The Best Lasagna is here! Layered with a rich, tomato sauce, a creamy parmesan white sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella, you’ll be craving this lasagna every weekend.
A traditional lasagna has to be one of the most loved comfort foods in the world. Hailing from Italy before making its way through the world and taking on many different forms, lasagna has to be one of the most popular pasta dishes of all time.
Even some of our most popular pasta dishes like our Creamy Shrimp Pasta, Creamy Mushroom Chicken Pasta and our Fiery Lamb Ragu on Parpadelle pale in comparison to this incredible lasagna recipe.
A big warm comforting hug within layers of pasta, tomato sauce, white sauce and melted cheese, my family love this wholesome Best Lasagna recipe.
THE BEST LASAGNA
My mama’s famous lasagna recipe is hands down the best lasagna I have ever had in my life. She learnt this interpretation from her Italian friends while living in New York City. She has adjusted the recipe throughout the years to perfect it, and every single person that tries her recipe comes back for seconds, thirds and leftovers!
Just LOOK at that CHEESE!
This recipe is not exactly ideal to look at while on a diet but if you’re willing to sacrifice some calories for the sake of this ooey-gooey, decadent lasagna, we promise we’ll make it worth your while.
Naturally, we’re going to need someone to blame for breaking our diets so feel free to point your fingers directly at my mother!
Why do I blame her? Long story short, she made me do it:
“Karina!”
“WHAT?!”
“You don’t have a lasagna recipe on your blog! WHY?”
“Ummm, I don’t know? But I can’t do one right now because I can’t eat it. Don’t make me suffer.”
“So? What does that have to do with your blog?”
“Ugh. OKAYYYY FIIIINE. You cook, I’ll shoo…” banging and clanging going down in my kitchen, wooden spoons flying around everywhere, fridge door screaming to be closed before I could finish my sentence. Ah…the chaos. The rest is history.
HOW TO MAKE LASAGNA SAUCE
To make this the best lasagna you’ve ever had, you need to perfect the sauce:
- Our sauce is made with a mix of ground beef and pork. This is OPTIONAL. If you don’t like pork you can definitely use beef to replace it, but the pork does add a traditional lasagna flavour to the sauce.
- Most sauces use crushed tomatoes as a base, however we love mixing in a bottle of Passata (or American tomato sauce) to add richness.
- Using tomato paste results in a thick and rich sauce. Don’t skip this ingredient! We love using a paste with garlic and herbs, but plain is also fine.
HOW TO MAKE BÉCHAMEL SAUCE FOR LASAGNA
This is where things go from yeah, it’s okay TO oh-my-god-this-is-so-good! We don’t use any ricotta cheese in our lasagna. Not because we don’t like ricotta (mmm….could go a Spinach and Ricotta Grilled Cheese right about now), but because white sauce makes it so much more flavoursome. Especially parmesan white sauce. I’m not exaggerating when I say the sauce is SO GOOD, you’ll want to put this Béchamel on EVERYTHING!
You need only 4 ingredients to make this Béchamel happen:
- Butter
- Flour
- Milk
- Parmesan cheese. If you don’t like parmesan, replace it with Gruyere, Romano, Asiago, Manchego, or more Mozzarella.
ARE FRESH LASAGNA SHEETS BETTER THAN DRIED?
We prefer fresh lasagna pasta sheets which are found in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find or don’t have access to fresh, you can use dried.
No Cook or Instant Noodles can be used without pre-boiling (check the packet instructions first). You can assemble as normal. To ensure the pasta has enough liquid to cook through while the lasagna is baking, we normally add about ½ cup of water to our sauce when using INSTANT.
Pre Boil Or Pre Cook Pasta Sheets need to be boiled first before assembly. Follow the instructions on the packet. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into the water to prevent the sheets from sticking together and stir them occasionally with a wooden spoon. Transfer each cooked lasagna sheet carefully into a large bowl or pot filled with cool water to help stop the cooking process. Leave them in there until ready to use. This helps prevent them from sticking together or drying out. You can do this while the meat sauce is gently simmering away so all elements are ready at the same time.
HOW DO YOU LAYER A LASAGNA?
Once you’ve layered your lasagna, you need to make sure your last layers (or top layers) finish with pasta > meat sauce > white sauce > mozzarella cheese. Yeah, that order results in a golden, crunchy and cheesy top with a layer of juicy meat sauce underneath.
Crispy edges, a gooey, cheesy centre, perfectly cooked fresh lasagna pasta sheets in between a creamy parmesan white sauce and an abundance of cheese.
Lord, help me.
For more lasagna variations, you might like these: Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup | Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats | Easy Lasagna Stuffed Burritos | Beef And Pumpkin Lasagna | Chicken Pumpkin and Ricotta Lasagna!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THE BEST LASAGNA
Every tomato based Italian pasta should have a buttery piece of Cheesy Garlic Bread to sop up the leftover sauces. If you’re looking to add some greenery to your plate, try this Caprese Salad with Avocado.
Mama’s Best Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 24 ounces ground beef mince
- 10 ounces ground pork mince or beef
- 24 ounces Passata
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 tomato paste heaped tablespoons. I use garlic and herb flavoured.
- 2 beef bouillon cubes or vegetable, crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon sugar if desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt season to your tastes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper season to your tastes
White Sauce (Béchamel):
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour all purpose or plain
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan fresh
Lasagna:
- 13 ounces fresh lasagna sheets
- 17 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
Meat Sauce:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add in the onion and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until softened. Add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add beef and pork (if using) and cook while breaking it up with the end of your spoon, until browned.
- Pour in the Passata, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed bouillon and dried herbs. Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with desired amount of salt and pepper (I use about ¾ teaspoon each) and sugar if needed. Cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes, occasionally mixing, until the sauce has thickened slightly and meat is tender.
- Adjust salt, pepper and dried herbs to your taste.
Parmesan White Sauce:
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from hot plate; add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until well blended.
- Place pot back onto stove, reduce heat down to low and slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk until well combined. Once well blended, add the remaining milk in 1 cup increments, mixing well after each addition, until all the milk is used and sauce is free from lumps. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it turns into a nice and creamy consistency.
- Increase heat to medium and continue cooking sauce while stirring occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes) and coats the back of your wooden spoon.
- Add in the parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese is melted through.
To Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 350°F | 180°C.
- Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce on the base of a 9×13-inch baking dish, then cover with lasagna sheets. (Trim sheets to fit over the meat if needed.) Layer with 2 cups of meat sauce (or enough to cover pasta), 1 cup of white sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers (leaving the remaining cheese for the top).
- Pour the remaining meat sauce and white sauce over the last layer of lasagna sheets and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
- Garnish with parsley and let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.ENJOY!
Amy says
Do you drain after you cook the hamburger and sausage?
Linda K says
Does anyone know if you can freeze this pre-baked? I want to take it on a weekend at a cabin with friends.
Jason G says
I did and it still turned out great!
Sharri says
I love this recipe, as does my whole family so thank you! I’m just wondering how I should cook it if I freeze it?
S. Storm says
I have been making this lasagna for a few years now. It is hands down the best lasagna I have ever had. My kids love it so much they request it on their birthdays instead of going out to a restaurant. I have celiac and make it using gluten free flour and gluten free no bake noodles and it still turns out perfect.
Hope says
I’ve been making this lasagna for the past 2 years everyone I have made it for LOVES it, I will never use another recipe!
Freya says
Years ago, my husband had a lasagna that stuck in his brain as the best single meal he’d ever eaten. For his birthday, I asked him to describe that meal. This recipe sounded the closest. I made fresh pasta, used this recipe, and he said this blew it out of the water. I’ve also been on a quest for the best red sauce. This is it, folks. Code cracked.
Fe Shearouse says
Tried this recipe for the first time and the lasagna was delicious, despite the meat sauce being a bit thin even after baking! Based on other recipes I have tried, I would not partially cover the meat sauce while it simmers to allow it to be much thicker. I used 12 no-boil noodles for 4 layers and it was perfect! I think that indicating the number of lasagna sheets, fresh or dried, in the ingredient list is more helpful than using the weight measure. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, which is perfect for a crowd!
Rune says
Best lasagne I have ever made 😊👌
Michelle Hubbard says
I made this lasagna for our Christmas dinner this past year with a big salad. It was a huge hit, my husband and boys ate until they couldn’t hold anymore. I’m actually on my way to the store to make this for dinner tonight. THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST LASAGNA I’VE EVER MADE OR WE’VE ATE! The cream sauce sends this from a 5 star to a 10! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
L. Wisely says
I love lasagna, and this is the BEST I have ever made or eaten! I love ricotta, and I also love bechamel sauce (I bake it on manicotti and also on broccoli and cauliflower), but I still wasn’t sure about using it instead of ricotta in lasagna. Omg. I’ll never use ricotta in lasagna again! Even my husband, who despises pasta, LOVED this when I made it for dinner guests. That was two years ago and then I lost the recipe!! I’m so glad I finally found it again! I am making this for a dinner party we’re having on Saturday evening with your homemade Olive Garden breadstick recipe. I am going to cook the sauce on a low simmer all afternoon on Friday so the flavors really blend together, then heat it back up Saturday and make the bechamel sauce and assemble. I can’t wait to eat it again! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! It was such a huge hit the first time I made it, I know it will be again!