Lindsey's Lasagna Recipe is layers of noodles, three types of cheese, homemade pasta sauce with three types of ground meat, plus herb-seasoned ricotta. A melty, cheesy, meaty lasagna that will soon be your go-to comfort dish!
If I had a dollar for every time my fiancé requested "I Don't Know" or "Whatever" for dinner, I could buy a yacht. Like a really big yacht. Like the kind that only Arab Sheikhs have. After much head-scratching, I've finally developed a recipe for both requests: Lasagna.
The best thing about lasagna is that it’s fool-proof. There is no whipping egg whites to the perfect height and then gently folding them in. Nope. It’s layering plain and simple. But, as in all Italian cooking, it’s all about the sauce. I use my sauce recipe that I shared earlier this week and it blew my fiancé away. I was supposed to freeze half the pan for him to eat while I am here in St. Louis wedding planning, but the lasagna didn’t last that long. It was just too good.
I’ve been developing my version of lasagna since college, when I was forced to actually make it for myself. I don’t know if my final (for now) version is traditional because I am 0% Italian, but I do know that it is sure to please anyone at the table!
Lindsey’s Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 fresh lasagna noodles (or 10 ruffled lasagna noodles dried)
- 1.5 quarts pasta sauce (I use my recipe here)
- 1 ½ pounds ground meat (I use ½ lb sirloin, ½ lb pork, ½ lb sweet Italian sausage)
- 1 cup parmesan cheese (shredded )
- 2 cups low fat ricotta cheese
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese (shredded )
- 2 tablespoons basil (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons oregano (chopped)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Brown meat, drain and add to sauce. Cook noodles until al dente. If you are using fresh noodles then lightly spray the bottom of your dish with olive oil. They will stick. I know this for a fact. Or spread it with a little sauce first!
- Sauté vegetables. These are optional because they make the sauce a little bit more watery, which is why they are not in the version in my photos. I usually add these veggies and whatever else I have on hand because they make the cheese-filled dish feel healthier! See details in notes.
- Mix basil & oregano with ricotta.
- Assemble your lasagna in the following order in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish:
- Noodles
- Ricotta (spread this with the back of a spoon while keeping a finger on the noodles, so they don’t move around.)
- Sauce with meat
- Veggies
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Repeat this process until your lasagna reaches your desired height. Add a little extra cheese to the top layer. With flat noodles you can get ~6 layers in this dish but only ~3 with the ruffled kind.
- Bake at 350° for ~ 45 or until the top browns and the sauce is bubbly. I suggest you let it cool at least 20 minutes before you cut it.
Notes
Lindsey’s Lasagna
An AHC Original Recipe
8 large flat lasagna noodles or 10 ruffled lasagna noodles
1.5 quarts pasta sauce (I use my recipe here)
1 ½ pounds ground meat (I use ½ lb sirloin, ½ lb pork, ½ lb sweet Italian sausage)
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
Optional: Chop ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ½ onion, and shredded carrots.
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
Brown meat, drain and add to sauce. Cook noodles until al dente. If you are using fresh noodles then lightly spray the bottom of your dish with olive oil. They will stick. I know this for a fact.
Sauté vegetables. These are optional because they make the sauce a little bit more watery, which is why they are not in the version in my photos. I usually add these veggies and whatever else I have on hand because they make the cheese-filled dish feel healthier!
Mix basil & oregano with ricotta.
Assemble your lasagna in the following order in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish:
Noodles
Ricotta (spread this with the back of a spoon while keeping a finger on the noodles, so they don’t move around.)
Sauce with meat
Veggies
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Repeat this process until your lasagna reaches your desired height. Add a little extra cheese to the top layer. With flat noodles you can get ~6 layers in this dish but only ~3 with the ruffled kind.
Bake at 350° for ~ 45 or until the top browns and the sauce is bubbly. I suggest you let it cool at least 20 minutes before you cut it.
I have tried this lasagna with whole-wheat noodles and it was good but they definitely change the texture. I have also made it healthier by halving the cheese, but I would just rather eat less and have all the cheesy goodness!
The great thing about lasagne is you can customize it to your own tastes. The key thing is lots of thin layers, not thick ones. And allow it to rest for 20 minutes so that it will set up and be easier to slice. If you use long noodles and not sheets of fresh pasta, lay each layer of past in a different direction. The lasagne will cut and hold its shape better.
Believe it or not, my lasagne recipe has no tomato sauce in the lasagne. It is layers of ground meat and spinach alternating with cheesy layers. The marinara sauce is ladled over the lasagne slices at the table. I learned to make it this way from the Sicilian grandmother of a college classmate.
Thanks for all the tips!!
Do you cover the lasagna before baking?
Hi Sarah! I don't but you can if you want. If you do just remove the cover for the last 20 minutes to get the nice browned top
Hi Lindsey
Can you use no-boil noodles in this recipe.
Hi Jackie, I'm not sure. I've never used no-boil noodles! I have used fresh or pre-cooked noodles (al dente). If you try the no-boil, let me know how it turns out!
Hi! I am going to make this for guests next week. I was wondering about how much this makes? Is it just a dish worth, should I double it for two dishes? Also, does your sauce recipe make enough for this recipe? Does it make more than enough? Just want to make sure to have all my ingredients reading for cooking! Thanks for the post! This looks delicious 🙂
This recipe will serve a generous 12 portions. It all depends on how many guests you have and if you want left overs the next day! If you double it and make two 13"x9"x2" dishes, you will have enough to feed a crowd! My sauce recipe makes more than enough for this recipe. You need 6 cups of sauce for the lasagna and the sauce recipe makes 8 cups. I usually freeze the extra for a last minute dinner or I serve it on the side.
Let me know how you and your guests like it or if you have any further questions when preparing it!
OH MY GOD.
Michael does that too. But then he complains if I haven't made enough stuff that he wants/likes. Ugh.
Lasagna to the rescue! It looks SOOO good!
I know! What is with that?! Men.
Lasagna works like a charm!
Ohh I love lasagna, especially when they are super-cheesy! Lol..guys are easy! I just love those "whatever" or "don't know" answers. You get to make up their mind for them lol. I think it would be a headache having a super-picky guy that made very specific requests all the time. I like guys that'll eat anything (as long as it's good, of course).
You make an excellent point! It would be much worse if he were picky. The requests for "Whatever" are only a problem if I don't know what the make either! But super cheese lasagna works every time!
I truly appreciate a good lasagna, but I don't make it very often. I can't bring myself to make all those dishes. This one sure does look like it would be worth the effort:)
Sometimes it does seem like a lot of effort but the result is so worth it! It usually takes only 20 minutes to pull together.