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Classic Lasagna

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The Best Classic Lasagna

This homemade classic lasagna recipe is absolutely delicious and one that will be requested over and over. A delicious comfort food that satisfies those pasta cravings, those cheese cravings and it’s an easy lasagna recipe to prepare. And, the leftovers are to die for! This meat lasagna recipe is even better the second day. Loaded with gobs of cheese, from the mozzarella cheese, to the cottage cheese (can substitute Ricotta cheese for a more traditional lasagna recipe), to the Parmesan cheese, this is one extra cheesy lasagna recipe everyone will love. You can also add more mozzarella cheese if you’d like it even more cheesy. Like I’ve said many times, you can never have enough cheese.

Classic Lasagna

Easy Meat Lasagna Recipe

Do you have a family favorite meal that you have been making for ages and ages? Well, this Classic Lasagna recipe is one that I have been making since my son was little. As a young mom, I can remember heading to the grocery store and usually buying the stuff to make this and another family favorite, Farfalle with Sausage. At least once a month I made this simple lasagna recipe. Being a stay at home mom, I loved to cook and did a lot of it, always making different meals and this easy meat lasagna recipe was one of our favorites that is still being requested often.

Classic Lasagna

Simple Lasagna Recipe

The last time I made this classic lasagna was probably about a month ago. My daughter, Halie, did not even know I made this homemade lasagna recipe with cottage cheese. While she was helping me, she was surprised when I asked her to get the cottage cheese out of the fridge. Halie had no clue that I have used this all these years. That’s funny to me because she doesn’t even like cottage cheese, but she loves this classic lasagna! Classic lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese is just as delicious. Substituting ricotta cheese for cottage cheese is a more authentic Italian lasagna recipe.

Classic Lasagna

Favorite Go-To Lasagna Recipe

Totally a delicious comfort food that the whole family will enjoy and a favorite go-to lasagna recipe that will be gobbled up in no time. Everyone loves this classic lasagna and we hope that it will become a family favorite lasagna in your house too. And to make things even easier, the oven ready lasagna noodles are perfect to use as well and makes preparing this meal even quicker. So if you are craving good Italian food, and a delicious Italian lasagna recipe, try this classic lasagna. I promise, you will absolutely love this homemade lasagna recipe.

How To Make Classic Lasagna

Start out by cooking onions and garlic for a few minutes then adding ground beef. Brown, drain fat, then return to pan. Next, add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, seasonings and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low flame for 20-25 minutes. While the meat mixture is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, rinse and set aside. Spray a large baking dish with a non stick spray then spread a small amount of meat sauce to the bottom of the dish.

How To Layer Classic Lasagna

After adding a layer of meat sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, add a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread cottage cheese or ricotta cheese on top of pasta, add a layer of meat sauce and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Next add mozzarella cheese and then repeat layering process ending with the meat mixture then topped with mozzarella cheese.

How To Bake Classic Lasagna

Spray a piece of foil with a non stick spray then cover lasagna. Spraying the foil will help keep the cheese from sticking. Bake in a 350° oven for approximately 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes. That’s it! Easy and so delicious.

Classic Lasagna

Classic Lasagna – Today It Today

Classic Lasagna

Here are just a few more delicious casserole recipes you can find on the blog: Italian Sausage Penne Casserole, Spicy Tater Tot Casserole, Broccoli Cheddar Tater Tot Casserole and how about this delicious Farfalle with Sausage, plus many more.

The Best Meat Lasagna Recipe

4.18 from 45 votes
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Classic Lasagna
Course: Casserole, Comfort Food, Main Meals
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Terri
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
  • 1 15 oz can water, use the tomato sauce can
  • 1 12 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 24 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (can use more)
  • 16 oz cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 16 oz box lasagna pasta, you will only need about 15 noodles
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large pan, add olive oil, chopped onions and garlic. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add ground beef and cook until completely browned, drain fat. Return to pan.
  4. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for approximately 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, rinse and set aside.
  7. Lightly spray a 14 x 11 1/2 x 2 1/4 baking dish (or two smaller size baking dishes) with a non stick spray then add a small amount of meat mixture in the bottom of dish. Spread around.
  8. Add lasagna noodles (approximately 5, they will overlap onto each other).

  9. Next, spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese on top of pasta.

  10. Spoon 1/3 meat mixture on top of cottage cheese.

  11. Sprinkle with 1/2 the Parmesan cheese.

  12. Next add 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
  13. Repeat with another layer of pasta, cottage cheese, meat mixture, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese.

  14. Final layer is pasta, remaining meat mixture and remaining cheese.

  15. Cover with foil, cook for approximately 50-60 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Have Pinterest?

Here are a couple of pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest!

Classic LasagnaClassic Lasagna

Enjoy, Terri

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Comments

  1. I made for my hubby and 20 of our friends and family for his birthday-everyone loved it! Even the kids! New tradition!

  2. Hi, getting ready to make this recipe. Is it better to use cottage instead of ricotta, and also can red wine be used instead of water? Thanks.

  6. This is the first recipe I’ve tried for lasagna. I must say I don’t particularly eat the same thing several times in a week, but this tasted so good I couldn’t help but finish it in 4 days! I’m on my way to the market for more ingredients now.

  7. I made this for dinner last night and we absolutely loved it! I used park skim ricotta and Newman’s spaghetti sauce instead of regular tomato sauce. It was amazing!!!

  8. Is there any way to make a smaller batch from this for a family of 3? Like half this size. Thanks!

  11. I made your lasagna recipe this evening and loved it. I made many changes and additions with what I like but used your basic, classic recipe as my template. I have to say that this is the best lasagna that I have ever made. Your recipe was clear and concise and the ingredient list was spot on. I used Italian sausage, my own sofrito, mushrooms and a little wine I had in the fridge. I’m pleased with the results and am writing this down so I can repeat it. Thank you for an excellent recipe!

  12. Hello!
    Your recipe sounds great! When using basil do you use dry or fresh? Thank you! =)

  13. Can I make this in the crockpot? I usually make lasagna there and I don’t boil the noodles before. Will that be okay?

  14. Hello im Dulce. I ran into your recipe this is my 1st time making lasagna im making it tonight for dinner i really hope it comes out perfect i added sugar and ketchup to my sauce so far it tasted great thank you for making this recipe easy.

  15. Have,a quick question i made lasagna with just ricotta cheese and the cheese part it tasted grainy did I do something wrong should have done half Ricotta and half cottage cheese

      • I’ve never made lasagna before and I came across your recipe on Pinterest, and it was amazing! Super easy to make, easy directions, and awesome flavor! However, the sauce was a little too watery. Is there anything I can adjust to make the sauce a little thicker? Thank you for your input.

  18. I’ve always boiled the noodles for the lasagna, but accidentally picked up the no boil (over ready) ones. Will I get the same result or will it be a bit more crunchy?

  19. I found your recipe months ago after struggling to find the “perfect” lasagna. I have to say it is now the only recipe I will use for lasagna!! It is by far the tastiest and easiest recipe, and anyone who tries it LOVES it!! The only change I make is slight, I use a pound of Italian sausage and a pound of ground beef; I only do that because I love Italian sausage so much! Thanks again, your lasagna has definitely become a family favorite!!

  20. Made this tonight, was a huge hit! Thank you for sharing this with us. I was wondering, does this freeze well? And if so, would you freeze before or after baking? Thanks! ?

  21. Thank you so much for this recipe! It was so simple to follow and as a first time lasagna maker I was pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out. I made it 3 days ago and I am still enjoying this delicious dish-all by myself! I will definitely be making it for final exams week to ease the stress so that I don’t have to worry about having a good meal at the end of a stressful day.

    • Hi Ms Baluks, I’m so glad you enjoyed this lasagna. This will definitely make finals week easier not having to worry about preparing meals. I wish you the best on your finals and hope you ace all of them! :)

      • I made lasagna first time by using this recipe and I too was surprised by how awesome it tasted!!!!! So yummy :)

        • Hi Bijon,
          It’s not difficult to make and it does taste SO good! I’m glad you chose my recipe to try for your first time making lasagna! It makes great left overs too! Thanks so much for sharing!! I appreciate the feedback! Have an awesome weekend! :)

          • I know that lasagna is going to have a lot of calories, but this looks SO good, and the recipe seems so simple that I want to try it, using turkey. [Don’t eat beef] Do you have any idea re. how many calories it would be w/ beef? jw …and thx so much for sharing it…delish! ;)

  22. Im planning on making this for a dinner party Saturday. Do you think it would be ok to make the meat sauce the day before and refrigerate? Then just have everything ready to assemble Saturday…or maybe even assemble everything day before so I just have it ready to pop in the oven Saturday? Trying to lessen my stress Saturday since this is my first time making it and I also get so flustered hosting dinner parties!

  23. I made this lasagna recipe tonight and it turned out beyond delicious! It was so easy and tasted amazing! This recipe will for sure be my # 1 recipe for lasagna now! Thank you for sharing your recipe :-)

  24. Hi, thank you so much for a great recipe! I couldn’t help leaving a comment! My husband loved the lasagna I made follwing this recipe and I made it again tonight and it turned out awesome again! Tastes so yummy and it was so easy to follow, even for me who came from Korea and never made Lasagna or much used oven before! Thanks a lot! <3

  25. This is the first lasagna recipe I’ve made all on my own! So easy to follow! It’s in the oven now and smells delicious!

  27. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It sound and looks absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try it. ?

  28. Fantastic! Throughout all my years of searching for “The PERFECT Lasagna…my husband and I agree that I have found it. Thank you so much for sharing. This will be made again and again!

  29. I just made this today. I needed a hearty meal for this cold weekend of calving in Missouri. It is the best lasagna recipe I’ve tried. Thank you! I always hate reading comments about people liking a recipe, followed by all of the changes they made to it. But I did make two changes that I am only mentioning because I read the comments before I made hoping someone else had done these things. 1. I did use oven ready lasagna. 2. I used a little Italian sausage (at the request of my sis-n-law). I probably did about 1.5lbs of hamburger and 1/2 lb of Italian sausage. I contemplated omiting the seasoning because of the flavor of the sausage but stuck to the recipe on that.

    • Hi Andi,
      I’m glad you enjoy the lasagna! I have made it with sausage as well, in the past, and it’s delicious! Thank you for sharing your changes. I appreciate your comment. If you like Italian sausage, you should try my Farfalle with Sausage. It’s DELISH!!! :)

  30. Sounds delish and I want to try and make it this weekend. But instead of tomato sauce can I use crushed tomatoes?

  31. Could I use oven ready noodles instead? I made this recipe the other day and we all loved it (I used regular lasagna noodles and cooked them first like the recipe states). But I’m due with baby 3 in 2 weeks and I wanted to assemble 2 of these for my freezer so I want to use the oven ready noodles. Thoughts?

    • Hi Sadie, first off, congratulations with baby #3! That is sooo exciting! I’m glad you all loved this lasagna! I’m sure it will be fine. The regular noodles freeze well too. Let me know how it turns out if you do use the oven ready noodles. Best wishes for an easy delivery and a healthy baby! :)

      • You’re too sweet! Thanks for the response and we’ll wishes – cooking up a couple batches this week and using oven ready noodles. I’ll let you know how it goes! :)

  32. I made lasagna tonight as a request from my oldest daughter who will be heading back to college next week. I used this recipe, but used ricotta instead of cottage cheese. I might add, this was my first time EVER making lasagna!! It was so yummy!!!

  33. How could you makes this without the ricotta cheese, not a fan of ricotta cheese, but the rest sounds delicious. Thank you

  34. I am a newly wed and wanted to try to impress my husband who had a mother who was a wonderful cook and owned her own italian restaurant. When he tried this, he said it was a keeper! I’m pretty sure he ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 2-3 days because he loved it so much! thanks again for sharing! Will definitely be a keeper in my household!! :) Making it again tonight for my brother!

    • Hi Mo, that is awesome! I’m so glad you both loved this recipe! I hope your brother enjoys it too! Thank you for sharing. You should try my Farfalle with Sausage. It’s my children’s favorite meal of all time, along with this lasagna. :)

  35. Took a huge risk and made this for Christmas Eve dinner. IT WAS FABULOUS!!! EVERYONE was scraping their plates with bread! Thank you for a simple, easy to follow and yet traditionally delicious recipe!!!!!

  36. This looks amazing. My daddy’s birthday is Christmas Eve and he requested lasagna, so I was so excited when I came across this recipe. I look forward to making it!

  37. I could only find 6oz cans of tomatoe paste and I just wanted to double check that you want me to add both cans.. It just seems like a lot, so I wanted clarification. Thanks!

  38. Delicious! Even as leftovers. I made this lasagna for dinner the other night with just a few modifications…cooked mushrooms into the sauce. Used half beef, half Italian sausage. Half ricotta, half cottage cheese. Sprinkled basil over the top layer of cheese before baking (mmm, so aromatic!) Wish I had used a deeper dish because the juices boiled over in my oven. Would like to try again with cheddar too! Ate this for breakfast today. Still just as good. Had it with a side of garlic bread & salad. Mmmmm! It was my first time making lasagna EVER & my whole family loved it. Thanks for the recipe, the sauce was delicious & this was a great starting point for me to get creative in the kitchen as I learn how to cook. ?

  39. I made this for my very picky S.O. I was nervous he would not like it. He really enjoyed it. I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese, since I was unsure how he’d react to the small bits in cottage. Still turned out great.

    • Hi Sarah, I’m glad he liked it! My daughter doesn’t like cottage cheese and she didn’t know that it was in this recipe. She’s been eating this lasagna for years and when she found out, she couldn’t believe it! Needless to say, she still loves the lasagna! I’m happy that you made it and you both enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing! :)

  40. What is a can of water? Is it just 15oz of tap water? And when does it get added. I did not see that in the directions. Thanks! Looking forward to making this. Haven’t made lasagna before.

      • This was so much fun to make!! It turned out very well. I cooked it in a 9×13 pan and it was fine. I did have a few pieces of pasta leftover, but no biggie!
        I may have had mine in a little too long-it wasn’t loaded with sauce, and my ricotta was a little dry. But all in all, this was delicious and I will definitely be making this again!

  41. This recipe is so delicious! I actually made it about 3 weeks ago. Made a 9×13 pan and a 9×9 pan with this recipe. Baked the 9×13 pan the day I made them & froze the small pan. We just had the smaller pan for dinner this evening and it was every bit as delicious as the first one, maybe even a little better(if that’s possible)! Thanks for sharing!!

  42. I love this recipe! I tried a different one that was way more complicated and it turned out terrible . But this one is perfect! My kid loves it and so do I! Thank u for sharing :)

  43. I’m making lasagna for the very first time and I’m using ur recipe cuz it looked easy and with my four kiddos complaining they r hungry it was the fastest one. I just hopes it turns out ok. Thank you for posting it. Hope there r more recipes to come.

  44. Hi. I am going to make the lasagna one day and serve it the next evening. Should I bake it on the day I assemble it and then reheat it on the next day or only assemble it on the first day and then bake it the day I am serving it? If I bake it the day I assemble it, how long will it take to reheat from the fridge?

  46. I have made several different ground beef lasagna recipes and this is by far my now go. Simple and delicious above all. I did not have dry basi on hand, but tons of fresh that I used on replace of. At final preparation I even like that I had extra sauce (extra placed in the freezer for future use) at least based on my 4-layered pasta dish.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  47. ????..NOBODY knew it was my 1st time making this! instructions were awesome not to complicated…THANKS!!!????

  48. This recipe looks delicious, I am also going to try it with 1lb of ground beef and 1lb of italian sausage as I have both on hand. My only question is do you prefer the cottage cheese or ricotta cheese? Is it much of a difference, taste-wise? Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it tonight!

    • Hi Vanessa, I personally prefer the cottage cheese. You should try it with both and let me know which is your favorite. I just have always used cottage cheese in this recipe. I’m excited to hear how your dinner turned out! Let me know, ok? Enjoy, and thank you for the comment! I appreciate it very much! Have an awesome day! :)

  49. I’m trying this with 1lb ground beef & 1 lb Italian sausage! Hope it turns out ok lol.

  51. I met the perfect guy n he has asked for lasagna as the the first meal I’ve made for him….I HAVE NEVER made lasagna before I told him I could because it seems simple looked Good so I’m trying it out tonight for him hopefully it comes out right….

  54. It says to cook meat mixture for 15 – 20 min. How do I know how long, what should it look like?

  55. I would just like to mention that even though the basil and oregano are mentioned under ingredients, they’re never mentioned again during the instructions, the recipe says to add spices along with tomato paste and other ingredients but basil and oregano are herbs, thank you.

  56. Do you think it would work if I used the “oven ready” lasagna noodles so I don’t have to boil them?

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