Homemade Lasagna
Homemade lasagna is a comforting layered dish featuring sausage, ricotta, and mozzarella that's perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 lb Italian sausage Ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion Diced
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 3 oz tomato paste About 5 tablespoons
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
For the cheese mixture
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
For the lasagna
- 9 pieces lasagna noodles About ½ lb.
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley Optional garnish
Instructions
Preparation
- Add the Italian sausage to a deep skillet and cook over medium heat until browned.
- While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion. Add the diced onion to the skillet with the sausage. Continue to cook until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Stir to combine. Partially cover the skillet and let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Italian cheese blend, egg, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Fill a large pot with water, add ½ Tbsp salt, and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
Assembly and Baking
- Spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Lay three noodles on top.
- Spread ⅓ of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Repeat the layers (sauce, noodles, cheese) two more times, finishing with the remaining sauce on top.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the foil, turn the oven from bake to broil, and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Watch it closely while broiling.
- Top with chopped parsley if desired. Slice into nine pieces.
Notes
Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing for cleaner pieces. Feel free to add vegetables like spinach or mushrooms to the sauce for extra nutrition. You can also customize with ground beef or turkey instead of sausage.