Lasagna Recipe

Brown the sausage

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil (1 tbsp). Add Italian sausage (1 lb) with casings removed, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink and starting to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pan.

Sweat aromatics

To the same skillet over medium heat, add chopped onion (1 cup). Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic (3 cloves) and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring so garlic doesn't burn.

Simmer sauce

Stir in tomato paste (3 tbsp) and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes (28 oz), browned sausage, dried oregano (1 tsp), dried basil (1 tsp), red pepper flakes (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), black pepper (1 tsp) and sugar (1 tsp, optional). Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.

Mix cheeses

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta (2 cups), 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (reserve 1 cup for topping), grated Parmesan (1 cup), egg (1), chopped parsley (2 tbsp), salt (1/2 tsp) and black pepper (1/4 tsp). Mix until homogenous and slightly fluffy. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

Prep noodles

If using regular dry lasagna noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles until al dente, about 8–10 minutes (they will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and lay noodles flat on a sheet tray or clean towel to prevent sticking. If using no-boil noodles, skip boiling and proceed to assembling, ensuring sauce is slightly thinner to hydrate noodles.

Preheat oven and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil or nonstick spray.

Assemble lasagna

Spread a thin layer (about 1 cup) of meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish to prevent sticking. Arrange 3–4 lasagna noodles in a single layer to cover the sauce (overlap slightly as needed). Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles (about 1 cup). Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce over the ricotta layer and sprinkle a handful (about 1/2 cup) of shredded mozzarella. Optionally place a few fresh basil leaves across this layer. Repeat two more times to create three layers total (noodles → ricotta → sauce → mozzarella). Top with remaining noodles if needed, then spread remaining sauce evenly over the top. Finish with reserved 1 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan evenly over the top.

Bake

Cover the lasagna tightly with foil (to prevent cheese sticking, tent foil or spray underside with oil). Bake in preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges are lightly browned and sauce is bubbling.

Rest and serve

Remove lasagna from oven and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes to set (this makes slicing cleaner). Garnish with additional chopped parsley or basil if desired. Slice into 8–12 portions and serve warm.