Ultimate Comfort Food Lasagna Ricotta (Printable)

Layers of meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella come together in a rich, comforting Italian-American dish.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meat Sauce

01 - 1 pound ground beef
02 - 0.5 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
06 - 15 ounces tomato sauce
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
10 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
11 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 0.5 teaspoon sugar
13 - 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Cheese Mixture

14 - 2 cups ricotta cheese
15 - 1 large egg
16 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
19 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Assembly

20 - 12 lasagna noodles
21 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
22 - Olive oil for sautéing

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions if not using no-boil noodles. Drain and set aside on a clean surface.
03 - Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
04 - Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking into small pieces with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, grated Parmesan, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
07 - Spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over noodles, top with 1 cup meat sauce, then sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layering sequence twice more, finishing with remaining meat sauce and mozzarella cheese.
08 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
10 - Remove lasagna from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Tips from the Pros:

01 -
  • The meat sauce gets better as it simmers, developing a depth that store-bought versions can't touch.
  • That creamy ricotta layer melts into the noodles in a way that makes leftovers taste even better the next day—seriously, they do.
  • Everyone at the table will ask for seconds, and honestly, you'll understand why when you take that first bite.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time at the end—I learned this the hard way by eagerly cutting into a bubbling lasagna and watching it fall apart into delicious chaos on the plate.
  • If your sauce tastes thin or watery after simmering, you might not have let it reduce enough—give it another 5 minutes uncovered and watch the magic deepen.
03 -
  • Use shredded mozzarella from the block if you can—pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents that prevent silky melting.
  • If you're nervous about assembly, lay all your ingredients out before you start layering so you're not scrambling mid-build.
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