Lasagna is the perfect dish for a family gathering or date night. My son is a picky eater and it’s one of his favorites!
With its layers of pasta, meat, and cheese, it’s no wonder why people love homemade lasagna.
In this blog post, I’m going to teach you how to make delicious homemade lasagna in four easy steps.
Homemade Lasagna Ingredients
Making lasagna from scratch requires just a few easy-to-find ingredients. You’ll need:
- Lasagna noodles
- Ground beef or Italian sausage (or different meats you prefer)
- Ricotta cheese
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Tomato sauce or Tomate paste
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Onion
- Oregano
- Basil
- Parsley flakes
- Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper
How to Make Homemade Lasagna
- The first step in baking lasagna is preheating the oven. Preheat your oven temperature to 375°F.
- Once the oven has finished preheating, it’s time to assemble your lasagna. Be sure to use an oven-safe dish that’s at least 2 inches deep. I suggest this one on Amazon for just $30. Important step: Use nonstick cooking spray on the bottom of the dish.
- Next, you’ll need to prepare your lasagna noodles according to the package instructions. This usually involves boiling noodles for 10-12 minutes until they’re tender but still firm. Once that’s done drain them and rinse them with cold water before setting them aside for later use.
- Layer your ingredients as desired. Be sure that each layer is evenly spread out. More specifically, layer in the following order: noodles (1/3 of total), meat sauce (1/3 of total), ricotta cheese (all of it), and noodles (1/3 of total). Finally, top off your lasagna with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese… or cottage cheese – whatever cheese mixture with the spices and herbs you prefer! Repeat layers as much as you’d like.
- Cover the top of the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes of cooking time, remove the aluminum foil and check if your lasagna is done by sticking a fork into several places throughout the dish. If all of them are tender yet firm, then you’re good to go!
- However, if some layers of noodles are still tough, cover them again with aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes before checking again with a fork.
- Once everything is cooked through, take out your lasagna and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Feel free to add spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce on top of the lasagna as well as cheese melts.
Pro tip: Add some olive oil to a large bowl or large skillet over medium-high heat when making the homemade meat sauce or tons of cheese this easy lasagna recipe calls for.
To save some leftover lasagna for later, just throw some plastic wrap over the lasagna pan and put it in the refrigerator.
To heat up a frozen lasagna, use medium heat in the microwave (in a microwave-safe dish) for each individual serving, or pop the entire baking dish back in the conventional oven until the top is sizzling golden brown.
Baking lasagna in a convection oven can seem intimidating but with a few simple steps and some patience, you can make a delicious meal that everyone will enjoy. If you’re looking for easy spaghetti sauce recipes, click here.
Find me on social media at @ChristinaAllDay and let me know how this classic lasagna recipe turned out!
Bon Appetit!
