The Best Homemade Lasagna + Variations
This homemade lasagna has been a family favorite for almost 30 years. It can be adapted to be vegetarian, gluten-free, made with fresh or aged mozzarella cheese, in one big casserole dish, two smaller dishes, or even a Crockpot.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1.25 Pounds Ground Beef (or bison, or venison) (see notes for vegetarian variation)
- 1.25 Cups Yellow Onions (chopped)
- 3 Large Cloves of Garlic (minced)
- 6 Ounce Can of Tomato Paste
- 14.5 Ounce Can Petite Diced Tomatoes (and juice)
- 15 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano (dried)
- 1 Teaspoon Marjoram (dried)
- 1 Tablespoon Basil (dried, or 2 tablespoons fresh)
- 1 Teaspoon Tarragon (dried)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Crushed Fennel Seeds (or less if finely ground)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 1/2 Cup Water
Filling:
- 1 Egg (beaten)
- 15 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley (dried)
- 1/4 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
Additional Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- 16 Ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (or 12 ounces/2 cups aged shredded mozzarella)(or a combination of each)
- 6 Long Sheets of Lasagna Noodles (dried *see notes for gluten-free options)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F/190C/Gas Mark 5.
Make the Sauce
- Start a large pan of water to boil and season heavily with salt. Cover pan to get water to boil quicker.
- Meanwhile to make your sauce, cook ground meat and onions in a large deep skillet on medium high heat until meat is brown and onions are tender. Add minced garlic just before all the meat is browned.
- Drain fat if there’s a lot. I use a 85/15 blend, so I don’t drain it.
- Stir in remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until it’s not too watery. Stir occasionally.
- While sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions minus one minute (they will continue to cook in the oven and you don’t want mushy noodles.
Make the Filling
- Stir all filling ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined.
Layer the Ingredients
- Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish (approximately 11” x 12” or 10” x 14” , and at least 2.5” - 3” deep) to keep noodles from sticking to the bottom.
- Layer dish with half of the noodles, then spread half of the filling on top of the noodles, then top with half of the meat sauce, then half of the mozzarella (fresh or aged), *see note about fresh mozzarella.
- Repeat layers and top with remaining parmigiano reggiano Cheese.
Bake
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and starting to brown slightly. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*If using fresh mozzarella, it doesn’t need it to be a solid layer, just tear it and place chunks evenly over the sauce. It will melt and spread.
*Gluten-Free option: Use gluten-free pasta or roasted zucchini ribbons in place of pasta.
*Vegetarian option: Drizzle 1 pound of cauliflower pieces with olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for 20 minutes at 425°F/220°C/Gas Mark 7. Break up a bit to resemble ground beef and either add to sauce before layering, or just layer on top of the sauce layers.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 27gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 846mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 978IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 392mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!