Worlds Best Lasagna (Print Version)

Layers of pasta, meat sauce, ricotta, and melted cheese make this Italian classic irresistible.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
02 - 15 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Meat Sauce

06 - 1 lb ground beef, lean
07 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
08 - 4 cups marinara sauce
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat your oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook while breaking up the meat until completely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors thoroughly.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix until the texture is smooth and uniform.
06 - Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
07 - Add 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles in slightly overlapping pattern.
08 - Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third of the mozzarella cheese, then additional meat sauce.
09 - Repeat the layering sequence: noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, and meat sauce.
10 - Top with the last layer of noodles, remaining meat sauce, then finish with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
13 - Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving to set the layers properly.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The uncooked noodles absorb all the sauce flavor while baking, giving you tender pasta without the hassle of boiling.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the layers have had time to become friends.
  • One pan feeds a crowd or gives you a week of lunches without any extra effort.
02 -
  • If your lasagna turns out watery, you likely didn't let it rest long enough or your sauce was too thin to begin with.
  • Covering with foil is non-negotiable for the first part of baking, without it the noodles stay crunchy and the top burns.
  • Don't skip draining the meat, that extra grease will pool on top and make everything greasy instead of rich.
03 -
  • Let your meat sauce cool for a few minutes before assembling so the ricotta doesn't curdle from the heat.
  • Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to slice clean portions without dragging all the layers apart.
  • If the edges start browning too fast, tent the foil back over just the corners while it finishes baking.
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