How to Make Lasagna
Lasagna goes wrong in two places — a watery sauce, and cutting it the moment it leaves the oven. Simmer the sauce until it is genuinely thick, bind the ricotta with an egg, and then leave the whole thing alone for twenty minutes before a knife goes near it. That rest is not optional; it is what turns a delicious mess into slices.
The short answer
Lasagna takes about 2 hours total and serves 12 from a 9x13 dish. Simmer a meat sauce for 30 minutes until it mounds on a spoon, bind 15 oz of ricotta with 1 egg and 1/2 cup parmesan, then build three rounds of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella and sauce. Bake at 375°F covered for 25 minutes and uncovered for 25 more. Then rest it 20 minutes before cutting — that rest is what produces clean slices instead of a scoop, and a thin sauce is the usual reason lasagna comes out watery.
How to Make Lasagna, step by step
- Brown the beef and sausage with onion, then simmer the sauce a full 30 minutes until thick.
- Boil the noodles just to al dente — they finish cooking in the oven.
- Beat an egg into the ricotta with parmesan so the layer sets instead of running.
- Build three layers: sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella. Finish with sauce and cheese.
- Bake covered, then uncovered to brown — and rest it 20 minutes before cutting.
Classic Meat Lasagna
Serves 12 · 2 hr total · 28g protein / 30g carbs / 22g fat per serving
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for the top
- 1 lb mozzarella, shredded
- 12 lasagna noodles
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Brown the beef and sausage with the onion in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat. Drain most of the fat, then add the garlic for a minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil and oregano. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, until thick enough to mound on a spoon. A thin sauce here is a soupy lasagna later.
- Meanwhile boil the noodles to just al dente — a minute short of the box time. Lay them flat on oiled foil so they do not weld together.
- Beat the egg into the ricotta with the parmesan, half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. The egg is what sets the layer.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9x13 dish, then build three rounds of: noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce.
- Finish with sauce, the last of the mozzarella and a dusting of parmesan.
- Cover with foil (tented so it does not touch the cheese) and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 minutes more, until browned and bubbling at the edges.
- Rest 20 minutes before cutting. This is the step that decides whether you get slices or a scoop.
Macro note: Swapping the beef for ground turkey and using part-skim ricotta brings it to about 340 cal and 13g fat a serving.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my lasagna watery?
The sauce went in too thin, or wet vegetables were added raw. Simmer the sauce until it mounds on a spoon rather than running off it. If you are adding spinach or mushrooms, cook them first and squeeze the liquid out.
Ricotta or béchamel?
Ricotta is the American standard and what this recipe uses; béchamel is traditional in Bologna and gives a silkier, less grainy result. Both work. If you use ricotta, bind it with an egg or the layer will slide.
Can I assemble it ahead?
Yes. Build it, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then add about 15 minutes to the covered bake time. It also freezes well unbaked for up to 3 months — thaw overnight before baking.