Ultimate Comfort Food Lasagna Ricotta (Print)

Hearty layers of meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella come together for a cozy Italian-American dish.

# Components:

→ 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 - 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 can (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, optional

→ Cheese Mixture

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

→ Assembly

20 - 12 lasagna noodles, regular or no-boil
21 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
22 - Olive oil for sautéing

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions if not using no-boil noodles. Drain and set aside.
02 - In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
03 - Add ground beef and sausage to the skillet, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - 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 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
06 - Spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer 4 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 twice more, finishing with remaining sauce and mozzarella.
07 - Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
09 - Let lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's forgiving enough for a first attempt but impressive enough to serve at dinner parties without apology.
  • The flavors actually improve after a night in the fridge, so you can prep ahead and bake when guests arrive.
  • One pan feeds a crowd, and leftovers disappear fast—people genuinely ask for seconds.
02 -
  • Underfilling feels wrong while layering, but trust the portions—too much filling makes the lasagna collapse and slide apart when sliced.
  • If your sauce seems too thin, simmer it a few extra minutes; it should coat a spoon lightly, not run off like soup.
  • Don't skip the resting time—it's not laziness, it's structure-building.
03 -
  • Make this a day ahead and refrigerate—the flavors marry overnight and slicing becomes cleaner than when freshly baked.
  • If your mozzarella releases too much water while baking, use whole milk mozzarella instead of part-skim, or pat the shreds dry before layering.
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