it uncooked, I don’t want the noodles getting messed up.
Just my opinion. Happy Holidays!!!!
If i wanted to just use all beef and no italian sausage should I just make it using 2 lbs of ground beef rather than 1? Thanks
I would use beef sausage instead of more ground beef. you are wanting that rich sausage flavor added to the ground beef
I love lasagna! I’ve got to try this one, it sounds fantastic! we have gone from meat lasagna to lately doing a vegi – spinach lasagna, but I really like eating leftover meat lasagna a few days later and reheating it long enough to get the noodles slightly crispy. Great, now I need to make it again!
lasagna
I am having people over on the 26th can I make thw suce on the 23rd nd refrigeate till the 26th then assemble the lsagna
yes the sauce will be great!
I had 7 adults & 4 teenagers over for an early family Christmas celebration and used your lasagna recipe. Everyone loved it and think that I am an excellent cook. I thank you for sharing your recipe, it was delicious. If I want to have extra sauce available should I just add more of the tomato sauce, paste and water to the meat mixture and remove it before baking?
My family is coming over for Christmas eve/Christmas Day and I have never cooked for them before for Christmas. I am trying to use dishes that I can pre-make put in the refrigertaor and pull out right before cook time. Do you think I could do this with this Lasagna? If not what would you suggest that I do ?
Lasagna will work great!!
Cook the sauce first and put in the fridge.
When you are ready to cook the lasagna pull out the sauce.
Build the lasagna in the dish, Noodles, Sauce and Cheese. Its easy and fast.
Throw in the oven!!!!
I want to try your recipe with fresh lasagna noodles made with my KitchenAid pasta attachments. Do you have any recommendation for what thickness the noodles should be or any other modifications I would have to make? Thanks.
I bought a pan that is just a little bit bigger than the one you suggested, will this be a problem and it’s a coated pan? Should I cook it longer?
Hey Ben,
I have never tried making lasagna with fresh homemade pasta, I bet it will be wonderful!!
I do know from watching a ton of Food TV that fresh pasta cooks faster. You might want to check your lasagna about ten minutes early.
Let me know how it turns out!!!
It should not be a problem. Enjoy your lasagna.
I was not able to find crushed tomatoes. Is it okay to use diced tomatoes? Also, I used Johnsonville Italian Sweet sausage with Sweet Basil, thus I added only 1 teaspoon of chopped basil leaves. Let me know if you think I should add the other teaspoon. The sauce is done and in the refrigerator. I can’t wait to prepare the rest and serve tonight for Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes you can use the diced tomatoes, they will cook down.
Happy Holidays!!!
I see you were online today, I hope you see this! Help please… how big is the pot/dutch oven that you use? I have a 5 st dutch oven, I’m praying it’s big enough. TIA!
Mine is a 5 quart dutch oven.
I couldn’t find nutmegs at my local grocery stores so I look it up on the internet to figure out where can i gets some and found out that there poisonous. On the article it said a pinch or two is safe. Still, i want to keep it safe. Just wanted to get your attention on this.
Hey Rick
Most stores have nutmeg in the spice section.
I made this recipe on Christmas for my family. It was absolutely delicious. Everyone loved it. It was my 1st time making lasagna and it turned out wonderfully. Thank you!!!!!
I hope ground Nutmeg is okay to use. I will use less as we read and hear ‘less is more’. A little nervous about Netmeg in Lasagna, but I’ll give it a try.
I’ll let you know how it turns out.
I decided against the ground nutmeg. I remember once on the Cooking Channel, “If you don’t have fresh, omit.” I’m pretty sure he was talking about nutmeg.
Fran
I always do a meatless version of this lasagna. I’ve learned the hard way when I get a lasagna that falls apart to, instead, cook it the day before, then allow to cool to room temp. Put in refrigerator overnight for noodles to absorb excess water from sauce. Next day, reheat to serve. Although I have not tried it yet, preparing the sauce a day in advance might be another solution.
Some tips that I’ve taken from Italians on the internet are to not add oil to the boiling water when cooking pasta, only 1 tsp salt (preferably kosher salt) to the boiling water, and there is no need to add sugar to tomato sauce. There is a YouTube video called “Nona’s homemade cavatelli” where the same Italian grandmother says to leave out sugar in sauce, and increase flavor by adding more onion. I followed her advice and increased both onion (1 cup) and garlic (4 Tb when I sautee it in oil, along with all the seasonings (put them directly into the oil!), then when sauce is finished cooking and heat turned off, I add another 2 tsp), no sugar. It tasted so much better! Now I realize that sugar can overwhelm and change the flavor. However, for the meat version, you might need the sugar.
I went back to putting 1/2 tsp nutmeg (always freshly grated) in the ricotta. I increase flavor of the sauce by adding 2 bay leaves (buy the gigantic ones from ethnic grocery stores), and like I mentioned in earlier postings, the 1/4 – 1/2 c. cheap red wine (cheap burgundy was most economical) and 1/16 tsp red pepper flakes.
I followed your lasagna recipe for our Christmas dinner and it came out better than expected. So easy to make. Everyone is asking when will I be making more because everyone loved it. Thank you for this site and the great, easy recipe.
I couldn’t fine ricotta cheese in our local store here in the Philippines. What can I substitute for it? Can I substitute fennel seed to cumin powder? Tia.
Hey Tia
Read thru the discussion section on this recipe and the Print the No 1 Best Recipe section. Substitutions are discussed.
Good Luck!
very delicious food
You would have to eat enough nutmeg to choke a horse before it became poisonous. A half a teaspoon in a huge recipe like this is absolutely nothing to worry about. Nutmeg isn’t the only thing that is poisonous – Apple seeds are considered poisonous in large doses but we rarely would accidentally consume enough of them to cause harm.
Amateur Cook, I like the sweetness the sugar imparts the sauce. My Italian grandma sometimes added sugar to a Sunday gravy if it tasted like it needed it. She didn’t put onions in hers, though. Onions add sweetness to a sauce so perhaps if you use enough of them you wouldn’t need the sugar. I like the smaller amount of onion as called for in the recipe, however I do add one more clove of garlic.
I went to 3 supermarkets and could not find “sweet Italian sausage” — only “mild Italian sausage” or “hot Italian sausage” — so I choose the mild. I could not find 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes — so choose the 28 oz can of peeled ground tomatoes. Everyone enjoyed the lasagne dish as it turned out using what I could find – thank you – it is a repeat!
Mild Italian sausage is pretty much the same as sweet. Some companies just use a different terminology to distinguish it from the hot variety.
Ground tomatoes have a higher water content in them than crushed. Crushed usually have tomato puree added to them to create a more substantial consistency. It would be fine to use ground tomatoes in this recipe if you can’t find crushed, or you could use whole canned tomatoes and crush them yourself with a potato masher or food processor.
BTW, I use Johnsonville Mild Italian bulk sausage meat, which is really just ground pork with sausage seasoning in it. I prefer that over regular bulk Italian sausage meat because the latter has a higher fat content and I prefer less fat. I like more flavor than the mild sausage mixture has, though, so I add some Penzey’s Italian sausage seasoning to kick it up a notch.
Just some helpful hints from a middle aged Italian “mama”, LOL.
this lasagna is absolutely incredible! my husband and i found ourselves both sick & had to bail on our original new year’s eve plans. i decided to make a lasagna to try & do something special as i’ve never made one before, and am not a very good cook
the meat sauce is incredible in itself!! will definitely make this again for pasta or other dishes. the lasagna was fairly easy to make & tasted absolutely delicious.
i did add more onions to the sauce and less sugar. would also try making with a spicy sausage for more of a kick. possibly add just a bit of baking soda to tone down the acidity from the onions/tomato/garlic mixture instead of the sugar is another option.
awesome recipe!!
I really enjoyed this lasagna recipe. I made it with a few changes. I added some dried oregano because I like the flavor it imparts. I used less sugar but added about a half cup of chopped carrots. Finally, I used about a 1/2 pound of mild italian sausage and 1/2 pound of andouille sausage. I just love the taste of andouille and by using such a relatively small amount, it did not overpower the flavor of the sauce.
I wish I loved it but I didn’t. I followed the receipe to the letter and served it at a party for the first time and only got so-so responses. I personally thought the flavors were too complex and I didn’t particularly care for it. It was extremely rich and you could only eat small portions if you had other entrees/snacks/sides. I think of lasgana as “comfort food”, and this just didn’t do it for me. I tried the leftovers a few days later and had the same reaction. It’s probably more of just personal taste, but thought it was more trouble than it was worth. It beats frozen lasagna by a long shot, but not as good as I expected it to be.
Sorry the lasagna was not for you. We have had about 4 people out of 1 Million visitors to mylasagnarecipe.com who did not care for the lasagna. Percentage still high for folks loving this recipe.
Oh well, there are always going to be a few people who don’t like something even if most people love it. I can honestly say that I’ve never had better lasagna in my life than this recipe — I can hardly believe I made it myself!
For YEARS, I put off making lasagna as I seemed to always come up with some watery version, making Stouffers look good
BTW, I use spicy hot italian sausage and add hot pepper flakes and more fennel seed as I love the texture. I used fresh lasagna noodles (thanks to Federal Hill in Providence, RI!) and they need to soaking or cooking at all. The butcher at my shop ground the sirloin as I stood there, trimming it nicely for me.
My daughter and her new carnivore boyfriend whom I had never met, were coming for for a visit last year and I wanted to please him, plus my own very picky friend. You know how you’re super-critical of your own cooking? Even I adored this recipe. It looked gorgeous, was rich, think, cheesy but not all cheese, which was delicious. The cheese accents the meat, so its not just a cheese pie. The recipe made (I weighed it!) 10 lbs of lasagna and extra sauce! With the fantastic extra sauce, I sliced porcini polenta, sautéed it in butter after sprinkling it with parmesan cheese, and served it with the sauce. I can’t say enough about how delicious that was!
I tried having some lasagna from a local restaurant, and suddenly theirs tasted awfully bland, which I had never noticed before
For those who would prefer, you can find chicken andouille sausage to replace the hot sausage, or any other kinds of chicken sausage, but I prefer the spicy. A nice sparkling Prosecco before serving, is delightful, a nice rich red wine with is lovely. I made a broccoli rabe garlic soup to proceed the lasagna. Its simple, light, green.
Cheers
)
Corrections: Thick, not think, cheesy. Plus the fresh noodles need NO soaking or cooking, or else they’ll end up gooey. And I wanted to mention that f you were to make this ahead of time, at 10 lbs, I do think you’d ruin the texture in the reheating. Its just perfect and gorgeous on the first cooking. I use a dutch oven as well, its become my favorite pot in the kitchen.
Carole Lynn
You are making me hungry reading your post!!!!!
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve never made lasagna before but after stumbling upon this recipe and making for my boyfriend and friends it’s become the talk of town. I like that even though I did forgot the fennel seed or parmasan cheese it still came out very delicious. I also use smoked sausage rather than sweet sausage. again results were great. Thanks for such a great recipe.
I just want to thank you for this site and the great recipes. I had the whole family over for a double recipie of the no 1 Lasagne, and everybody loved it. I have now used the recipie on few ocations and the latest this evening when we had some friends over. I was asked to post the link to your site which I have gladly done. Thank you very much.
Fabulous lasagna! This is the best I have ever ate, and I’m an unnamed very seasoned veteran to Italian cuisine! FANTASTIC A+!
I would like to cook for 20-25 people. Should I double the recipe and cook in seperate pans or use a 18 X 26 pan?
If I use two seperate pan, can I cook them in the oven at the same time? Or should I just cook one at a time. If so, should I cook longer then the recommended time?
Thx
I am making it tonight for 12. Looks great
Will respond with final results later
I’m a total rookie cook, but while my wife was out of town I made dinner for my mother in law. Lasagna !!
She loved it. Thanks
p.s. I can’t believe it turn out just like the picture! and tasted great!
Its easier to cook one at a time but if you cook two together you will have to extend the cooking time.
P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N. I’m so happy I’ve finally found the perfect lasana recipe! Thanks!
Thank you so much for such a great lasagna recipe!! I just made one for 16 people. It looks and smells great! I haven’t tried yet but will tomorrow.
Well, I made this Christmas day and it was a hit! My friend even said, “I didn’t expect it to be good – but it really is!”
Some compliment, eh?
I actually used 1 lb of ground pork instead of 1 lb of Italian sausage. I did that because I’m really picky about Italian sausage and I didn’t want to try a brand and then hate it and feel like the holiday dinner was ruined. The pork worked great, if anyone else isn’t into sausage.
Hi, would love to thank you for your recipe I used for the past Christmas picnic we had with friends and it was my first time making a lasagna but with your ingredients it was the 1st best lasagna I’ve ever made.
Ngiyabonga (Thank U)
Duke
RSA
Best lasagna ever! Thanks a lot from Sweden!
I get my sausage on Federal Hill, Providence, RI at a well known Italian food purveyor. I use spicy Italian sausage. They also grind the meat for me while I wait, trimming the fat. I used fresh noodles which require no soaking.
This is the best recipe, EVER. Use quality ingredients with no substitutions, if possible.
Great recipe. Had to come up with a quick idea for unexpected quests. Worked out well, tasted great everyone left happy and sated.
Had unexpected guests coming and tried this lasagna. Very flavorful. Everyone left full and sated. Perfect ingredients
well i just made this lasagna…as a matter of fact its the first lasagna ive ever made…i didnt even taste it yet…its coooooling as i type…15 minutes to go…i did a triple layer jammy instead of a two layer…its almost 9:00 pm….late dinner i must say…i was gonna make garlic bread with it but the loaf went dippin into the leftover meat sauce…yummy yum yum..
i like my top layer of cheese a little on the crispy side…so i left it in longer and at a higher temp to penetrate all three layers of that yummy sausage and chopped meat goodness….i wish i could add a photo…its gonna taste amazing….with a tall glass of iced tea…well scratch lasagna off of my to do list….
I used turkey sausage and ground chicken breast (breast ground in food processor). I also used the entire 32oz of ricotta. It came out awesome! Will make again!
wow,yummy lasagna is my one of favorite…mmmm thanks for your recipe ill try this at home..:)
I’d love to try out the recipe, but that’s a lot of lasagna for the two people in my house o_o;;;
This was soooo good! Made the sauce yesterday and then made another bunch of sauce today (but no more meat) so there would be plenty extra. Also used ground turkey instead of beef and then half cottage cheese with the ricotta. Delicious recipe – thank you for sharing!
i was a little skeptical, but the nutmeg really does make it. bravo.
Just wanted to say that your recipe is AWESOME!!! I made it again by request! I wanted to say “Thank You!” for posting this. I have been telling everyone I know about it!
I would like to try this recipe for a small dinner group. If I cut the ingredient in half will it takes the same?
I would suggest cooking it as described in the recipe and freeze the half you dont use for another night.
Great Recipe! Made it and the wife loves it! Thanks!
I made this lasagne yesterday, and we all liked it, especially my daughter. Thank you, will make again.
I tried to read all the comments to find the answer to my question but I don’t think it’s there!
I’m cooking for my Mother in Law this weekend and want to impress! The only thing I’m not sure on, is the sausage. Do I have to remove the casing? Or just chop it up? I couldn’t quite tell from the picture!
Thanks for the yummy looking recipe!
I just chop the sausage up.
I woke up this morning and felt like Lasagne. The weather was bad so perfect day to make it except I didn’t have a recipe. I found this one and decided after reading the posts to give it a try. It was AWESOME! I didn’t have all the fresh ingredients on hand and didn’t allow for the full simmer time but it turned out great all the same. It’s the best I’ve ever made. Thanks for the recipe!!
Would this recipe work just as a cheese lasagna (no meat, no veggies)? Has anyone tried this recipe without the meat? Any suggestions other than amateur cook’s post (190)? This recipe looks very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
Hey thanks for the lasagna. I added a couple other items to help beef it up and added a few more layers and it was fab. A great idea.
thx
Awesome Lasagna! I wish I took a picture, it looked beautiful coming out the oven. I put the dish under the broiler for the last 6 minutes to make the cheese golden in color. I didn’t have the fennel seeds or fresh Italian Parsley (I used dry). It was still DELICIOUS! Next time I’ll be sure to have all the exact ingredients on hand. I wouldn’t change a thing….PERFECTION. My husband, sister and I loved it! Thank you, I will keep this recipe for sure.
Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.
i think its a great recipe but what where would i put the vegetables when putting it together…?could you please tell me?:)
thanks
I just wanted to say that I made this for a date night and it went incredibly well. It was really easy to make and the only real difference is that I added a bit of salt to the ricotta mixture and used regular mild italian sausage instead of the sweet…. We both agree that it was the best lasagna we’ve ever had. And it makes enough to feed a small army. I will be loving left-overs for days! Thanks again!
Dear Lasagna Master I am going to make Lasagna for 24 People for first time. I have to take it to my friends place for one dish party. I don’t know how to serve it. Please help me. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Ali Razvi
I dont understand the question. Are you asking do you serve it on a plate or bowl?
Hey Ella
Are you wanting to make a vegi lasagna?
Dear Lasagna Mater, I am going serve it on a plate, shell I add same thing with Lasagna on top or side of plate to look good. I am following your recipe but without Italian Sausage, if you give me a permission otherwise I go for vegi Lasagna, I don’t have recipe. Thanks for Your help.
Most people serve with side toss salad and garlic bread.
this by far was the best lasagna recipe i have ever tried. It was a big hit at my mother in laws house, Everybody loved it!!!! Thank you for posting it
My boyfriend proposed to me after I served him this incredible dish.
I swapped the crushed tomatoes for purred tomatoes because all three of the grocery stores I checked didn’t carry them. … Even with the substitution, it wasn’t runny in the least. Cutting and serving yielded a strong structure with a beautiful bisection.