Who doesn't love a good old Classic Lasagna? While I enjoy all kinds of Lasagnas, every now and then I just want a classic lasagna like I used to eat when I was a youngster.
💭 What is Al Dente
When making pasta, it's important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term "al dente", it means cooking the pasta so it's still chewy and firm and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
I like to use Italian Sausage to make the meat sauce but you can substitute for some ground beef or even ground turkey if needed. It will alter the flavor slightly but if you don't have any Italian sausage on hand, use what you got!
When layering the ingredients you need to make sure that the top layer is the meat mixture. Try to make sure that the top layer of noodles is covered in the meat sauce. This will prevent the pasta noodles from drying up.
If you decide to make this lasagna recipe using no boil lasagna noodles, I suggest you cover the dish before baking the dish as the steam will help keep the noodles nice and soft.
For more great recipes like this one, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 What Ingredients do I need
You will need the following ingredients to make this Classic Lasagna recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Lasagna Noodles, Italian Sausage, Yellow Onion, Garlic Cloves, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Italian Seasoning, Fennel Seeds, Ground Black Pepper, Egg, Ricotta Cheese, Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese.
🥣 How to make Classic Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Cook the lasagna noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain well and rinse with cold water. Place the lasagna noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat is brown. Drain off fat. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds and black pepper into the meat mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a medium bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, and the ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and set aside.
Spread about ¼ cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of an ungreased rectangular baking dish. Place three of the cooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread with ⅓ cup ricotta mixture, ⅓ cup remaining meat sauce and ⅓ mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times, layering noodles, filling, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Make sure the top layer of noodles is completely covered with meat sauce.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Classic Lasagna
Equipment
- Baking Dish
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 9 Lasagna Noodles
- 1 lb Italian Sausage
- 1 Cup Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 15 oz Diced Tomatoes, undrained
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Egg, slightly beaten
- 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
- ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Cook the lasagna noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Drain well and Rinse with cold water. Place the lasagna noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat is brown. Drain off fat. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds and black pepper into meat mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, and the ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and set aside.
- Spread about ¼ cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of an ungreased rectangular baking dish. Place three of the cooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread with ⅓ cup ricotta mixture, ⅓ cup remaining meat sauce and ⅓ mozzarella cheese. Repeat two more times, layering noodles, filling, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Make sure the top layer of noodles is completely covered with meat sauce.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Chris David
I loved this recipe so much!!