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Classic Meat Lasagna

Classic Meat Lasagna

Sunday-Style Meat Lasagna with Three Cheeses

This is the lasagna that makes the house smell like home — rich meat sauce layered with creamy ricotta and plenty of melted cheese. Each bite delivers exactly what you want: tender pasta, savory beef, and that perfect cheese pull that makes everyone pause mid-conversation.

ItalianDinnerComfort FoodMeal PrepKid FriendlyBakingBeef
Prep30 min
Cook1 hr
Total1 hr 30 min
Servings8
Difficultymedium

Nutrition

fat25g
carbs35g
protein28g
calories485

Ingredients

  • 12 ozlasagna noodles
  • 1 tspkosher salt
  • ½ tspfreshly ground black pepper

Meat Sauce

  • 1 lbground beef, 80/20 blend preferred
  • 1 mediummedium onion, diced
  • 3 clovegarlic cloves, minced fine
  • 24 ozquality marinara sauce
  • 2 tbsptomato paste
  • 1 tspdried oregano
  • 1 tspdried basil

Cheese Layer

  • 15 ozwhole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 largelarge egg
  • 2 cupmozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
  • ¾ cupParmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • ¼ cupfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine

Instructions

  1. Get your oven heating to 375°F now — you'll need that steady heat for the final bake.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the lasagna noodles just until al dente according to package directions. They'll finish cooking in the oven, so slightly underdone is perfect. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
    ⏱ 10 min
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Break it up with a spoon as it browns, getting some good caramelization on the pieces. You want it fully cooked with no pink remaining.
    ⏱ 8 min
  4. Push the beef to one side of the skillet and add the diced onion and minced garlic to the cleared space. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant — this builds the flavor foundation for your sauce.
    ⏱ 5 min
  5. Stir everything together and add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Let this simmer gently to marry the flavors and thicken slightly. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready.
    ⏱ 10 min
  6. In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, 1.5 cups of the mozzarella, half the Parmesan, and all the chopped parsley. The egg helps bind everything together and creates that perfect creamy layer texture.
  7. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish — just enough to prevent sticking and add flavor to the first bite.
  8. Lay down 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, then spread half the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with half of the remaining meat sauce, spreading it to the edges.
  9. Repeat the layering: 4 more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, then the rest of the meat sauce. Each layer should be even and reach the edges for the best structure.
  10. Place the final 4 noodles on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. This top layer of cheese will create that beautiful golden crust you're after.
  11. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. The foil traps steam to cook the pasta layers through without browning the top too quickly.
    ⏱ 40 min
  12. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese on top is golden brown and bubbling around the edges. The surface should look irresistible.
    ⏱ 15 min
  13. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting — this cooling time lets the layers set up so your slices hold together beautifully instead of sliding apart on the plate.
    ⏱ 15 min