Worlds Best Lasagna (Print Version)

Layers of pasta, meat sauce, and three cheeses bake into golden, bubbling perfection.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Set oven to 375°F and allow to reach full temperature before baking.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook while breaking up the meat into smaller pieces until fully browned, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat from the skillet.
04 - Stir marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and chopped basil into the browned meat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Stir until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
06 - Spread a thin layer of meat sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles in slightly overlapping rows over the sauce.
07 - Spread half of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with one-third of the shredded mozzarella, followed by additional meat sauce.
08 - Repeat the layering sequence: noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, another third of mozzarella, and meat sauce.
09 - Arrange the final layer of 4 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining meat sauce, then the final third of mozzarella and all grated Parmesan cheese.
10 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
11 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese topping becomes golden brown and bubbly.
12 - Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This resting period allows the layers to set properly for clean portions.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without breaking a sweat, and everyone goes quiet when they take the first bite.
  • The uncooked noodles soak up all that sauce and turn impossibly tender without any boiling fuss.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when all the flavors have melted into each other overnight.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time or your first slice will slide into a puddle, I learned that the hard way in front of guests.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, thin it with a splash of water so the noodles have enough moisture to soften properly.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts for clean, Instagram worthy slices that don't fall apart.
  • If the edges start browning too fast, tent the foil back over just those spots halfway through the uncovered bake.
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