About this recipe

A timeless, hearty lasagna layered with rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, velvety ricotta, and melted mozzarella. This is the kind of recipe that fills the whole house with an irresistible aroma and feeds a crowd with ease. Reliable, comforting, and even better the next day.

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over ^[medium-high heat]. Add the beef 80/20 blend recommended and Italian sausage, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Cook until no pink remains, about 8–10 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

2. 2

   Add the diced yellow onion to the browned meat and cook over ^[medium heat] until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly — this deepens the tomato flavor. Then add the crushed tomatoes, drained diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, dried basil, sugar to balance acidity, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir well to combine.

4. 4

   Reduce heat to ^[low] and simmer the sauce uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. 5

   While the sauce simmers, cook the lasagna noodles regular, al dente in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions until just al dente (they'll finish cooking in the oven). Drain, lay flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet or parchment paper to prevent sticking, and set aside.

6. 6

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk ricotta cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

7. 7

   Preheat your oven to ![375°F]. Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish — this prevents the noodles from sticking.

8. 8

   Layer 3–4 lasagna noodles regular, al dente over the sauce, slightly overlapping if needed. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with about one-quarter of the shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded, divided, and one-third of the remaining meat sauce.

9. 9

   Repeat the layering two more times: noodles → ricotta → mozzarella → meat sauce. For the final layer, place the last lasagna noodles regular, al dente on top, spread the remaining meat sauce over them, and finish with the remaining low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded, divided and all of the Parmesan cheese.

10. 10

    Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil (tent it slightly so it doesn't touch the cheese). Bake covered at ![375°F] for 30 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly and the edges are lightly browned.

12. 12

    Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

13. 13

    Garnish with fresh torn basil if desired, slice into squares, and serve warm.