House Lasagna Recipe

Prepare sauce

Heat a large skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When hot, add chopped onion and sauté 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan. Break meat into pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains, about 7–9 minutes. Season meat with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper while cooking.

Drain excess fat from the pan carefully, leaving a little (about 1 tablespoon) for flavor. Return pan to medium heat and stir in tomato paste; cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize and deepen flavor.

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup water to the meat. Stir in dried basil, oregano, dried parsley, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and sugar if using. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.

If you prefer a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender for a few pulses to break down larger tomato chunks; otherwise leave as-is.

Mix cheese filling

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, egg, chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until smooth and evenly combined. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or a small amount of olive oil.

Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish to prevent sticking and to provide an even base layer.

Arrange 4 oven-ready lasagna noodles in a single layer over the sauce. Spoon and spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles (about 2/3 cup). Top the ricotta with about 1 cup of meat sauce, spreading to cover. Sprinkle 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce.

Repeat layering: a second layer of 4 noodles, another third of the ricotta mixture, about 1 cup meat sauce, and another 3/4 cup mozzarella.

Finish with the remaining 4 noodles, spread the remaining ricotta mixture (or skip ricotta on top if you prefer), top with remaining meat sauce (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups) and evenly sprinkle remaining shredded mozzarella and the grated Parmesan.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (to prevent cheese from sticking to foil, tent the foil or spray the underside lightly with cooking spray). Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden at the edges and sauce is bubbling.

If you prefer a browned top, switch oven to broil and broil 1–2 minutes watching carefully to avoid burning. Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for 10–15 minutes to allow lasagna to set for cleaner slices.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves and let cool slightly before serving. Cut into 8–12 portions depending on desired serving size.