Mom's Easy Homemade Lasagna

5 from 3 votes

Mom's Easy Homemade Lasagna

Homemade Lasagna is far better than any you can buy from the store! Made with layers of flavorful meat sauce, a mix of mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese, and TONS of flavor! This recipe can be scaled up or down to feed whatever size crowd you have, and it's always a hit.

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Sauce Simmering1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Main Dish

Keyword: Easy Lasagna Recipe, Homemade Lasagna,

Servings: to 16 slices

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 and 1/2 tsp oregano
1 and 1/2 tsp basil
28 oz canned whole tomatoes
18 oz tomato paste
1 cup water
1 to 2 tsp salt start with less, add more to taste
1/2 to 1 tsp pepper start with less, add more to taste

For the Rest of the Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
2 lb part skim ricotta cheese
30 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz shredded parmesan cheese Shaved works too. Don't use the powdery kind (grated).

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce: Add olive oil to a dutch oven and add the onions and meat. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until onion is tender and translucent and meat is browned through. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Break up the whole tomatoes some with clean hands or cut them with a knife. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, oregano and basil to the pot. Simmer over low heat 60 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing burns on the bottom of the pot.
2 TBSP olive oil, 1/2 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb ground pork, 1 large yellow onion, diced, 2 large garlic cloves, minced, 1 and 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 and 1/2 tsp basil, 28 oz canned whole tomatoes, 18 oz tomato paste, 1 cup water, 1 to 2 tsp salt, 1/2 to 1 tsp pepper
Cook Lasagna Noodles: While it simmers, cook your lasagna noodles. Make 2-3 extras in case some tear. Once they're cooked and drained, lay them out flat on a cutting board or some other clean surface so they don't all stick together.
Note: You can also use oven-ready lasagna noodles.
12 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
Assemble Lasagna: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray. Lay cooked lasagna noodles side by side in the bottom of the pan, so it's covered completely. Add 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. (Add the ricotta in small spoonfuls since it's hard to spread). Repeat this two more times, for a total of three layers each of noodles, sauce, and cheese.
2 lb part skim ricotta cheese, 30 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, 8 oz shredded parmesan cheese
Bake: Bake the lasagna for 40-45 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and slightly browned. You may need to add a pan underneath the dish to catch any sauce drips. You can turn the broiler on for 1-2 minutes to get the cheese nice and golden at the end, but watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
Tip: Insert an instant read kitchen thermometer into the center of the lasagna to make sure it's heated through all the way - look for about 160 to 170℉ WITHOUT the needle touching the bottom of the pan.
Serve + Store: Let the lasagna set 10-15 minutes before cutting, so the layers can set a bit. You can pop a piece of foil over it during this time to keep it nice and hot. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge, tightly covered, for 3-4 days. Individual slices also freeze well, once cooled.
Make Ahead + Recipe Yield Tips: You can make the meat sauce a day ahead and store it in the fridge until ready to assemble and bake the lasagna. The entire pan of lasagna can also be assembled, covered well, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before you bake it. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before baking, so it can start to adjust to a warmer temp before going from the cold fridge to the hot oven.
You can halve this recipe and make it in a 9x9 pan. You can also make the full batch of meat sauce and freeze half for later, while using the other half now in a 9x9 pan.

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