Worlds Best Lasagna (Printable)

Italian comfort food featuring tender pasta layers, seasoned meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and golden melted cheese.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 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 Prepare:

01 - Set oven temperature to 375°F
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to skillet, breaking up meat with spatula. Cook for 8-10 minutes until fully browned. Drain excess fat
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors
05 - In mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix until smooth consistency
06 - Spread thin layer of meat sauce on bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish
07 - Arrange 4 lasagna noodles slightly overlapping on sauce layer
08 - Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with one-third of mozzarella cheese, then one-third of meat sauce
09 - Repeat sequence with 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, another one-third of mozzarella, and another one-third of meat sauce
10 - Layer final 4 noodles on top. Cover with remaining meat sauce, then top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
11 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes
12 - Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly
13 - Remove from oven and allow lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The uncooked noodles soften perfectly in the oven, absorbing all that rich sauce without turning mushy.
  • It actually tastes better the next day once all the flavors have gotten to know each other.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time thinking you're saving minutes—this is when the lasagna actually becomes lasagna instead of hot sauce with noodles.
  • Taste your sauce before it goes in the oven; if it needs salt, add it now, not after three layers are already assembled.
03 -
  • If your cheese is browning too fast but the noodles aren't cooked through, tent the foil back on loosely for the last few minutes—you control the temperature with this simple adjustment.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully in a 350°F oven covered with foil for about 20 minutes, and they taste somehow even better because the flavors have spent more time getting to know each other.
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