Homemade Lasagna

Homemade lasagna is a baked pasta casserole with layers of noodles, meat sauce, and cheese that bakes until the edges bubble and the top browns. The trick is cooking the pasta just short of tender so the layers stay distinct when you slice, and draining the meat well so the filling does not make the noodles soggy.

Ingredients for Homemade Lasagna

Ground beef forms the savory base of the sauce, while onion and garlic add depth. Tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes give body and acidity. Tomato paste concentrates the tomato flavor. Olive oil helps soften the aromatics, and salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil season the meat layer. Lasagna noodles form the structure, cooked until just barely tender. Ricotta cheese is creamy and mild, mozzarella cheese melts and browns, Parmesan cheese adds a sharp edge, and egg binds the cheese mixture together. Parsley brings a fresh note to the cheese layer.

Why This Homemade Lasagna Works

The meat sauce simmers long enough for the flavors to meld and the liquid to reduce slightly, so it clings to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom. Cooking the pasta just short of tender, it will soften more as the lasagna bakes, keeps the layers from turning to mush.

The cheese mixture acts as a binder and moisture barrier between the noodles and sauce. The egg helps it hold together when you cut, while the ricotta stays creamy and the mozzarella melts into a binding layer. Baking covered keeps the top from drying out, then uncovering in the last few minutes lets the cheese brown lightly.

Mistakes To Avoid

Cooking the pasta all the way to tender before baking makes it turn to pulp in the oven. The noodles continue to absorb liquid as the lasagna bakes, so they need to start slightly firm or they will fall apart when you cut.

Skipping the draining step leaves fat in the meat sauce that pools on top of the lasagna and makes the noodles slick and oily. Pat the cooked meat dry in the colander with a clean kitchen towel for best results.

Not resting the lasagna before cutting means the cheese is still molten and the layers have not set, so they slide and slump when you lift a piece. Ten to 15 minutes is enough time for everything to firm up.

Leaving the lasagna uncovered for the entire bake dries out the top layer and the exposed edges turn hard and brown. Cover it with foil for the first 30 to 40 minutes, then uncover it so the cheese on top can brown in the last 15 to 20 minutes.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound lasagna noodles
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute until shimmering. Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent.
2. Add minced garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ground beef, breaking it apart with a spoon, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is crumbled.
3. Drain the cooked beef in a colander, pressing with a spoon to remove excess fat. Return the meat to the skillet.
4. Stir in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend.
5. While the sauce cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions (usually 7 to 8 minutes total) until the noodles are just under al dente and still slightly firm at the center. Drain in a colander and lay flat on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
6. In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and a pinch of salt and pepper until combined.
7. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Lay 3 to 4 noodles over the sauce in a single layer, slightly overlapping. Spread one-third of the cheese mixture over the noodles, then add one-third of the remaining meat sauce.
8. Repeat the layers two more times: noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce. Top with a final layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce, then sprinkle the reserved 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over the top.
9. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 to 40 minutes until the sauce bubbles at the edges. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes more until the cheese on top is melted and light golden brown and the center reads 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
10. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. This allows the layers to set so they hold together when you lift each piece onto a plate.