World's Best Lasagna (Print Version)

Layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and bubbling cheese—a comforting Italian classic.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Cheese

01 - 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
02 - 15 ounces ricotta cheese
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Meat Sauce

06 - 1 pound ground beef, lean
07 - 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
08 - 4 cups marinara sauce
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to skillet. Cook while breaking up meat until completely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
04 - Stir in marinara sauce, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
05 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg. Mix until smooth consistency is achieved.
06 - Spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
07 - Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over sauce with slight overlapping.
08 - Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with one-third of mozzarella cheese, then additional meat sauce.
09 - Repeat layering sequence: noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, mozzarella, meat sauce.
10 - Top with final layer of lasagna noodles, remaining meat sauce, then cover with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
11 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
12 - Remove foil and bake for additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
13 - Allow lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without you spending all day in the kitchen, and somehow tastes even better the next day.
  • The uncooked noodles soak up all the sauce while baking, creating layers that hold together beautifully when you slice into them.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time or your first slice will fall apart and all that beautiful layering will be lost.
  • Make sure your meat sauce is saucy enough to hydrate the dry noodles, they'll absorb a lot of liquid as they bake.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts to get neat slices that show off all those gorgeous layers.
  • If the top starts browning too quickly, tent the foil loosely over the dish for the last few minutes of baking.
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