Worlds Best Lasagna (Printable)

Rich Italian comfort food featuring pasta layers with meat sauce, ricotta, and golden melted cheese topping.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta and Cheese

01 - 12 sheets 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

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 375°F and allow it to reach full temperature.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook while breaking apart the meat until fully browned, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to meld flavors.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Stir until smooth and fully incorporated.
06 - Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
07 - Arrange 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping at edges.
08 - Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third of the mozzarella cheese, followed by additional meat sauce.
09 - Layer again with remaining noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining mozzarella, and remaining meat sauce.
10 - Place the final layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with remaining meat sauce, reserved mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
13 - Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The uncooked noodles soak up all the sauce flavor as they bake, creating tender layers without the hassle of boiling water.
  • It feeds a crowd generously and actually tastes better the next day when all the flavors have melted together.
  • You can assemble it hours ahead and just slide it in the oven when guests arrive, making you look effortlessly impressive.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting time after baking or your lasagna will slide apart into a messy puddle when you try to serve it, no matter how carefully you cut.
  • If your noodles poke up above the sauce on top, they'll bake into hard, crunchy edges, so make sure every bit of pasta is covered with sauce or tucked under cheese.
  • Draining the fat after browning the meat is essential unless you want a greasy sauce that separates and pools on top.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to cut clean slices without dragging all the layers apart, wiping the blade between cuts.
  • If you want an even richer lasagna, brush the top layer of noodles with a little heavy cream before adding the final layer of sauce and cheese.
  • Let your meat sauce cool for 10 minutes before assembling so it doesn't make the ricotta mixture runny and hard to spread.
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