Description
The Best Homemade Lasagna captures the essence of homemade comfort with layers of perfectly tender pasta, rich meat ragu, creamy béchamel, and a blend of cheeses, all baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- Olive oil — 2 tablespoons
- Yellow onion, diced — 1 large
- Garlic, minced — 4 cloves
- Lean ground beef (or lamb) — 1.5 lbs (about 680g)
- Crushed tomatoes — 28 oz can (about 794g)
- Tomato paste — 6 oz can (about 170g)
- Beef broth — 1 cup (240ml)
- Dried oregano — 1 teaspoon
- Dried basil — 1 teaspoon
- Bay leaves — 2
- Salt — 1 teaspoon (or to taste)
- Black pepper — ½ teaspoon (or to taste)
For the Béchamel Sauce
- Unsalted butter — 4 tablespoons
- All-purpose flour — 4 tablespoons
- Whole milk, warm — 3 cups (720ml)
- Nutmeg, freshly grated — ¼ teaspoon
- Salt — ½ teaspoon
- White pepper — ¼ teaspoon
For the Cheese Filling
- Whole milk ricotta cheese — 15 oz container (about 425g)
- Large egg — 1
- Fresh parsley, chopped — ¼ cup
- Salt — ½ teaspoon
- Black pepper — ¼ teaspoon
For Assembly
- Lasagna noodles, oven-ready — 12–15 sheets (or regular noodles, cooked al dente)
- Low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded — 4 cups (about 450g)
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated — ½ cup (about 50g)
Instructions
- Prepare the meat sauce by heating olive oil, cooking onion and garlic, adding ground beef, stirring in tomato paste, and simmering with crushed tomatoes and spices
- Make the béchamel sauce by melting butter, whisking in flour, gradually adding warm milk, and seasoning with nutmeg and pepper
- Prepare the cheese filling by combining ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and assemble lasagna with layers of meat sauce, noodles, ricotta, béchamel, and mozzarella
- Cover with foil and bake, then remove foil and continue baking until golden brow
- Let it rest before serving
Notes
Lasagna can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for later use.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 650-750 kcal
- Sugar: 8-12 g
- Sodium: 800-1000 mg
- Fat: 35-45 g
- Saturated Fat: 18-25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: varies
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45-55 g
- Fiber: 5-7 g
- Protein: 40-50 g
- Cholesterol: 120-150 mg