Go Back
+ servings

The Best Lasagna

This is The Best Lasagna- it's hearty and bursting with so much flavor from the homemade meat sauce and layers of cheese and pasta all nestled in.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 681kcal

Ingredients

For the meat:

  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the sauce:

  • 28 ounces canned whole tomatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • cup dry red wine
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 30 ounces canned tomato sauce
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Kosher salt to taste

For assembly:

  • 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
  • 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Fresh chopped basil for garnish optional
  • Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

  • In a large bowl add the ground beef, sausage, garlic powder, onion powder, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined.
  • Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat mixture and brown it, breaking it up into crumbles until no longer pink, 10-15 minutes. Drain any excess liquid that comes off the meat.
  • While the meat is cooking, put the whole tomatoes into a large bowl along with the juice. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes into small pieces, discard any hard pieces of tomato, set aside.
  • Add the minced garlic cloves to the pot and mix them in, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the wine and tomato paste, mix it in. If there are any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, scrape them off.
  • Add the tomatoes you crushed by hand along with the tomato sauce, parmesan, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix it in fully until combined.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes. If you can let it simmer longer, I suggest you do, up to 2 more hours. Stirring occasionally.
  • Taste the sauce and add more salt or other seasonings if needed to your taste.
  • While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noodles per the directions on the back of the box. Drain them.
  • Spray a large sheet tray lightly with cooking spray. Lay the noodles out flat, spraying the tops lightly with more cooking spray between layers so they don’t stick together.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13x3 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, parmesan, and half of the mozzarella set aside.
  • To assemble the lasagna, spread a heaping cup of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Place 4 lasagna noodles down the length of the dish, they will need to overlap a little to fit.
  • Spread ⅓ of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles.
  • Spread another heaping cup of the sauce on top.
  • Repeat two more times with the noodles, cheese mixture, and sauce with another layer of noodles on top. You may not use all of the lasagna noodles. Top the whole thing with 1 & ½ cups of the sauce. Cover with foil.
  • Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. Take off the foil and add the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the dried oregano and garlic powder on top. Place it back in the oven and bake for 5-8 more minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • If you want to brown the cheese, turn the broiler on high and broil until you reach your desired browning. Make sure to watch it the entire time so it doesn’t burn.
  • Take out of the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Garnish with fresh chopped basil and parsley if desired.

Notes

  1. make this lasagna with extra sauce, so don't be surprised if it all doesn't fit in the pan. The extra sauce is great for serving on top of each slice of lasagna!
  2. If you need a shortcut, you can use two 32-ounce bottles of whatever sauce you prefer. 
  3. You can swap out the meats or change them up if desired. 
  4. This is a great recipe to double and make more of for later, perfect for meal prep. 
  5. Try to use a deep dish lasagna pan if possible.
  6. This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.

Nutrition

Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 1472mg | Potassium: 921mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1258IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 525mg | Iron: 4mg