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Lasagna

Classic Lasagna is a tried and true family favorite dinner made with a homemade meat sauce, layers pasta and lots of melty cheese. A great dinner for any night of the week and a great dish to serve for guests.

The homemade sauce is extra meaty and delicious making this pasta casserole a hearty meal.  Serve lasagna with a green salad and breadsticks or garlic bread for a meal the entire family can agree on. You might also like our vegetarian Grilled Zucchini Lasagna.

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Lasagna in a casserole dish, plate of breadsticks, salad in a bowl with tomatoes, red check napkin

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Ingredients for Classic Lasagna:

Ingredients to make lasagna with meat sauce

  • Ground Beef
  • Sausage
  • Olive Oil
  • Onion & Garlic
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Basil & Oregano
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cottage Cheese or Ricotta
  • Fresh Rosemary
  • Egg
  • Lasagna Noodles
  • Shredded Italian Cheese Blend 
  • Mozzarella

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How to Make Lasagna:

Collage of cooking ground beef and sausage with onions and garlic for lasagna

  • Start with the sauce by browning ground beef and sausage over medium heat, in a large pan. Stir to break into small pieces and brown well. 
  • Drizzle in olive oil and add diced onion and minced garlic, continue to cook for about 5 minutes.

Making meat sauce with tomato, basil and oregano for baked lasagna

  • Stir in tomato sauce. Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper. 
  • Simmer sauce for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring often. 

Cooked lasagna noodles on a sheet pan with parchment paper

  • Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles about 6 minutes in boiling water. Remove from water with tongs and place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Use parchment paper, to create layers of the lasagna without them sticking together. 

Collage of cottage cheese and herb filling with beaten egg for lasagna

  • If you are using cottage cheese, drain well. Mix with fresh rosemary, salt, pepper and a beaten egg. 

Collage layering sauce, pasta, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese

  • Use a 9 x 13 casserole dish  and cover the bottom with the meat sauce in a thin layer. 
  • Top with a single layer of lasagna noodles.
  • Spread with cottage cheese and herb mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Collage of pasta, sauce, cheese layer, pasta for lasagna

  • Add another layer of noodles and repeat with sauce, cottage cheese mixture, shredded cheese and pasta.

collage sliced cheese, meat sauce, pasta, meat sauce for lasagna

  • Top with a layer of sliced mozzarella, meat sauce, noodles, and sauce.

Collage of lasagna casserole, shredded cheese, sliced mozzarella

  • Finish with the remaining sliced mozzarella.

Casserole covered in aluminum foil on a sheet pan

  • Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with non stick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Place on a sheet pan to catch any drips or spills since the casserole dish is very full. 
  • Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook another 25 minutes. 

cheesy baked lasagna in a glass baking dish

  • Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Lasagna:

Store in the casserole dish covered with foil or plastic wrap up to 5 days. 

Freeze baked lasagna wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat lasagna in a 300° oven, covered with foil for 30 minutes. If using a glass casserole dish, do not put a cold dish into a hot oven. Transfer to a room temperature dish before reheating.

9 x 13 casserole with baked lasagna, plate of breadsticks, salad with tomatoes

Tips for Making Lasagna:

No Boil Noodles will speed up the process but for the best texture and flavor, go ahead and boil the noodles. Only cook them about half way, about 5 minutes and they will be perfectly cooked when the casserole is baked. 

Don’t cook the entire box at once, cook the pasta in batches. Remove each lasagna noodle from the pan with tongs and place in a single layer. Use parchment paper or foil to make layers of the pasta without them sticking together. 

We use a combination of lean ground beef and our homemade sausage. You can just use ground beef or just sausage. Italian sausage or any sausage you have on hand.

Jar pasta sauce will work for the tomato sauce, we love our homemade roasted tomato sauce. 

A block of mozzarella, sliced with make the best layer of gooey cheese for the top of the casserole.

Either ricotta cheese or cottage cheese will work and add a bit of creaminess to offset the acid of the tomato sauce. 

Let the baked lasagna cool a bit so that it will set up and is easier to slice and serve. 

Lasagna can be made ahead to the point of baking. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days before baking. If using a glass baking dish, bring casserole to room temperature before baking.

You might also like this crispy Chicken Parmesan for a quick Italian style family dinner. 

Delicious Pasta Dinners

Slice of baked lasagna with a breadstick and salad on a white plate

Add this classic lasagna to the menu this week. It is great for feeding a hungry crowd and also makes a great dish to bake and share for someone that could use a helping hand. 

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Pan of baked lasagna, platter of breadsticks and bowl of salad topped with tomatoes
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Lasagna

Classic Lasagna is a tried and true family favorite dinner made with a homemade meat sauce and layers pasta and lots of melty cheese. A great dinner for any night of the week and a great dish to serve for guests.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic lasagna, lasagna with meat sauce, pasta casserole
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 491kcal
Author: Milisa

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 pound ground sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 6 cups roasted tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons basil
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt divided use
  • 2 teaspoon pepper divided use
  • 24 ounces cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 8 ounces shredded Italian cheese
  • 16 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef and sausage over medium heat in a large pan. Stir often and break into pieces to brown all sides.
  • Add olive oil, onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in tomato sauce with basil, oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer sauce for 45 minutes to one hour. Stir occasionally.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  • Cook pasta in batches for 5 minutes. Remove with tongs to a greased or lined baking sheet in a single layer. Use foil or parchment paper to layer pasta without sticking together.
  • If you are using cottage cheese, drain well. Mix with fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Mix in beaten egg. Refrigerate until ready to layer casserole.
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spoon sauce into bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
  • Add lasagna noodles in a single layer to cover the sauce.
  • Top with an even layer of cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
  • Repeat with a layer of noodles, sauce, cottage cheese mixture, shredded cheese and pasta.
  • Add a layer of sliced mozzarella, meat sauce, noodles, sauce and finish with the remaining sliced mozzarella.
  • Cover with aluminum foil that is coated with non stick cooking spray. Place on a sheet pan to catch any over flow while cooking.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook another 25 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Store in the casserole dish covered with foil or plastic wrap up to 5 days. 
Freeze baked lasagna wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil for up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat lasagna in a 300° oven, covered with foil for 30 minutes. If using a glass casserole dish, do not put a cold dish into a hot oven. Transfer to a room temperature dish before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1506mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

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