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The Best Classic Lasagna

The Best Classic Lasagna

The Best Classic Lasagna is a delicious homemade dish full of pasta, ricotta, meat sauce, and plenty of cheese.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 12 servings
Calories 463 kcal

Equipment

  • skillet
  • large bowl
  • baking dish

Ingredients
  

Meat Sauce

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 0.5 lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz.) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans (6 oz.) tomato paste
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 teaspoons salt divided
  • 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried basil leaves divided
  • 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 0.25 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley minced, divided

Cheese Mixture

  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
  • 15 oz. whole milk Ricotta cheese
  • 0.5 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
  • 1 large egg

Pasta

  • 12 noodles lasagna

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Make the meat sauce. Add beef and sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat. Return the meat to the skillet.
  • Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon basil, and the black pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the minced parsley.
  • As the sauce cooks, make the ricotta mixture. In a large bowl, add 1 cup mozzarella, the ricotta, ¼ cup parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ½ teaspoon basil. Stir until well incorporated.
  • Cook the pasta al dente, according to it's package directions.
  • Assemble the lasagna. In a 13x9 inch baking dish, add a very thin layer of meat sauce (about ¼ cup). Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, and 1 ½ (level) cups of meat sauce. Repeat the layers twice.
  • Add a final layer of the remaining noodles, meat sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and ¼ cup parmesan.
  • Cover with foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake 15 more minutes.
  • Let the lasagna cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Allow cooling time before cutting for easier serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 463kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 25gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1420mgPotassium: 812mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1115IUVitamin C: 14.9mgCalcium: 274mgIron: 3.7mg
Keyword best lasagna, classic lasagna, homemade lasagna recipe, lasagna recipe
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