The Best Homemade Lasagna

Is there anything more comforting than a big dish of homemade lasagna? While there are mounds of recipes out there, this one is one of the best homemade lasagna recipes I’ve made. It was a staple growing up and now I get to make it for my family!

This recipe uses layers of oven-ready pasta, an easy homemade meat sauce, and a cheesy spinach blend that amps up the veggie content and the flavour of this homemade lasagna. Throw in some mozzarella, and you’ve got lasagna perfection.

This homemade lasagna recipe is a recipe that my mom used to make growing up. She always used cottage cheese in the recipe, which adds a lightness to the lasagna. The curds in the cottage cheese also add an extra texture boost, which we love.

The addition of thawed frozen spinach pairs perfectly with the rich meat sauce in the lasagna. The meat sauce itself is a quick yet delicious sauce using canned tomato sauce enhanced with freshly chopped tomato and onions, along with a few other simple ingredients. If you’re looking for an even richer, slow-cooking meat sauce, our Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce recipe is a great option.

How to make the best homemade lasagna

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the chopped onion until beginning to caramelize. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Stir in chopped tomato, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, and season with salt and pepper.

Pour in tomato sauce and water, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in sugar. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, stir together beaten egg, cottage cheese, mozzarella, spinach, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 1 cup of tomato sauce, covering the bottom of the dish.

Lay lasagna pasta sheets in rows over the sauce, breaking to fit. Allow a few millimetres of space between sheets to allow for pasta to expand as it cooks.

Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture onto the pasta, spreading to the edges of the pan. Top with 1/3 of the tomato sauce, then another layer of pasta.

Layer remaining cheese mixture, 1/3 of the sauce, and one more layer of pasta, breaking to fit. Top with last 1/3 of the tomato sauce.

Sprinkle grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese over lasagna. Season with pepper.

Cover lasagna loosely with tin foil, tenting it so that the foil doesn’t touch the cheese as much as possible. Bake in a degree oven for or until pasta is soft when pierced with a sharp knife and top of lasagna is bubbling. Remove foil for the last 20 minutes of baking. Lasagna will be very hot, so let cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to garnish.

Items you made need:

Saucepan

9×13 baking dish

FAQ

Is lasagna better with ricotta or cottage cheese?

While I love ricotta cheese, cottage cheese is an affordable option that adds a lighter texture to the lasagna than ricotta. The small curds of cottage cheese also add great texture. However, both work well and can be interchanged.

What is the correct order to layer a lasagna?

It’s important to put a layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan to prevent the pasta from sticking to the dish. Here’s the order I like to use:

1. Layer of sauce
2. Layer of pasta
3. Layer of cottage cheese mixture
4. Layer of sauce
5. Layer of pasta
6. Layer of cottage cheese mixture
7. Layer of sauce
8. Layer of pasta
9. Layer of sauce
10. Layer of mozzarella & parmesan cheese

Do you have to boil lasagna noodles before baking?

That depends on the type of pasta you want to buy. Oven-ready lasagna noodles (like the ones we use in this recipe) are an easy option because they don’t need to be cooked first. Just make sure they are spaced in the dish with some room to expand, and the tomato sauce has some added water, as the pasta will absorb it as it cooks.

If your pasta doesn’t say ‘oven-ready’ on the box, it likely needs to be boiled before use. Simply follow the instructions on the box. In this case, the pasta doesn’t need room to expand in the lasagna, and the sauce can be a bit thicker.

Why is there egg in lasagna?

The egg acts as a binder in lasagna, though you can omit it if desired.

How do you know when lasagna is cooked?

Lasagna is ready when a sharp knife doesn’t face too much resistance when pushed through the center of the lasagna. However, the pasta should not be overcooked or mushy. The cheese on the top of the lasagna should be bubbly and browning slightly. Covering the lasagna with foil for the majority of the time, then removing it for the last 20 minutes, helps keep the top from browning too much.

Can I use store-bought sauce in lasagna?

Absolutely! Any pasta sauce will work in this recipe, though you will want to add about 1 cup of water to it since the pasta will absorb it while cooking. However, if you have the time to whip together the sauce in this recipe, it adds a special depth of flavour a jarred sauce just doesn’t provide 😉 .

Find more delicious dinner recipes:

Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce

Sticky & Sweet Baked Chicken Drumsticks

Sausage, White Bean, & Rapini Soup

Spring Asparagus, Lemon, & Bacon Pasta

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! 

The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe

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