Homemade Lasagna

I know this is a big statement, but this is the BEST homemade lasagna recipe. Whenever a friend has a baby or we are doing a meal train for someone, this is the meal that I prepare for them. And every time, I get text messages afterward with comments like “This is the best lasagna I’ve had in my life.” Of course, this pasta dish is also fabulous on a Sunday afternoon for a family dinner. 😉

Made with tender lasagna noodles, melty cheese, and meaty pasta sauce that’s simmered on the stove for hours, this cozy pasta is a winner!

Why You’ll Love This Homemade Lasagna Recipe

• So flavorful. The pasta sauce simmers on the stove for 2 hours and develops deep flavor in the process. This is the kind of recipe you start cooking early on a Sunday and let fill your home with the tempting aromas of home-cooked goodness.
• Layers of goodness. The meaty pasta sauce is seasoned with basil and oregano, then layered with cooked lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
• EASY. There is nothing unusual or fancy about this recipe. It is just down-home classic cooking and that is why it tastes so amazing.

Variation Ideas

This easy lasagna recipe is pretty perfect as is, but there are a few substitutions you can make:

• Kind of Meat. In place of ground beef, you could use ground venison, ground elk, or ground turkey. In fact, I have made this recipe with venison meat and it is super tasty!
• Add veggies. You can also add cooked veggies to this recipe. Add them right after each noodle layer. Some tasty ideas might be garlic sautéed spinach, cooked portobello mushrooms, or slices of zucchini and summer squash sautéed in a bit of olive oil with a touch of salt and pepper. Make sure you let extra liquid cook off before adding to your lasagna.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Layer Lasagna

Wondering what order lasagna is put together in? Here’s a quick guide:

• Sauce. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce over the bottom of your baking dish.
• Noodles. Top with 5 lasagna noodles, overlapping them a bit.
• Ricotta. Spread half the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
• Shredded cheese. Top with 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
• Sauce. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the cheese.
• Noodles. Top with 5 lasagna noodles, overlapping them a bit.
• Ricotta. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over the noodles.
• Shredded cheese. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
• Sauce. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the cheese.
• Noodles. Top with remaining 5 noodles, overlapping them a bit.
• Sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce on top of the noodles (about 1 1/2 cups).
• Shredded cheese. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cup of Mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Tips for the Best Lasagna

• Make extra noodles. This partially depends upon your personality/cooking habits. You need 15 lasagna noodles to make this recipe, but if you’re anything like me you should make a few extra noodles. One of my favorite things to do is take an extra noodle and use it to wipe up the extra sauce from inside the pot after the lasagna has been assembled. Then I roll that noodle up and take a big bite! Super satisfying.
• Don’t rush. Part of what makes this homemade lasagna so spectacular is the time + love that goes into making it. The sauce needs to simmer for at least 2 hours to get full-bodied, soul-warming flavor.
• Let it cool. This is the hardest part of this recipe. It is going to be super tempting to dig into this dish right after it comes out of the oven. But you need to give your lasagna at least 15 minutes to cool. During this time the noodles will absorb additional moisture and the cheese will solidify a touch, which will make it easier for you to get a clean slice.

How to Store & Reheat Lasagna

• Store in the fridge: Let your lasagna cool to room temperature then cover tightly with saran wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also cut the lasagna into individual slices and transfer them to an airtight container.
• To reheat: Place a slice on a plate and zap it in the microwave until heated through, about 2 minutes. For large slices, cut the slice in half to make sure the insides warm through. I have a post about how to reheat lasagna in various ways if you want to go the oven or air fryer method.

Can I Freeze Lasagna?

Yes! This homemade lasagna freezes well, which is is what makes it such a good meal train recipe. I recommend freezing the lasagna right after it has been assembled and before it has been baked.

• To freeze for yourself: Let the just assembled lasagna cool, then cover the top with a couple of layers of aluminum foil. Cover those layers with saran wrap and make sure you get a good seal. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed in the recipe card, adding about 10-15 minutes of baking to account for the lasagna being cold when it is baked.
• Freezing for a meal train/gift: I like to use foil pans with lids to prepare this lasagna for gift giving. Simply assemble the lasagna in the foil pan, let it cool, then cover it with the provided lid and seal well. I then write the following instructions on the lid:
  • [Date the lasagna was made.]
  • Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • Bake covered with the foil lid (or aluminum foil) at 375F for about 35 minutes.
  • Uncover and continue to bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the center is heated through, the sauce is bubbly and the cheese on top has melted.
  • Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

You can also freeze leftover lasagna if you have extras after baking and eating some. In this case, I recommend freezing individual slices in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat as outlined above. 🙂

More Pasta Dinner Ideas

• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno
• Baked Ziti