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The Ultimate Easy Homemade Lasagna with Creamy Ricotta

A hearty, golden-brown slice of ultimate lasagna showing layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and creamy cheese.
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Make this classic, layered lasagna featuring rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, and a perfectly baked, cheesy top. This recipe delivers ultimate comfort food flavor with straightforward steps for a hearty 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
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 9 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup water (for sauce thinning)

Instructions

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

Notes

  • For cleaner slices, allow the lasagna to rest longer, up to 20 minutes, before cutting.
  • You can substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage for the ground beef in the meat sauce.
  • Prepare this dish ahead of time; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10-15 minutes to the covered baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/ultimate-easy-homemade-lasagna-with-ricotta/