How to Make THE BEST Lasagna Recipe

This meaty lasagna recipe with ricotta, cottage cheese, and fresh mozzarella is made even easier thanks to the no-boil noodles, easily making this the best lasagna recipe.

Prep Time50 minutes

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Servings12

Ingredients

For the meat sauce:

1 pound mild Italian pork sausage

1 pound ground beef

1 teapoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic , pressed or minced

1 medium yellow onion , chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

⅓ cup white wine

6 ounces tomato paste

24 ounces crushed tomatoes

15 ounces tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

For the lasagna:

16 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles

15 ounces ricotta cheese

15 ounces cottage cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , sliced

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce:

In a large pot or dutch oven, add the sausage and ground beef. Crush the fennel seeds between your fingers and sprinkle with the red pepper flakes over the meats. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon and cook on medium-high until browned. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent.

Add the white wine and cook until the wine is absorbed, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to lose its raw flavor and add umami depth. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, and kosher salt, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by a quarter.

Make the Lasagna:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spoon 1 cup of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan. Add a single layer of three uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread 1 ½ cups or so of the cheese mixture over the noodles, then about 1 ½ cups of the sauce. Sprinkle with some of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat with two more layers of noodles, the cheese mixture, sauce, and Parmesan, using up all of the cheese mixture but reserving 2 cups of the sauce for topping the fourth and last layer of noodles. Top the sauce with slices of fresh mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Spray cooking spray over one side of foil before covering the baking dish so the cheese doesn't stick as it bakes. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and the noodles are tender. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes so the cheese begins to brown.

Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting. Add extra Parmesan and parsley for serving.