How To Get Lasagna To Set

Homemade Lasagna is a classic that every cook should have in their rotation. Tender sheets of pasta, a cheese filling, and a rich meaty tomato sauce make the perfect dish!

While there are a few steps to this recipe, it's easy to make and has huge flavor. This dish can be made ahead of time and freezes well either before or after baking!

Easy Homemade Lasagna on a plate

How to Make Lasagna

Homemade lasagna may have a few steps, but each step is easy – and I assure you it's worth the time; the perfect Italian meal!

The ingredients in this recipe are all things you know and it's not difficult at all! All you'll need for this easy lasagna recipe is one pan, one bowl, and a 9×13 baking dish!

A quick overview of the layers:

Cheese Filling Mix the ricotta and cheeses (per recipe below) with an egg in a bowl, and set aside. No ricotta? No problem, cottage cheese works just fine in this recipe!
Meat Sauce Brown the onion, garlic, and meat in a pot on the stovetop. Add the pasta sauce and tomato paste & simmer a few minutes.
Layer Together Layer the meat sauce and cheese mixture with noodles and bake until bubbling

SPINACH LASAGNA To make a spinach lasagna, squeeze out most of the moisture of defrosted frozen spinach and add it along with the cheese layer. Lasagna ingredients don't have to be limited to the ones you see here.

Substitute meats or different cheeses, or try different meat sauce variations.

Easy Homemade Lasagna before assembly

How to Layer Lasagna

Once you have prepared the meat sauce and cheeses, you're ready to layer. This is the order of layers:

sauce – noodles – cheese
sauce – noodles – cheese
sauce – noodles – cheese
noodles – sauce (bake) – cheese

Spread about a cup of meat sauce into a 9×13 pan. Add a layer of noodles.
Top the noodles with some of the cheese mixture.
Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of noodles and sauce
Cover with foil and bake.
Remove foil, top with mozzarella and parmesan and bake another 15 minutes.

Easy Homemade Lasagna in a serving dish

How Long to Bake

Baking time lasagna for this recipe is about one hour total. To get that perfect browned cheese topping, you'll need to bake it in two stages.

Layer, cover it tightly in foil to retain the moisture.
Once cooked, remove the foil, top with cheese, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and your easy lasagna is bubbling.

Important Tip: Let the lasagna sit/rest for at least 15 minutes once removed from the oven (even 30-45 minutes is fine). This will keep it from becoming runny and help it to keep its shape when cut.

Resting is not required when reheating.

Serve this easy lasagna with a chunk of Homemade Garlic Bread.

Overhead shot of Easy Homemade Lasagna

We love serving a classic lasagna dinner, complete with a caesar salad or Italian salad and dinner rolls slathered in Homemade Garlic Butter. It's the world's best meal!

Make Ahead

Lasagna can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated up to 2 days before baking. It can also be frozen before or after baking.

To Freeze

Lasagna is one of the best meals to make ahead and freeze. Double or triple the recipe and freeze some for another day. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed.

To Reheat Lasagna

If you've frozen leftovers, pop them in the oven at 350°F covered, until reheated. This should take about 30 minutes! Of course, leftovers are perfectly heated in the microwave too!

More Italian Favorites

Spaghetti Carbonara – quick
Chicken Lasagna – 5 star recipe
Baked Rigatoni Pasta
Baked Ziti
Easy Chicken Parmesan – personal favorite
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Did you enjoy this Homemade Lasagna? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

Easy Homemade Lasagna

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Resting Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 12 servings

Homemade lasagna is a classic, delicious dinner that every family should have in their recipe rotation.

▢ 12 lasagna noodles uncooked
▢ 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
▢ ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded and divided

Tomato Sauce

▢ ½ pound lean ground beef
▢ ½ pound Italian sausage
▢ 1 onion diced
▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
▢ 36 ounces pasta sauce *see note
▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Cheese Mixture

▢ 2 cups ricotta cheese
▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
▢ 1 egg beaten

Follow Spend with Pennies on Pinterest

Heat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
Brown beef, sausage, onion and garlic over medium high heat until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
Stir in pasta sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning. Simmer 5 minutes.
Make Cheese Mixture by combining 1 ½ cups mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ricotta, parsley, and egg.
Add 1 cup meat sauce to a 9x13 pan.

Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Layer with ⅓ of the Cheese Mixture and 1 cup of meat sauce.

Repeat twice more.

Finish with 3 noodles topped with remaining sauce.
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.
Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese (2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan), and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil 2-3 minutes if desired.
Rest 10-15 minutes before cutting.

*Note on the sauce: In this recipe each layer has about 1 cup of meat sauce. If you prefer more sauce in your lasagna, increase the pasta sauce to 48 oz.

Time Saving Tip: Use fresh lasagna sheets found in the deli area and skip the boiling step! Fresh lasagna doesn't need to be boiled first.

Let the lasagna sit/rest for at least 15 minutes once removed from the oven (even 30-45 minutes is fine). This will keep it from becoming runny and help it to keep its shape when cut.

Resting is not required when reheating.

Substitutions:

Ricotta cheese can be replaced with cottage cheese.

Use all beef (or even ground turkey) in place of sausage if needed.

Calories: 377 , Carbohydrates: 28 g , Protein: 29 g , Fat: 16 g , Saturated Fat: 7 g , Cholesterol: 71 mg , Sodium: 857 mg , Potassium: 492 mg , Fiber: 2 g , Sugar: 4 g , Vitamin A: 805 IU , Vitamin C: 7.4 mg , Calcium: 526 mg , Iron: 2.2 mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

Course Casserole, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

Easy Homemade Lasagna with title

Easy Homemade Lasagna with writing