Classic Beef Lasagna with Ricotta (Printable)
Hearty Italian layers of beef sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella baked to golden perfection.
# What goes in:
→ Meat Sauce
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 pound ground beef
05 - 1 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
07 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
09 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
11 - 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
13 - 1 teaspoon sugar
→ Ricotta Mixture
14 - 16 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
15 - 1 large egg
16 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
18 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
19 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Assembly
20 - 12 lasagna noodles (regular or no-boil)
21 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
22 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
# Directions:
01 - Set oven temperature to 375°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Incorporate ground beef, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; brown meat while breaking it up. Drain excess fat if necessary. Mix in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar, then simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
03 - Combine ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Blend until smooth.
04 - Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions if using regular noodles. Drain and set aside. Omit this step with no-boil noodles.
05 - Spread 1 cup meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 4 noodles over the sauce, spread one-third of the ricotta mixture, and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Top with approximately 1 1/2 cups meat sauce. Repeat layering two more times, finishing with noodles and remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
06 - Cover dish with foil (lightly oil foil underside to prevent sticking). Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F.
07 - Remove foil and continue baking for 20–25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
08 - Allow the dish to rest for 15 minutes before slicing to set layers.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The meat sauce is rich and deep without tasting heavy—it's simmered long enough to let the flavors marry but stays bright enough to taste homemade.
- Ricotta cream adds a soft, almost cloud-like texture between layers that balances the intensity of the sauce perfectly.
- It feeds a crowd and actually tastes better the next day when flavors settle and meld together.
02 -
- Simmering the meat sauce for the full 20-25 minutes is non-negotiable—rushed sauce tastes watery and one-dimensional compared to sauce that's had time to concentrate and develop.
- Draining excess fat from the meat is the difference between silky sauce and one that separates into greasy puddles as it sits.
- Using whole-milk ricotta actually matters because it stays creamy when baked, while part-skim versions can get grainy and separated.
03 -
- Spray the underside of your foil with cooking oil so the cheese doesn't stick to it and tear when you remove it—I learned this the hard way with melted mozzarella stuck to foil and sadness in my heart.
- If your mozzarella isn't browning on top after 20 minutes, bump the oven temperature up to 400°F for the last few minutes—different ovens vary wildly in how they brown cheese.