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The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe With Creamy Ricotta Cheese

Close-up of a thick, cheesy slice of lasagna showing multiple layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and melted cheese topping.
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Make this classic lasagna featuring rich meat sauce, tender pasta, creamy ricotta filling, and a perfectly melted, golden cheese top. This is the ultimate comfort food for your family dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 (15 ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully combined. This is your creamy ricotta filling.
  4. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  5. Arrange three cooked lasagna noodles over the sauce, slightly overlapping if needed.
  6. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.
  7. Sprinkle one-third of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
  8. Spoon half of the remaining meat sauce over the mozzarella.
  9. Repeat the layers: three more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, another third of the mozzarella, and the rest of the meat sauce.
  10. Top with the final three noodles and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and a light dusting of Parmesan cheese over the top layer.
  11. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  12. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned.
  13. Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before you slice and serve it. This helps the layers set for cleaner servings.

Notes

  • You can prepare the entire lasagna assembly ahead of time. Cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add about 15 minutes to the covered baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
  • For a richer meat sauce, brown 1/2 pound of ground beef with 1/2 pound of Italian sausage.
  • Use oven-ready noodles if you want to skip the boiling step, but adjust liquid amounts in the sauce slightly if the recipe seems too dry.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://fooddexterity.com/best-homemade-lasagna-recipe-with-ricotta-cheese/