The Ultimate Guide to Amazing Lasagna

Classic Lasagna is a must-have staple in your recipe arsenal. It’s perfect for cold weekends, dinner parties, or a date night in with a bottle of wine.

When it comes to comfort food, lasagna is the superstar of casseroles: timeless, iconic, and even better the next day.

This classic lasagna recipe has everything you want—rich layers of savory meat sauce, creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and pasta cooked to perfection. Plus, it’s one of those dishes that makes your kitchen smell like an Italian grandmother’s hug, and honestly, who doesn’t need that?

So, if you’re one that loves to take your time in the kitchen enjoying a glass of wine as you work, this dish is for you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This isn’t just any lasagna—it’s the lasagna. My version includes a killer meat sauce made with ground beef and Italian sausage, a splash of good red wine (save some for the chef), and a hint of balsamic vinegar to tie everything together. The ricotta mixture is creamy, cheesy, and perfectly seasoned, while layers of mozzarella and provolone bring that stretchy cheese pull you’re here for.

Oh, and the best part? It’s easier than you think to pull off. This recipe is foolproof, delicious, and guaranteed to make you the hero of dinner.

How To Make The Best Lasagna

Here’s what you’ll need to create your own lasagna masterpiece:

Meat sauce: Ground beef, Italian sausage, and a mix of crushed and petite diced tomatoes.
Cheesy goodness: Ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, and provolone.
Flavor boosters: Balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and a medley of dried herbs.
The foundation: Lasagna noodles—because this is lasagna, after all.

Let’s Break It Down: Step-by-Step

1. Build the Sauce

Start by heating olive oil in a pan, sautéing your garlic until fragrant, then tossing in diced onions. When the onions go in, add some salt. This is important because it will draw the moisture out (sweat) and caramelize them a bit.

Add the ground beef and sausage, cooking until browned and crumbly. Now add the liquids: stir in Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and seasoned salt. Bring it all to a slow boil before reducing the heat and adding a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Cover and simmer while you sip on that red wine you were “taste-testing.”

2. Mix the Ricotta Layer

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, an egg, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Adjust to taste because this layer is where creamy dreams come true.

3. Assemble Like a Pro

Grab a 9×10 baking dish and start layering like your lasagna depends on it:

Spread a little sauce on the bottom to prevent sticking.
Lay down those lasagna noodles like a pasta foundation. And, no, you don’t pre-boil and it doesn’t matter if it says that on the pasta package or not because noodles are noodles. The sauce cooks the pasta, and this is why it’s important to cover with foil tightly.
Add a layer of ricotta mixture. I like to use a pastry brush because it’s much easier than fighting with a spoon that only spreads the mixture around the spoon.
Add more meat sauce, and then slices of provolone/mozzarella.
Repeat with more pasta, ricotta, sauce, and provolone/mozzarella.
Keep going until you’re out of ingredients or room in your pan (whichever comes first). You want to end with meat sauce and mozzarella/provolone on top.

4. Bake It to Perfection

Cover your lasagna dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for an hour.

Then uncover it, sprinkle a little extra mozzarella if you’re feeling generous, and bake for another 15 minutes until it’s golden and bubbling. Let it rest for 10 minutes because molten lasagna is no one’s friend (but it smells divine).

Pro Tips for the Best Lasagna Ever

Go big on seasoning: The sauce and ricotta layers are your flavor MVPs. Don’t skimp on salt or those magical dried herbs.
Activate your herbs: Before tossing in the dried herbs, rub them between your fingers just a little to “wake them up”. Trust me; their fragrance will intensify, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Use quality wine: If it’s not good enough to drink, it’s not good enough for your lasagna. Shiraz and Pinot Noir work beautifully here; I’ve used both.
Don’t rush the rest time: Let the lasagna sit after baking to firm up the layers. It’s worth the wait, I promise.

What To Serve With Lasagna

Along with a hunk of garlic bread and a glass of that red wine you cleverly saved, any of the following will pair great with this lasagna:

Whether it’s a family dinner, a potluck, or a Tuesday, this lasagna will be your go-to dish. When you get comfortable making it, feel free to tweak it to make it your own. Play with different meats, cheeses and seasonings.

This isn’t just a dish; it’s an experience. It’s hearty enough to feed a crowd (or provide you with several days of glorious leftovers), decadent enough for special occasions, and comforting enough to make any bad day better.

Here’s your printable –

Yield: 12 servings

Classic Lasagna

Homemade lasagna with meat sauce, ricotta, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses and baked until bubbly.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground round
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
1 egg
12 oz container ricotta cheese
12 oz package lasagna pasta
1/2 cup beef broth
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
16 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbsp dried basil
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, divided
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup medium bodied red wine like Shiraz or Pinot Noir (good enough to drink)
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese
8 oz sliced provolone cheese
1 tbsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat, and add garlic.
When fragrant add onions and saute for about a minute or two. Add sausage and ground beef, mashing and stirring until all is crumbled and browned.
Add 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, both cans of tomatoes, beef broth, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low.
When no longer boiling, add balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
Taste periodically and adjust salt/seasonings to your preference.
Next, mix ricotta, eggs, and parm in a medium mixing bowl.
Salt and pepper to your taste. I add about 1 tbsp of sea salt and 2 tbsp coarse pepper, but that's me.
In a 9x10 baking pan, pour 1/2 cup of the sauce and spread on the bottom.
Layer lasagna noodles, followed by ricotta mixture, then sauce.
Next, layer 3 1/2 Provolone slices on top of the sauce, followed by more pasta, ricotta, sauce and next mozzarella.
Continue repeating until the dish is almost full.
Cover very tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley, then cut and serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1000Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 279mgSodium: 3915mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 6gSugar: 13gProtein: 74g

Author

Shea Goldstein

Shea Goldstein is the voice behind Dixie Chik Cooks. She's a recipe developer, brand ambassador and food writer. She has been published in Redbook, Parade, Food Blogger Magazine and more. Shea is a Southern Belle Who's Thinking About What's For Dinner While Eating Lunch.
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The Ultimate Guide to Amazing Lasagna