This easy homemade lasagna is pure comfort food and absolutely delicious! The perfect recipe that works well for both a holiday gathering or a cozy weeknight dinner.
Easy Homemade Lasagna
Is there anything more comforting than a hearty, cheesy, gooey, saucey slice of lasagna? Oh my gosh it doesn’t get any better.
Whether you need a casserole to feed a crowd or you’re just craving some cozy weeknight comfort food, this easy homemade lasagna recipe is exactly what you need. Made with a combination of Italian sausage, ground beef, and plenty of fresh herbs, it comes out absolutely delicious every single time.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
If you have never made lasagna before, this easy recipe is a great place to start. I know you will love it!
More Delicious Casseroles
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
- The Best Turkey Lasagna
- Healthy Baked Ziti
- Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Homemade Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna Noodles: we’re using 12 lasagna noodle sheets for this dish.
Marinara Sauce: You can use your favorite jarred marinara sauce for this recipe which keeps things nice and easy.
Zucchini: I like to add a layer of sliced zucchini for an easy way to get in extra veggies.
Spinach: we’re adding a bit of fresh spinach to the meat sauce for even more of those veggies.
Ground Beef and Italian Sausage: we’re making this lasagna extra flavorful by using a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage
Parmesan Rind: to give the meat sauce even more flavor we’re adding in a parmesan rind while the sauce simmers.
Lemon Juice: this adds a bit more fresh flavor to the ricotta mixture.
Cheese: a combination of classic ricotta cheese, parmesan, and of course mozzarella.
Herbs and Seasonings: fresh herbs, Italian seasonings, and loads of fresh garlic.
Ingredients Swaps and Frequently Asked Questions
- Noodles – feel free to use whole wheat or gluten free noodles if your prefer.
- Zucchini – don’t have zucchini? leave it out.
- Protein – You can easily make this lasagna with all ground turkey if you like!
- Cheese – if you haven’t a favorite vegan cheese alternative and want to keep this recipe dairy free, feel free to use it.
How to Make Homemade Lasagna
Make the Sauce: First, you’ll make the meat sauce for the lasagna! Brown the ground beef and then add the aromatics and seasonings. Next, you’ll add the marinara sauce, parmesan rind, bay leaf, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Lastly, you’ll stir in the chopped spinach until wilted and set aside while you prep the rest of the lasagna.
Make the Ricotta Filling: Add the ricotta, lemon juice, black pepper, parmesan, parsley, and chopped basil to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling hot water and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and drain.
Assemble the Lasagna: Pour roughly 1 cup of sauce to the casserole dish and spread it out to coat the bottom of the dish. Add 4 lasagna noodles, lengthwise, to the casserole dish (it’s ok if the edges overlap a little bit), then spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, next sprinkle over 1 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, next lay down a layer of sliced zucchini horizontally, and then spread out 2 cups of meat sauce. Repeat for the second layer, using all of the remaining zucchini slices. For the third and final layer, you will skip the zucchini and mozzarella cheese. Instead add a layer of noodles, the ricotta mixture, and then pour over any remaining meat sauce.
Bake: Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the lasagna is bubbly around the edges. Remove the lasagna from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and starts to become golden brown.
Serve: Let the lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.
Can You Freeze Lasagna?
Yes! I often make a pan of lasagna and freeze half for a rainy day. It’s a great option to have in the freezer on those nights when you just don’t know what to make for dinner.
To freeze, make sure the lasagna has completely cooled to room temperature. Then slice it into large portions and transfer to a freezer safe storage container.
Best Way to Reheat
To reheat the frozen lasagna, remove it from the freezer and place in the fridge to thaw completely. Once thawed, you can reheat the lasagna in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees until bubbly and heated through.
More Healthy Italian Inspired Recipes
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
- 30 Minute Turkey Bolognese
- Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Italian White Bean and Sausage Soup
I hope you give this Easy Lasagna Recipe a try! It’s the perfect hearty comfort food.
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
Print
Lasagna
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 – 25oz jars marinara sauce
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1 dried bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup roughly chopped spinach
For the Ricotta Filling
- 16 oz whole-milk ricotta
- juice of half lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
Method
- Make the Sauce: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground sausage and ground beef. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the meat is brown, add in the minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes or until the meat is fully cooked through and the garlic is fragrant. Add the marinara sauce, parmesan rind, dried bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined, lower to low heat, and simmer the sauce, covered, for 15-20 minutes. After the sauce has simmered, discard the bay leaf and stir in the chopped spinach until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the Ricotta Filling: Add the ricotta, lemon juice, black pepper, parmesan, parsley, and chopped basil to a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
- Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling hot water and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking. Remove the noodles from the water and drain.
- Assemble the Lasagna: Pour roughly 1 cup of sauce to the casserole dish and spread it out to coat the bottom of the dish. Add 4 lasagna noodles, lengthwise, to the casserole dish (it’s ok if the edges overlap a little bit), then spread a heaping 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, next sprinkle over 1 1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, next lay down a layer of sliced zucchini horizontally, and then spread out 2 cups of meat sauce. Repeat for the second layer, using all of the remaining zucchini slices. For the third and final layer, you will skip the zucchini and mozzarella cheese. Instead add a layer of noodles, the ricotta mixture, and then pour over any remaining meat sauce.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until the lasagna is bubbly around the edges.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and starts to become golden brown.
- Let the lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
