Worlds Best Lasagna (Printable)

Layers of tender pasta, rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and bubbling cheese make this a comforting Italian classic.

# 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 recommended
07 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
08 - 4 cups marinara sauce
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat your oven to 375°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned completely, 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix thoroughly until smooth and fully incorporated.
06 - Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
07 - Arrange 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping as needed to fit the dish.
08 - Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, top with one-third of the mozzarella, then add a layer of meat sauce.
09 - Repeat layers: noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, another third of mozzarella, and meat sauce.
10 - Finish with remaining noodles, meat sauce, remaining mozzarella, and all Parmesan cheese on top.
11 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
13 - Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing to allow layers to set for clean cuts.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of two meats creates a depth of flavor that makes people pause after their first bite
  • Uncooked noodles mean less prep time and they absorb all those sauce flavors perfectly
02 -
  • Draining the meat fat after browning keeps the lasagna from becoming greasy while resting
  • The resting period is nonnegotiable cutting too early makes everything slide apart
03 -
  • Slightly overlap the noodles rather than leaving gaps or they'll shrink apart during baking
  • Mix a handful of Parmesan into the ricotta mixture for hidden pockets of salty flavor
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