Homemade Lasagna

Homemade Lasagna Ingredients

Each ingredient in this lasagna recipe is used for a specific reason, to give you the most flavorful result:

• Olive oil – Helps the onions soften as they sauté.
• Onion and garlic – Add aromatic flavor to the meat sauce.
• Dried Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes – Two spices that amp up the Italian feeling of this lasagna.
• Ground beef – The backbone of the sauce, browned until cooked through.
• Red wine – Deglazes the pan and tenderizes the meat slightly.
• Tomato paste – Concentrated tomato flavor that thickens the sauce and adds sweetness without any extra sugar.
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce – Two types of tomatoes that create the perfect sauce for the meat.
• Eggs – Give the white layer structure so it sets into creamy layers that hold together.
• Cottage cheese – A signature Midwestern swap for ricotta; bakes up creamy and rich.
• Parmesan cheese – Adds some saltiness to the cheese layers.
• Fresh parsley – Adds fresh, herbal brightness to the white layers.
• Kosher salt and black pepper – Season all of the layers.
• Lasagna noodles – Make sure they’re oven-ready so there’s no boiling required. They soften right in the sauce, keeping this weeknight-friendly.
• Mozzarella cheese – Melts into gooey layers on top and throughout the casserole. Shred from a cold block for the best melt!

The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make This Homemade Lasagna

There are 6 steps to make this truly homemade lasagna recipe:

Step 1: Sauté the onion – Heat olive oil in a large skillet, then sauté the diced onion with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent.

Step 2: Brown the beef – Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the ground beef, breaking it up and browning it fully.

Step 3: Make the sauce – Add the red wine and let it simmer until mostly evaporated, then stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and let the sauce bubble slowly while you prepare the cottage cheese mixture.

Step 4: Mix the cheese filling – In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Fold in the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and black pepper, and stir until everything is combined.

Step 5: Layer – Grease a large baking dish and spread a thin layer of meat sauce over the bottom to help the first noodles release later. Arrange oven-ready lasagna noodles in a shingled layer, breaking pieces as needed to fit corners. Spoon about half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, spreading it to cover. Top with about half of the meat sauce and a generous handful of shredded mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, the rest of the meat sauce, and mozzarella on top.

Step 6: Bake – Cover the lasagna, set the dish on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the lasagna is heated through and the edges are bubbling. About halfway through, remove the foil so the top can brown. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes to set. Slice and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Choose the right ground beef – An 85/15 or 90/10 blend gives you enough fat for flavor without making the sauce too greasy. If there’s a lot of excess liquid, drain off some.
• Shred your own mozzarella – Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting evenly. A cold block of mozzarella grated at home melts more smoothly and browns better.
• Spray the foil – A quick spritz of cooking spray on the underside of the foil that’s used to cover the lasagna when it goes into the oven keeps that top layer of cheese from tearing off when you uncover the pan.
• Let it rest – Just like a Thanksgiving turkey, lasagna needs rest time. Letting it sit for 15-20 minutes gives you cleaner slices.
• Make ahead and freeze – Assemble the lasagna, cover tightly, and freeze before baking. Or bake it, cool completely, and freeze individual squares for easy future dinners, just like my grandma did.

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• Tex-Mex fish tacos
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• Cod with Moroccan spiced tomatoes
• Taco squares casserole