How to make the best classico lasagna recipe with meat

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This is a super easy, insanely good, 7- LAYER classico lasagna recipe that is literally my favorite comfort meal. Especially as we get into the fall months, I yearn for that gooey ricotta cheese mixture, with the meaty tomato sauce and thick noodles, do not get me started. A go to classic lasagna recipe is a must have!

Where does lasagna come from?

Lasagna is hundreds of years old and is actually just referring to the type of noodle, which is a wide, thin, longer noodle. It was invented in Italy and the baked lasagna recipe has different variations for different regions of the country. It is made with a variety of different ingredients depending on the version including cheeses, meatballs, meat sauce using Italian sausage, ground beef or pork, hard boiled eggs and garden vegetables. Eventually the classico lasagna recipe immigrated to the United States and no matter where you go there is pretty much 2 Italian recipes - a red sauce or a béchamel sauce (white sauce). The red sauce version commonly has meat or can be meatless and the bechamel sauce typically has veggies and no meat.

Is this recipe easy to make?

This classico lasagna recipe with meat is very easy to make. You don't even need a cutting board. Almost everything is prepared already and you really just need to put the ingredients together and let your oven do the work for you. I used regular lasagna noodles, and one of my favorite marinara sauces from the grocery store. They do offer no boil lasagna noodles that you do not need to pre cook, but I have not had great experiences with those. As much as I would love to make a tomato sauce like this low sodium marinara to use as my sauce base but I'm a busy guy, two kids and a wife who won't stop crowding me in the kitchen, but I'm not complaining. I would not change it for anything 🙂

Top Tips

• Spray your baking dish with cooking spray if you are not using a non-stick baking dish. I just have a basic glass dish, no idea where it came from. It's just one of those things that has been collected over the years
• Baking time will vary depending on if your oven is holding an accurate temperature, use an oven safe thermometer to ensure the temperature you are setting it to is the same as inside the oven

Additional Notes

• You will have leftover noodles, it probably ends up being about 1-½ pounds of noodles but some will break or stick together during the cooking process. The leftovers I love to eat plain with salt and butter or if I have time make this leftover lasagna soup recipe.
• I bought a 24 oz jar of sauce and it wasn't enough and I had to use some I had on hand, so that is why i put 36 ounces for the quantity.
• I also bought the 32 oz container of Ricotta cheese because I wanted to have extra, for you know, double 'sagna!!!

Equipment

•  8" x 11" baking dish
• Small or Medium bowl
• Aluminum foil
• Large pot
• Spatula
• Large Strainer

I wasn't sure if I should use a 13" x 9" or an 11" x 8" baking dish for this recipe so I placed a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of each sized pan.

As you can tell by the above photo, the lasagna noodles fit snugly into the 11" x 8" dish (right) and a little looser in the 13" x 9" baking dish (left). Keep in mind that the noodles will slightly expand once cooked. I ultimately went with the 11" x 8" pan because it was deeper and I don't mind having some overlap of the lasagna noodles.

Substitutions

• Freshly grated cheese has a higher moisture content than pre-shredded and makes for a much creamier taste and more budget friendly as well
• If made ahead of time and frozen, bake at 375 degrees F for 60-75 minutes covered in foil and then broil until the cheese is melted
•  Cottage cheese can be substituted for ricotta on a 1:1 ratio but please reconsider

Variations

• Margherita Lasagna - Use fresh mozzarella and extra sauce on the top layer to prevent the noodles from overcooking

Ingredients for classico lasagna recipe

• Uncooked lasagna noodles - I used the standard
• Marinara sauce - To save time I got the bolognese sauce
• Parmesan cheese
• Ricotta cheese - Whole milk ricotta cheese is my favorite
• Eggs
• Mozzarella - I like to get a block and grate it myself for super gooey and creamy melted cheese!
• Italian Seasoning
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Instructions

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill up a large pot of water with 2 quarts of water.

Place the lasagna sheets and boil noodles to al dente, or according to the package.

Remove the lasagna noodles from the boiling water into a colander and run under cold water at the kitchen sink. This helps to stop the cooking and avoid overcooked noodles.

Using a 8 x 11" baking dish, spray cooking oil on the bottom and sides of the baking dish.

Prepare your Ricotta mixture by mixing together the egg, ricotta cheese, parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl.

Spoon about ¼ cup of pasta sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish and spread around evenly.

Take the lasagna noodles and place in the bottom, starting with the two sides and then placing the third one in the middle. 

To begin the first layer, use about a quarter cup of the ricotta mix to add the layer of the cheese mixture over the first layer of pasta.

Next, spoon about a half cup of marinara sauce over the cheese mixture.

Repeat these steps for the next 6 layers, gently pressing down to fully adhere to the below layer.

After you place the last layer on top, spread sauce on and the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove the baked lasagna from the oven and turn the oven off.

Set the oven to Hi Broil and put back in the oven on the third rack from the top for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted completely and is golden brown in places.

What to serve this classico lasagna recipe with

Lasagna is a pretty hearty dish, I like to just add small plates of different smaller lighter items to have:

• Salad
• Marinated Artichokes & Olives
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Fresh Italian Bread with olive oil

Storage

• Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
• Freeze in a freezer safe container or plastic wrap for up to 1 month.

 This classico lasagna recipe is an incredible homemade lasagna not just for special occasions! It is one of the best lasagna recipes that can easily be made ahead of time.