This homemade lasagna recipe reminds me of home during my childhood. Lasagna was always my mother’s favorite recipe to make for big family dinners. This hearty meat sauce made from scratch with added flavors from Italy. Fennel, oregano and basil will have you shouting Bon Appetit!
This homemade lasagna pairs ground beef and sausage together resulting in the ultimate lasagna lovers’ Italian dream.
Layers of lasagna
There is not a traditional number of layers for a great lasagna. Most lasagnas have three to four layers. If your baking dish can hold more, I say the bigger the better! If you ask an Italian, they will tell you that a lasagna has no less than three layers.
Layering the lasagna
Start with covering the bottom of the 13 x 9 baking dish with a thin layer of meat sauce. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan. Fill the bottom of the sauce covered pan with any of the following: fresh, boiled, or ready to bake pasta sheets. It is okay and preferred to overlap these sheets to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish. Next, add a layer of the creamy white ricotta cheese mixture followed by meat sauce and then mozzarella cheese. Continue layering finishing off with mozzarella cheese.
Served on the side
Homemade lasagna is such a delicious and sizeable meal. My go to sides when I make this truly delicious dish is a classic green crisp and crunchy Caesar salad and soft, yet chewy garlic bread sticks or garlic knots.
There are several other light and enticing side dishes that would be tasty. Try a kale salad, brussel sprouts or roasted broccoli. A prosciutto and fig salad or a caprese salad. Gorgonzola bites, asparagus or even roasted carrots would be a delicious side dish.
The Best breads for those last bits of meat sauce
Italian food and bread go hand in hand. It is rare to see one without the other. My favorite bread recipe to serve with this homemade lasagna is garlic breadsticks. That isn’t the only bread you can serve. Garlic bread or garlic knots will add to those decadent garlicky flavors in the lasagna.
Another great match would be a thick slice of chewy ciabatta, focaccia or asiago bread. Served with room temperature butter.
Fresh pasta sheets or store bought
In my opinion, there is no wrong way to serve pasta. As a working mom, I simply do not have the time to make my pasta fresh.
Fresh pasta is made from flour, egg and water. The dough is prepared, kneaded and made into your favorite desired shape or sheet.
Store bought pasta is made from semolina flour, salt and water. Because there is no egg in store bought pasta, it can last for much longer and does not have to be refrigerated.
Which is better is narrowed down to what dish you are making and the sauce it is being served with. A store-bought pasta is usually heavier and thicker and can hold the sauce better.
Homemade pasta is light and soft, making it a great pair for a creamy sauce or seafood.
Storing homemade lasagna
After letting the bubbly sauce cool to room temperature, place your left-over homemade lasagna in an air tight container. Stored properly, the lasagna can last in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Of course, to preserve the fresh lasagna taste it can be frozen. After cooling the lasagna to room temperature and placing it in the air tight containers for storage, place it in the freezer. Stored correctly, lasagna can be kept for up to three months in the freezer.
How to Defrost Lasagna
Defrosting lasagna isn’t complicated. There are two methods to defrost. Remove the lasagna from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. Let it thaw overnight or for up to eight hours.
If you need a quicker remedy, open the lid to your airtight container the lasagna has been stored in. Remove the lid, and gently set the lid on top of the container so that there isn’t a seal. Place the container in the microwave and set it to defrost for about five minutes.
How to Reheat Lasagna
The microwave can not only defrost your lasagna, it can reheat it too. After the lasagna isn’t a frozen block anymore, keep it covered. Heat it in the microwave for one to two minutes. Be careful because the sauce will be hot.
My favorite method for reheating lasagna is back in the oven. Place it in a baking dish and reheat at 350 degrees for 30 minutes for that fresh baked smell.
Warm up some French bread and toss a fresh salad and you will have a delicious homemade lasagna dinner all over again.
This homemade lasagna recipe is thick, wholesome and filling. Made from scratch and easy to assemble. You will love making this tasty dinner, but the best part will be the memories made at the dinner table with your family while eating it.
Homemade Lasagna Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Italian sausage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Fennel seeds
- Oregano
- Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Ricotta cheese
- Egg
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Lasagna noodles
How To Make Homemade Lasagna
- In a large electric skillet at 325° or frying pan, over medium heat, add ground beef and Italian sausage. Crumble and cook until no longer pink.
- Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
- Drain grease and return to pan. Add fennel seeds, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Turn to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to package until al dente.
- In a small bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and parmesan cheese together.
- To assemble the lasagna, spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add about a cup of meat sauce to the bottom of pan, followed by 4-5 lasagna noodles, overlapping each other.
- On top of noodles, add a layer of ricotta cheese mixture then meat sauce followed by mozzarella cheese.
- Continue by adding another layer of noodles followed by the ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven and serve with a side salad and garlic bread.
Try This Delicious Homemade Lasagna Today
Here are a few more recipes you might enjoy that can be found on the blog.
Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1½ tsp oregano
- 1½ tsp basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- (2) 14.5 oz cans tomato sauce
- 12 oz can tomato paste
- 15 oz can water
- 16 oz Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 24 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 lb box lasagna noodles
Instructions
- In a large electric skillet at 325° or frying pan, over medium heat, add ground beef and Italian sausage. Crumble and cook until no longer pink.
- Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent.
- Drain grease and return to pan. Add fennel seeds, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Turn to low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to package until al dente.
- In a small bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and parmesan cheese together.
- To assemble the lasagna, spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of pan, followed by 4-5 lasagna noodles, overlapping each other.
- On top of noodles, add a layer of ricotta mixture. Top with sauce then mozzarella cheese.
- Continue by adding another layer of pasta followed by the ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat one more time ending with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Carefully remove from oven and serve with a side salad and garlic bread.
Here are two pics that are perfect to pin to your favorite Pasta, Comfort Food or Italian Food boards on Pinterest.
