A cozy, layered dish baked with love — hearty, cheesy, and perfect for family dinners.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45–55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15–20 minutes
Servings: 8–10 slices
Ingredients
Choose Your Filling
Classic Beef Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb Italian sausage (optional for extra flavor)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce OR 3 cups homemade sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Three-Cheese Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the Layers
- 12 lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)
- 2–3 cups shredded mozzarella (for topping)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Directions
1. Prepare the Meat Sauce (if using Classic Beef)
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef (and sausage if using) over medium heat until browned.
- Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened.
- Stir in marinara, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 10 minutes to deepen flavor; remove from heat.
2. Prepare the Three-Cheese Filling (if using cheese-only option)
- In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Combine until smooth and creamy.
3. Cook the Lasagna Noodles
- Boil noodles according to package instructions (skip if using oven-ready).
- Drain and lay them flat on parchment paper to prevent sticking.
4. Assemble the Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Add the first layer of noodles.
- Spread a layer of ricotta mixture (or cheese filling), then add meat sauce.
- Sprinkle mozzarella.
- Repeat layers: noodles → cheese → sauce → mozzarella.
- Finish with noodles + sauce + generous mozzarella + Parmesan on top.
5. Bake
- Cover with foil (spray with oil to prevent sticking).
- Bake 25 minutes covered.
- Remove foil and bake 20–25 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and golden.
6. Rest & Serve
- Let lasagna rest 10–15 minutes before slicing — this keeps the layers neat.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
- Serve warm with garlic bread or a fresh salad.
Notes from Mama Clara’s Kitchen
“A good lasagna is like a warm hug from the oven — slow-baked, layered with love, and made to bring everyone to the table.”
