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Easy Beef Lasagna

A generous slice of homemade beef lasagna with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and melted cheese.
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A straightforward, family-size beef lasagna with ricotta and mozzarella cheese that assembles quickly and bakes into bubbly layers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 lasagna noodles (no-boil or regular)
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any excess grease.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. If using regular lasagna noodles, cook them according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
  6. Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  7. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce.
  8. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles.
  9. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture.
  10. Spoon about 1.5 cups of meat sauce over the mozzarella.
  11. Repeat layers: 3 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 1.5 cups meat sauce.
  12. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the meat sauce, and the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
  13. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
  14. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
  15. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For a make-ahead option, assemble the lasagna completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add about 10-15 minutes to the covered baking time if baking directly from the refrigerator.
  • This lasagna freezes well. Bake it, let it cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed for a make-ahead lasagna.
  • You can substitute Italian sausage for half of the ground beef for a different flavor profile.
  • If you don’t have fresh parsley, you can use 2 teaspoons of dried parsley.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/beef-lasagna-recipe/