Lasagna Recipe (VIDEO)
This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and packed with flavor in every bite. Homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant version and it feeds a crowd for way less than going out to eat.
We love lasagna around here and have gotten creative over the years with Lasagna Soup and even Chicken Lasagna, but we’ve heard again and again from our readers that this is the best lasagna recipe they’ve ever made.
![This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and flavorful. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, readers agree it's the best! Piece of lasagna being lifted from baking dish](static/picture/Lasagna-Recipe-5.jpg)
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Best Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna is the perfect meal, and of all of the recipes I’ve tried over the years, this is the perfect lasagna. We loved it so much, we even turned it into Lasagna Roll Ups. It’s flavorful and satisfying, but also easy to make. It’s delicious as-is, but you can make it your own by swapping in your favorite ingredients.
In our house, lasagna is a staple for busy school nights because it keeps, reheats, and freezes so well and it’s nice to have something in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. I even use it for kids’ lunches—I pack a serving in my son’s thermos to keep it hot and that thermos comes home empty every time.
Lasagna Video
Watch Natasha make this classic Lasagna Recipe. It’s the best lasagna we have tried, with the perfect balance of meat sauce to the three cheese sauce and noodles. That golden cheese crust seals in all the flavor and makes it irresistible. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Meaty, cheesy, and saucy – Everything you want in a lasagna recipe.
- Perfect for Meal Prep – It’s simple enough that you can make it on a weeknight, but you can also make it over the weekend to enjoy it throughout the week. Or double the recipe and freeze one lasagna for later.
- Everyone approves – this is a family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
This 3-cheese lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and the ingredients are refrigerator and pantry staples. See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
- Ground beef – We used 80/20 beef (20% fat content) for a juicier lasagna.
- Onion – we use yellow onion, or sweet onion works well
- Garlic cloves – you can add more if you love garlic
- Red wine (or beef broth) – This amps up the flavor of your sauce (avoid using cooking wine).
- Marinara sauce – Use homemade marinara or store-bought.
- Dried thyme – Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano can be substituted
- Sugar – balances the acidity of the tomatoes
- Parsley – flat-leaf or curly parsley works well
- Lasagna noodles – Cook these al dente; they’ll continue to soften as the lasagna bakes.
- Cottage cheese – adds great texture and moisture
- Ricotta cheese – we use low-fat or part-skim ricotta
- Mozzarella cheese – An Italian cheese blend works, but mozzarella is definitely the classic choice
- Egg – helps hold the cheese layer together
![This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and flavorful. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, readers agree it's the best! Overhead view of ingredients for lasagna](static/picture/Lasagna-Recipe-1.jpg)
Pro Tip: Use a very large pot of salted water to boil the lasagna noodles and stir them several times, especially right after adding them to the pot. This will keep them from sticking to each other and tearing.
How to Make Lasagna
If you’d like to get a head start on this recipe, you can make the meat sauce a day or two in advance. That said, it’s still easy enough that you can make it all in one go, even for a weeknight dinner.
- Brown the beef – Add oil to a deep pan and sautee onion and beef until browned, 5 minutes then add garlic and stir another minute.
- Finish the sauce – Pour in 1/4 cup of wine and stir until almost evaporated. Add marinara, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, and parsley; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 5 minutes.
- Make the cheese filling – Combine all of the cheese sauce ingredients and 1 cup of mozzarella in a mixing bowl (reserve the rest for later).
- Prep – Preheat your oven to 375ºF and cook the lasagna noodles in a pot of well-salted water until al dente.
- Assemble – Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella, and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat, then for the top layer, add 3 noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake – Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
- Rest – Let the lasagna rest for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
![This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and flavorful. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, readers agree it's the best! Dish of cheesy meat lasagna](static/picture/Lasagna-Recipe-3.jpg)
Pro Tip: There’s nothing worse than having the top portion of cheese stuck to the foil. To prevent this, I poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of the lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the foil from touching the cheese. Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.
Common Questions
I use both; cottage cheese is healthier and ricotta is creamier, so you get the best of both worlds by using both of these cheeses in your lasagna.
This lasagna recipe was developed with traditional lasagna noodles, but several readers have reported great results using no-boil noodles.
If you don’t have red wine, or prefer not to use it, you can substitute with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
Cooking al dente pasta means it should be “firm to the bite.” The package instructions will provide the cook time for pasta to reach al dente. Keep in mind, the lasagna will be baked for 45 minutes so do not overcook your lasagna noodles.
Homemade marinara is definitely best, but if you don’t have time to make it, use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce.
Yes, you can easily double this recipe, but you’ll need to bake the lasagna in two pans.
![This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and flavorful. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, readers agree it's the best! Piece of lasagna being lifted from baking dish](static/picture/Lasagna-Recipe-6.jpg)
What to Serve with Lasagna
Lasagna is a satisfying meal on its own, but if you’re feeding a big crowd, you can stretch it out by serving it with:
Make-Ahead
Here’s everything you need to know about storing lasagna for later.
- To Refrigerate: You can assemble the lasagna and store it covered in the refrigerator for a day or two until you are ready to bake.
- Freezing: Lasagna can be frozen before or after baking. Either way, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months when wrapped well or stored in an airtight container.
- To Reheat: Frozen lasagna should be thawed in the refrigerator first; this reduces the time needed for baking and ensures more even heating. Bake according to the recipe instructions; if your lasagna was already baked and you’re simply reheating it, cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 350ºF until warmed through.
- Slow Cooker Lasaga – this is one of our favorite ways to make dinner ahead of time.
![This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and flavorful. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or feeding a crowd, readers agree it's the best! Lasagna on plate with fork](static/picture/Lasagna-Recipe-7.jpg)
With its meaty sauce and layers of cheese, we think you’ll agree that this is the best lasagna recipe ever!
More Pasta Recipes
If you love this lasagna, then you won’t want to miss these pasta recipes.
- Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole) VIDEO
- Chicken Pesto Pasta (VIDEO)
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe (VIDEO)
- Creamy Baked Feta Pasta (VIDEO)
- Mom’s Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (VIDEO)
Lasagna Recipe
![Homemade Lasagna recipe in casserole dish](static/picture/lasagna-sq-150x150.jpg)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lasagna
- 1 lb ground beef, (15-20% fat content)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry red wine, or beef broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce , (3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
Ingredients for Cheese Sauce:
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese
- 15 oz reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
Instructions
How to Make Meat Sauce:
- Place a deep pan or dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground beef and diced onion. Saute, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add pressed garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant.
- Add 1/4 cup wine and stir for 2 minutes or until wine is nearly evaporated. Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp parsley. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook 5 minutes.
How to Make Cheese Sauce:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 oz Cottage Cheese, 15 oz Ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 egg and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
How to Make Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and 9 lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente according to package instructions.
- Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a deep 9×13 casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, spread on 1/3 of the meat sauce, and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon on and spread the top with 1/2 of your cheese sauce.
- Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles:
Add 3 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 cup mozarella cheese, 1/2 cheese sauce
Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 meat sauce, remaining 1 cup mozarella. - Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese turns golden. Let lasagna rest 30 min before slicing.
The lasagna was delicious. I love the way she did the ricotta cheese and the cottage cheese makes a much better cheese sauce.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Deborah!
This was the first lasagna I’ve ever made and it was delicious! It was very easy to prepare, the instructions were perfect and I will definitely be making it again.
I’m so glad you loved it!
I made this over the weekend and it was phenomenal! Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad that you loved it!
I did this recipe yesterday 10/9/23. I had to come back today to say that this was absolutely delicious.
This was my first time making oven baked lasagna (previously I had only made crackpot lasagna) and I loved it.
I used 1 tub of cottage+ 1 tub of ricotta + mozzarella + 1 large jar of kroger store brand sauce. The results were amazing. I did have to use 4 noodles per layer to cover my 9×13 pan but no biggie, I cooked extra noodles just in case.
Today I reheated a piece and it is amazing. I think it has to do with the cottage giving it extra moisture so it doesn’t dry out. The flavors blended in perfectly. I loved it. I wished I could leave a picture but you will have to imagine it.
Thanks Natasha! I had to make your recipe because I’ve tried other recipes you’ve made and I really like your style. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Ana!
Hi Natasha I have tried your beef lasagna and chicken lasagna several times. they are very yummy, I need to make a vegetable lasagna please advice me how to make and what kind of vegetables I should use Instead of meat.
Hi Sanari! I have not tested the recipe without meat or using vegetables to advise. Please let us know how it is if you experiment.
Excellent lasagna!
The only thing different we did was eliminate the cottage cheese, which I found to make it too runny for my taste and substituted more mozzarella in its place.
Great to hear that you enjoyed it even without the cottage cheese Thanks a lot for sharing!
Very flavorful but agree, the cottage cheese make this too runny. Will augment for next time
Hi Natasha, I hate lasagna but my husband loves it so I gave your recipe a try the only difference I did half hamburger and half hot Italian sausage. He loved it so I gave it a try and it was actually really good. You now made me a lasagna lover.
I’m so happy you both enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Paul!
Her recipes are on point every time. I have made more than about ten of her recipes and they are so dang delicious everytime 💯
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
can you make it without the meat? always had it meat less growing up,do i need to make changes
Hi Mike. Likely you can but I don’t know what adjustments you’d need to make to this recipe.
You are my go to for everything delicious! Wonderful lasagne recipe!
Thank you for your trust, Debi. We appreciate your love and support!
Natasha, this recipe is so delicious! I just made it last night for my in laws, and there wasn’t anything left of it!
That’s wonderful, Leanna! I’m so glad to hear that.
I made this yesterday for a good friend whose husband had just passed away. I left it for her and her family along with a kale ceasar, bread and dessert. Everyone absolutely raved and there wasn’t a piece of pasta left. Thanks for a great recipe to provide a little bit of solace and comfort during a difficult time.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your friends husband, KW, I’m so honored you chose this recipe for comfort.
Natasha, any reason why you use the low fat cottage/ricotta cheese?
Hi Vicki, it’s a preference, regular ricotta will work also.
This is amazing I’ve made it a few times!! I am wondering how long leftover lasagna will keep in the fridge? thank you 🙂
Hi Gina! I’m glad you love it. 3-5 days is a safe amount of time to keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
I have an allergy to eggs. What could I subsitute for the egg in the Lasagna recipe?
Hi Agnes, I haven’t tried any substitution to advise. If you do an experiment, we’d love to know how it goes.
Ricotta cheese doesn’t agree with my husband’s stomach. Do you think the recipe would turn out well if I replaced the ricotta with an equal amount of cottage cheese, in addition to the cottage cheese already specified in the recipe? Thank you for this recipe and for your advice, Natasha.
Hi Brenda, I haven’t tried this with only cottage cheese to advise, I imagine it may work, If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
When I can’t get ricotta I use cottage cheese in its place and it works good.
My family LOVED this lasagne. I’m so happy that I found you, Natasha. I have only used your recipes for the past few months and so far everything has been WONDERFUL!!! Thank you!
I’m so glad this was a hit with the family, Mary! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is the best I have ever made and best I’ve tasted! I used 1/2 burger and 1/2 sweet Italian sausage. So yummy!
That’s sounds great! So glad you loved the recipe, Angela!
Love your recipes – they have been teaching me how to cook!! Going to try this one tonight. Do I need to let the marinara sauce cool before adding? Any recommendations for wine?
Hi Vanessa! No, you do not need to wait for it to cool down. Red wine like Merlot works well.
The only thing I changed was that I added seasoning to the cheese sauce prior to assembling my lasagna. This recipe is sooooo yummy! My kiddos and hubby asked for seconds!
Hi Vanessa! That’s great to hear that it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve used lots of lasagna recipes and this by far is the best ever! I’ve made with ground chx mixed in with ground chx sausage and it was a massive hit such that all my coworkers wanted the recipe. Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese may not sound good to some but once you try this, you will never use another lasagna recipe!
Hi Rosa! I’m so glad you loved it. This is one of our favorites; we love the combination of cottage cheese and ricotta. Thank you for the feedback.
Is there something that I can substitute for the cottage and ricotta cheeses?
Hi Frances! I have not tested anything else but feel free to experiment with other cheeses if you’d like.
I wont do this recipe again ever. Its just not good. We both didnt like it at all. Dont add the cottege cheese and dont add the salt. Sorry but this one didnt fly.
Disagree 100%. I added parm cheese also to the cheese sauce but the only change. Used this recipe forever and love it.
LOVE this and make it often! But Natasha should the beef sauce cool before assembling the lasagna? Also what is your opinion on lasagna sheets? I am making it in a bit of a hurry tonight and they don’t need boiling…thanks! 🙂
Hi Gillian, you don’t have to wait for the sauce to cool, if you don’t be cautious not to burn yourself as you layer it. I also saw this comment from one of our readers: “I make this recipe all the time. I do use no boil noodles. It is always perfect. It is a family favorite!” I hope that helps.
My most favourite lasagna recipe. I’ve made it several times.
I’m so glad you love this recipe, Paula!
I made this recipe verbatim. The whole fam loved it. You make it look so easy – it definitely took more effort (I am not a professional cook), but it was still very easy to follow and absolutely delicious. I made homemade marinara because I had no jar sauce, so that added in extra time. Thanks for yummy recipes!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Amye! I’m happy to hear your family loved it!
I have made this twice now. And it is delicious as are all your recipes. Quick question, please. This is time intensive to make. May the meat sauce be frozen? The cheese mixture?
This way much can be done in advance.
Again, so delicious. Thank you for this recipe and all the others. I am looking forward to the publishing of your book!
Hi Pam! I’m so glad you love the recipe.
See my “make-ahead” instructions in the notes above. This freezes well assembled, so I assume the meat sauce would freeze well too.
What are the baking directions when the lasagna is made ahead from the fridge? The make ahead directions do not state this. Should the lasagna need to bake longer or be set out to room temperature before baking?
Hi Brenda, if you refrigerate then give it an extra 5 minutes or more since it will be coming out of the cold refrigerator.
OMG this lasagne recipe is the best!! My kids told me it is their favourite thing that I have cooked for them ever, which made me so happy! I love the cheese combo so much.
FYI into the meat mixture I added some “hidden” veggies (chopped up extra small) to give the kids an extra boost. There is no doubt that this will be a regular dish in our house. Thanks for your amazing recipes, I have cooked so many of them, especially with my 10 year old son who is obsessed with cooking and loves your videos.
Again – this lasagne is just heaven!
Hi Angela! That’s wonderful to hear. So glad you loved this recipe. Great idea with the “hidden” veggies.
if you grate the extra vegetables, it’s so much easier than chopping so small!
Hello Natasha
Can’t remember anymore how many of your full proof recipes I’ve tried and all of them are so delicious without fail. I am so in a hurry to make this lasagna and followed it to the T. And again another one of our favorite recipes of yours. I am happy and excited to order your cook book. Thank you and please continue giving us all your delicious recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. It makes my day super great! I’m excited for you to see my cookbook, can’t wait for October!
This is delicious! My go to lasagna recipe. I have made this over a dozen times and it comes out great each and every time. I don’t stray from the recipe, whether it’s freshly made marinara or store bought..this hits every time!
I’m so glad you love it, Joselle! 🙂
I made this recipe for my nephew’s wedding luncheon last weekend, and it was fabulous! Everyone LOVED it! Thank you, Natasha, for this amazingly delicious recipe! I will definitely be making it again!
Yay, that’s so awesome! It’s always inspiring to hear that the recipe was a huge hit or success. Thanks for sharing, Becky.
After reading the other reviews, I added some ground sausage and increased the marinara to even out the sauce/ cheese ratio. Also added parmesan to cheese mixture and top layer. It barely fit in the pan and took a lot longer to cook but turned out great!
Great to hear that you enjoyed it!
My dear friend had cancer surgery a couple of days ago and got home today. I made this for her (and her husband’s) dinner, and she reports that it reminded her of dining with her Italian college roommate’s home, where she was introduced to genuine Italian food. I’m pretty sure that’s the highest compliment
Hi Traci! That’s amazing. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Sounds delicious and can’t wait to try it. I usually use basil and oregano in my Italian recipes, instead of thyme.
Hi Kathy! Let us know how you like the recipe. 🙂
This is the BEST lasagna! It was a huge hit with the family. I wasn’t sure about the cottage cheese since I hate cottage cheese but it really made the dish. I was also unsure if it would be enough sauce but it was perfect. I used oven ready noodles and it worked perfect. I also did half hamburger and half Italian sausage. So glad I doubled it and froze one for another day! Another great recipe from you Natasha 🙂
I’m so glad it worked out perfectly, Angela! Thank you for your lovely review!
Can I use no boil noodles with this recipe? Also I want to freeze for later use – before baking correct? Thanks!
Hi Jenn! I haven’t tested it with oven-ready noodles, but some of my readers have done this successfully. You can freeze this before baking. 🙂
I used the oven ready noodles and it turned out great! Just add water according to the box instructions or more marinara! I added both! YUM! And, easier!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for this recipe! I made it yesterday for my father and he loved it! He called me a master chef! But the credit goes to you! Thanks for making me look so good!
Wow, you did a wonderful job! Keep it up and I hope your family will love all the recipes that you will try.
I’ve never had a bad recipe for this site, and this was no exception! Amazing! I was unsure of cottage cheese so I only used half, and then put shredded Italian Havarti as my other 1 cup for the cheese sauce (still used mozarella too). I used the beef broth instead of wine. Combined shredded havarti with mozarella in the cheese layer. Also used 1.5 pound of ground beef as that is what is in all my ground beef packages. Was the best lasagna we’ve ever had. Thank you!
I’m glad the substitutions worked well! Thanks for sharing your experience with this recipe, we’re glad that you enjoyed it!
Mine came out like soup!! Followed recipe to the letter. It tastes fine just very loose and soupy. Why??
Hi Jason, make sure to let it sit and rest for a bit before slicing into it or it will slide apart.
My husband said best lasagna he’s ever had, love your recipes!
Aaw, thanks to you both. We appreciate your love and suport!
I have been hesitant to try this recipe because I do not like cottage cheese. This lasagna recipe will be my new favorite!!!! Thank you so much Natasha!!! I enjoy your recipes so much and will definitely be purchasing your cookbook!!!
I’m so glad you found a new favorite on my blog, Stacy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Just delicious. Hubby can’t eat red meat so used ground turkey. A hit. A great meal served with steamed green beans and garlic knots.
Great to hear that you both enjoyed it!
Great recipe I’ve made this lasagna for friends and family with no leftovers I take as the best compliment thank you very much I look forward to trying some more of your recipes.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Rollin!
I don’t have fresh parsley on hand. Would dried parsley work and how much should I put in (for lasagna and then for cheese sauce)? Or do you recommend another substitute?
Hi Linda! That would be fine. I don’t have an exact amount to use but a general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe. I hope you love the recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I want to make this recipe but divide it in two so I can have some and give the other one to a friend. Since there’s only 2 of us I would not want to double it because it will be too much. What size pan would you recommend and do you think I could do this?
Hi! That should work to split it into smaller pans. You’ll have to experiment with the size, since I have not tested it myself to advise what size would fit all the ingredients. You might adjust the baking time too, watch it in the oven. The lasagna roll ups recipe may also interest you. It would be easier to divide the servings.
This lasagna was excellent! At first I was skeptical about the cottage cheese but now I’m never making lasagna any other way.
I didn’t have any red wine on hand so I used half of wine the recipe called for and substituted with dry white and the other half water and stil turned out great. I used Italian seasoning.
This will be a staple recipe in our household from now on. Can’t wait to try roll ups next
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Elina!
Hi Natasha, I really love & enjoy reading your recipes. So easy & delicious! We prefer lasagne with no meat, is the recipe the same if I did not add ground beef? Thanks!
Hi Susan! I think so, but I haven’t tested it myself to advise.
Decided to try this recipe out and this was the best lasagna I’ve ever made! I did use vegetable broth instead (only cuz I had some in the fridge waiting to be used) and since I’d just cooked some turkey bacon, I ended up using the leftover fat (maybe about a tbsp) from it to cook the hamburger meat in. I didn’t have any thyme so I used oregano instead. I put a light coat of olive oil on the dish itself since I’m not a fan of scraping and my sink is kinda small for soaking it. But oh wow, this turned out so good it’s definitely a favorite with us now! Thank you for sharing it ❤️
Hi Mary! That’s wonderful to hear. You’re very welcome. I’m happy you found a new favorite to add to your rotation.
Thank you Natasha, once again, for a wonderful recipe! Followed your recipe to a T and it came out splendid. Every layer full of rich flavor. My husband went for like 5 massive slices and he and our guests gave many compliments. I love that you have very easy-to-follow instructions and pictures!! As a visual learner, it helps a ton.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Nata!
Gosh you were not kidding when you said it was the best lasagna you’ve eaten. It certainly is the best I’ve eaten.
I’m so glad you loved it, Ian! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I think this recipe is really good, except as a non-drinker of alcohol I could taste the wine which I did not like… If I were to make it again, I would use the beef broth instead of red wine. Then I believe it would be a perfect 10. I really loved the combination of ricotta cheese and the cottage cheese, it was really juicy and not dry which is a plus for me. It baked up good in about 15 minutes at 3:75 in my particular Jenn air oven so if I had not used the red wine, I think this would’ve been a 12 on a scale of 10.
Hi Candice, You shouldn’t really be able to taste the wine. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it in the lasagna sauce. Did you possibly use too much or use a cooking wine? Or maybe it’s the Jenn air oven? I’m not sure what a Jenn air oven is, or how that might affect the recipe.
Jenn air is a brand. They invented 1st self ventilated down draft range.
I have always made a “celebrity chefs” lasagna recipe then I found yours and I will never make another lasagna recipe ever again because this one is by far the best lasagna I have ever had in my entire life!!
My husband was a little embarrassed because he ate almost half of the pan but hey, you only live once! He’s just lucky there are leftovers for my lunch today! Ha!
Thanks for another GREAT recipe!!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Hope! That’s so great!
Hello Im making this for the first time for my husband on his birthday on Sunday and I’m super excited I just wanted to ask the measurements you use how many people would the lasagna you made serve and would it be okay if I didn’t use cottage cheese and only ricotta
Hi! I have the number of servings listed in the recipe card as well as all of the ingredients and measurements. The recipe makes 12 slices of lasagna. In the recipe card above, you can increase or decrease the number of servings to make more or less. Just hover your cursor over the number of servings in red font and slide right or left. We love the combination of cottage cheese and ricotta. The texture and taste will be different without the cottage cheese but it will still work. I hope you love the recipe! Happy Birthday to your husband.
The best lasagna recipe! I’ve been making one every other week since I started volunteering for Lasagna Love. I always get a message from the family I made it for saying how delicious it is!
Hi Lola! Thank you for the review. So glad it’s enjoyed. 🙂
I made this following the instructions, except I used full fat cottage cheese instead of low-fat. The noodles didn’t quite cover the pan so there were some gaps. I also made your delicious marinara sauce. The flavor was fantastic, but the cheese sauce was very runny. Could that be because of the full fat cottage cheese or insufficient noodles?
Hi David, it’s hard to say without being there, but substitutions can often alter the end result. I hope the flavor was delicious!
Perfect Lasagne! I followed the recipe exactly and made the homemade marina sauce and it came out absolutely delicious. Plus it looked just like the pictures!
Hi Susan! I’m so glad to hear that. I appreciate you sharing your experience.
Do u have to use low fat cottage cheese and the ricotta cheese
Hi Vicky! No, you don’t have to if you prefer to use a different fat percentage.
Hello Natasha! We loved your lasagna! Had a dinner party for 16 and I doubled your recipe. It was delicious and everyone commented on how great it was. Thank you!!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Katherine! This is a go-to recipe for hosting!
Made this last night with the homemade marinara. It was great. Highly recommend.
I’m looking for other recipes for variety but this one I will make again!
Hi Charles! Thank you, I’m glad you found one to repeat! I hope you’ll find many more recipes on my site to enjoy.
Found this recipe and it looked good, made it for Christmas dinner and my new son in law had 3 pieces another piece the next morning! I used a disposable deep dish pan and sprayed the sides with cooking spray. Ended up freezing it as plans got delayed, but it came out fine. Just make sure when you bake it you have let it come close to room temperature or it will take longer to cook.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa!
This was the first time I have ever made lasagna from scratch. I looked at several recipes and picked this one to make. The prep time took me about a hour or so but was going slow to make sure I did it right. Took it out of oven and looked just like the picture. Everyone loved it and it tasted great.
Thank you for trying my recipe, David! I’m so glad it was a hit. I appreciate the feedback and review.
First time making lasagna ever! Came out amazing! Thanks for the easy to follow instructions!
My pleasure, Andie! Thank you for trying my recipe. I’m so glad you loved it.
I made this recently and it came out wicked good! The recipe is easy to follow and while it’s time consuming, it is worth the wait! I used beef broth instead of red wine and I also sprinkled parmesan cheese on top of the shredded mozzarella and the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture and it was a nice addition to the recipe. This lasagna was a hit!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kayla! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Natasha!Thank you for the best lasagna recipe ever!And for many more recipes I have from you!Have a great New Year!Tho whole family Best Wishes!
Thank you! I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Bella! Happy New Year!
If using a good marinara sauce such as Raos do you have to add the extra ingredients, salt pepper sugar and other spices?
Hi Heidi! You can experiment with it, but yes, I usually do.
I assembled this 2 days before Christmas to have for our dinner. It came out great. A couple of guests even went for seconds. I especially liked the ricotta and cottage cheese combo. Thank you for another wonderful recipe to add to my repertoire!
So glad to hear that, Amy! Thank you for sharing your experience.
Lasagna is my Dad’s favorite. I made this for him for Christmas. He and I both agree that there is too much Cheese and not enough Meat. Next time I will try 1.5 or 2 lbs meat and see if that is enough to fix the cheese/meat ratio. Since Ricotta near me comes in 15oz containers, it would be a pain to lessen the cheese…
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m glad you gave it a try and can now adjust it to your liking.
I tried this recipe for Christmas dinner. It was absolutely delicious, although I felt like it could have used more sauce/meat. Next time I’ll be doing 1.5X the sauce/meat needed. Otherwise it was amazing! The flavors were outstanding.
Hello Natasha, I wondered why you use low fat Cottage cheese and ricotta. Thanks. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Just made your horseradish sauce twice with beef tenderloin over the holidays. Love that stuff. Thanks for your time.
Hi Laura, its a preference and it works really well in this recipe.
Can’t wait to make this more my family for Christmas Eve! Do you drain the grease from the ground beef after you cook it? Thanks!
Hi Camryn! No, I do not drain it. I hope you love the recipe! Merry Christmas!
This was really enjoyable!! Cheesy but not overwhelmingly cheesy/salty- the cottage cheese is a great touch. The red wine in the meat really takes it up a notch too.
Thank you for the feedback, Lena! So glad you loved it.
Tried your Lasagna recipe, again and again my family and friends loved it. There were no left overs. This is the 6th or 7th recipe. And everything that I have tried and cooked were all outstanding. Happy Holidays to you and your family. Thank you for all your shared recipes.
So glad to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you for your great comments and feedback!
I have to agree, it’s sounds good. No offense Natasha,but mine is different and the best!! My family loves it every chance they can gobble it up!!
No worries, I’m sure they love it!
A little tip.
Instead of putting toothpicks in the lasagna to keep the cheese from sticking to the foil, spray your foil with pam.
Thanks for the tip!
Hello Natasha,
Thank you for sharing all your family recipes. I love doing them and my family loves them too. You are to-go website when I need to cook new recipes for my family or for a party. I love lasagna and I need to make one. But because I will undergo surgery before christmas. I want to make one and freeze it. Should I still cook the noodle?
Hi Hazel, what a lovely message. Thank you for sharing that with us and regarding the lasagna, yes you can freeze it. The recipe is a good make ahead recipe. Please check the Make-Ahead tips in the middle of the recipe on how to freeze.
Hello Natasha,
I love all your recipes…. You are my to-go website and I need to cook something for my family or when there is a party. Just want to ask, should I still need to cook the noodles if I’m going to freeze it after assembly? Thank you.
Hi Hazel! I would recommend still cooking the noodles unless you’re using oven ready noodles.
Can you use 2 pounds of ground beef in this recipe??? Would there be enough sauce for that??
Hi Dusty, you can, but I would use the recipe slider to adjust the recipe for two pounds. If you’re not looking to increase the overall recipe and just the mean, I bet a bit more sauce would be best. I hope you love it!
Best lasagna recipe I’ve seen in a long time… used no bake noodles and it turned out great!
Thank you Natasha – your recipes are filling our favorites box – from your chili to French onion soup to this easy, amazing lasagna!
FoodTV has NOBODY more entertaining and no recipes as delicious as yours!
Aww, I’m so glad to hear that. I’m happy you loved it! Thank you for the feedback.
I have a ceramic over cast-iron casserole dish that has it’s own oven-safe lid. Would you recommend I bake the lasagna with the lid or use foil as you recommended? Thank you and love your recipes!
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried baking it with an oven-safe lid, I’ve always used foil, but I imagine that should work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I bought Barilla lasagna noodles and cooked according to instructions on the box.
3 noodles do not cover 9x3inch pan. What did I do wrong? This will be complete waste of time and ingredients.
Also what should be the depth of the pan?
Hi Maya! Yes, the casserole dish I used here is 9×13 inches and 3 inches deep. Watch my video linked above in the blog to see my process. Three noodles covered the bottom of the dish for me. You can add more if needed.
Thank you. It was actually very delicious and yet mild. Not heavy meal at all, as lasagna can be, due to low fat cheese. It needed more noodles though. Barilla box has 15 noodles and on the box they recommend 5 in one layer. Nvm I will be making this again.
Maya – I used DeCecco lasagna noodles and you are right they also are short and get lost in the pan. you have to adjust as the # of noodles. Natasha’s are the long noodles in a long box. I used 4 in each layer going across the pan, so you would need a total of 12 noodles. Hope this helps.
Nov. 25/22 Natasha, first of all I want to say I love your web site and your recipes, I am truly a big fan. One question for the lasagna – I make my own meat sauce that I use and could you please tell me in say number of cups of sauce that I need to make this completely including spreading the bottom and putting into each layer. Thank you very much.
HI Shirley, I’m not sure how many cups it would be with the meat added to the sauce since I did not measure it that way, but we use 3 cups of marinara before meat in this recipe. I hope that helps.
Hello Natasha
I measured the meat and Is marinara sauce combined and it was 4 cups total.
Hope this is helpful.
Ed
What a great recipe! But can I substitute the riccota cheese with cream cheese?
I have not tested that, but I think it could work. Let us know how it turns out.
This lasagna was amazing!!! I even froze after assembly and before baking and cooked it two weeks later and wow, I think the best lasagna recipe I’ve ever tried!! Definitely saving this one.
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing that with us.
I followed the recipe exactly as written and everyone loved it. It was the perfect lasagna.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Scott!
I make my lasagna the same way but I add a 1/2 pound of hot sausage/ and I also add in 2 tbs of cinnamon to ricotta mixture/ try it you will like it, but spot on how to make it
Thanks for sharing that with us!
This is the best lasagna I have ever made. I made half with ground beef & half with ground sausage. Outstanding!
You are the best resource for recipes that I have found. Thank you SO much for sharing your recipes. My husband thinks I am gifted!
Love this! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, Karen. So glad that you love this recipe!
Wow! I made this for Italian friends and they loved it! Absolutely delicious and easy to make! Thank you for this recipe!
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback, Marta.
Very good recipe. Thank you. My wife is allergic to nightshades, so tried a recipe for tomato free marinara. That meant we omitted the sugar since there was nothing to counteract. Really turned out well. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Jason! I’m so glad you still enjoyed this recipe.
If already cooked in advance, how long to ‘warm through’ when reheating?
Hi Myrna! You’ll have to watch it in the oven but roughly 30 mins or until the lasagna is hot all the way through or you see the sauce bubbling at the edges.
Can i use a 9×13 inch metallic dish or is it compulsory to use a ceramic dish? Will using a metallic dish affect the lasagna’s outcome?
Hi Mariam! Glass/ceramic work best but yes, you could use a metal dish.
First time trying cottage cheese in a recipe-I usually don’t like cottage cheese and my mom’s recipe never used it. Well, I was feeling adventurous and Wow! This was delicious! I made it tonight for supper! My husband and I both and enjoyed it. Thank you!!
Yay, good that you tried it! Thank for sharing that with us, Lauren.
I use golf tees instead of toothpicks to keep the foil off of the cheese. They don’t poke holes in the foil and they’re easier to see when time comes to serve the ‘sagna. I also use gold tees when I need to cover a cake with icing, or a pie with meringue to whipped cream. Just wash them afterwards and they can be used forever. Yes! Forever!
Thanks for sharing that with us, Susan!
Natasha, I made this and my husband and I love it, so flavourful.I will never try another recipe as this is the one for us!
Thank You
That’s wonderful, Penny! Thank you.
I use whipped cream cheese instead of cottage cheese. Amazing. Thanks Bethie BJean for that tip.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
you cook so good, I have not taste, but I can feel it. thank you for teaching us so much.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
can i use ground turkey as a healthier option? i prefer to use turkey vs beef but if thats not an option then let me know.
Hi Cindy! Yes, ground turkey works great!
in your recipe, it says finely chopped parsley. Does that mean you want fresh parsley used or can we use the dried parsley? And if so, how much of the dried parsley?
Yes, we love to use fresh parsley but dried would work as well. You can add this to taste. I don’t have the exact amount.
Hi Natasha,
I made this for a friend recuperating from surgery, was so delicious I made a smaller one for home!!!!
Love your recipes, keep up the great work, looking forward to more!
Hi Irene! Thank you, I will. 🙂
This just came out of the oven and I’m having a hard time not cutting into it right away! It’s really good! Only thing I did different was add a half pound of sausage, used Italian Seasoning as I was out of parsley and I added parmesean to the mozzarella topping. I also used the oven ready noodles. Thank you for another great recipe!! This one is a keeper!
Yum! Enjoy the lasagna! Thank you for sharing, Heather. 🙂
Trying a double recipe this weekend. For the second one can I use a tinfoil Pan to freeze it. The house is smelling wonderful. Thanks Natasha 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Craig!
Hi Natasha,
My name is Rayline I’m from the tiny island of Aruba.
I just wanted to say thank you for the tips on the lasagna I made it today for me and my family and we all loved it very much, I did do a few tweaks in the recipes due to we don’t have everything here and I used ricotta cheese tomato sauce to put in instead and add mozzarella it ended awesome 😍😍😍
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rayline! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it!
I love your recipies!!!!
I made 4 already all of them were amazing thank to you!!!!
You explain everything well and clear. Thank you very much, please don’t stop cooking.
That’s great, Anaruth! I’m happy ti know that my recipes provide clear and helpful instructions.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Anaruth!
Recently my family moved and in the process I lost a few of my cook books. One of them had my recipe for Lasagna in it. So I came looking for one to try. Unfortunately, I came across this one. I am sorry to say but this failed miserably. Only reason I gave it two stars was because atleast it was cheesey but the rest just reminded me of the cheep crapy ones you buy in the store. Needs much more meet and sauce. As well as alot more spices. So if your going to make this the very least is double the meat and the sauce. As well as add alot of your favorite spices.
Hi Ann. I’m sorry you had that experience with this recipe. It has excellent reviews so I am not sure what went wrong unless you made substitutions, left out ingredients, or used different amounts. You can also add more sauce if needed, but we did not find that necessary. As you can see in the video, the lasagna is pretty saucy already.
Super recipe! My first time trying cottage cheese in lasagna and it’s so tasty. I doubled the ingredients. This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks, Jana. Good to know that the recipe is a huge hit!
Should the cottage cheese be drained of the liquid, or left as is?
Hi Mikel. We do not drain it but if your cottage cheese has excessive liquid (depending on the type and brand that you use) then you could drain it.
I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way this turned out! I did add a can of Rotel and fresh basil to the meat sauce for extra flavor. This is going to be my go-to lasagna recipe from now on. Thanks so much Natasha for another outstanding recipe!
Nice to know that you loved the result, Connie! Thanks a lot for sharing that with us, we appreciate the review.
I just pulled it out of the oven/broiler (almost left it under broiler too long), but it looks amazing. Can’t wait to dig in. That sauce is the best. This is definitely a keeper. Thank you.
That’s wonderful, Kathy! Enjoy. Thank you for the review.
I would like to make the lasagna with chicken instead I’m watching my calories or turkey?
Hi Marsha, have you tried my Chicken Lasagna recipe? Ground turkey should work well to make a turkey lasagna.
Hi Natasha, I always love your recipe’s. You explain things so well. I am at home on disability teaching myself to cook. I made this lasagna dish for the first time.
It turned out excellent. I just added pork sausage to the ground beef to kick it up a notch.
Thanks for all your great recipes.
I’m so glad you tried & enjoyed this recipe, Daryll! That’s so great!
Your recipies are all good, reasonable easy to follow. Keep u the good work. I enjoy reading them
Thank you for that feedback, Glenn!
The cheese mixture gives this lasagna the best flavor and what separates it from other lasagnas. Don’t be scared of the cottage cheese, it tastes amazing! This is now my go to lasagna recipe. Thanks Natasha!
We’re so glad you loved the ingredients and the result! Thank you for sharing that with us, Meghan.
I’m not a wine drinker so could you please tell me what brand of wine you prefer. Love your recipes and the way you present them. Thank you.
Hi Rhonda. Thank you, I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. I am not either, I cook with wine and include in my recipes what type works best. For the best drinking wine, I would do a quick google search for options of best wine to drink with Italian food. 🙂
I’m making this sauce as we speak. I used a Cabernet Savignon (sp) which is a dry red wine. I also drink it. This sauce turned out EXCELLENT.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
I don’t drink wine either, can I save the rest of the wine that I haven’t used? If I can, how long can I save it? Thanks.
Help me out! I went ingredient shopping today and totally forgot to buy ricotta cheese? Anyway around this? Don’t want to make another trip to tue grocery store
You can use more cottage cheese.
I am not Natashas, but when I have wine leftover from a recipe I put the leftover wine in ice cube trays and freeze it. When needed I just defrost what I need
That looks absolutely amazing. I haven’t made Lasagna in years but will do so now. I spray the foil lightly with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking to it.
Hi Kathy! I hope you love this recipe. 🙂
Can you use another cheese instead of cottage cheese as really don’t like it 🤞🤞🤞
We love this with cottage cheese and ricotta. You can experiment with another cheese.
Would it be okay to use parmesan instead of cottage cheese? If so, how much parmesan would I use?
Hi Amanda. I think you could but I have not tested this in place of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese gives it a nice texture and taste. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
This is the most delicious lasagna that I have ever made (and the easiest, too)! From assembly to the table in 90 minutes.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
May I ask what lasagna pan you used?
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Cheryl. You can find our favorite kitchen tools (including the 13×9 Lasagna pan)in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
I don’t know why only 3 stars showed up on my review! It’s a definite 5 stars abd if I could give it a 10, I would!!!
Thank you, Cheryl! I appreciate it! I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve never tried cottage cheese in my lasagna before because I was skeptical but man have I been missing out! This whole lasagna recipe was a huge hit with the family.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Abby!
That loaded lasagna is great! Love the video and I’m suprised Hollywood has not discovered you yet! You are very entertaining!
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Diane! You’re too kind!
I have made Natasha’s Kitchen lazanga many times! It is amazing! So easy and so delicious! It is my go to.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Nancy! Lasagna is always a good idea!
Hi Natasha. Thanks for making cooking less intimidating for me! Can your lasagna recipe be made without meat? My family prefers cheese only lasagna.
Merry Christmas!
Amy
Hi Amy, I haven’t tested that but I think that will work!
Seriously the best lasagna! It doesn’t get better than this!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jamie!
We have this at least once a month!! The whole family loves it!! It’s one of those recipes I love to make when having guests, because everyone always loves it!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kristyn!
Well all I can say is…it’s a home run with my family. I was never a fan of Ricotta cheese but I am in this recipe! It worked perfectly with the other ingredients. Well done Natasha, this is permanently in our recipe book and one of our favorites.
Love it, thanks so much for sharing your comments and feedback!
Never again will I search for a Lasagna recipe as I found my Keeper. Delicious and on point with every step which results in a wonderful Meal…And no boil noodles changed this dish into a timely recipe…So glad that you share your skills.
Hi Mary! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m happy you found this keeper recipe! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
I tried going through all the comments to find my answer, but there are so many….Great sign that this recipe is a hit! Many family doesn’t care for cottage cheese, so can you replace it with cream cheese to go along with the ricotta, should I then only use ricotta or something else?
Hi H.T., we prefer it with cottage cheese, but you can use all ricotta also.
My favorite gripe with recipes (anywhere) is measurments of cheese in cups. How much is a “cup” of mozzarella? Wouldn’t it change by how loosely I fill that cup? I love that I can switch to metric and use my metric scale to be accurate.
Hi Irene, Thank you so much for sharing that with me! We have the metric conversion option on the printable recipe card.
Natasha, your lasagna recipe is absolutely delicious! We’ve made it several times at home, and it is always a hit!
Hi Selma! So glad your family enjoys this. Thank you for the review. 🙂
Wow!!! This was my first time making lasagna, and it turned out AMAZING! The only thing extra that I added to the dish was spicy Italian sausages cut into small pieces and put them throughout each layer. It was DELICIOUS 🤤Thank you Natasha !
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. You’re very welcome.
Hi Natasha! Can I use a convection oven for this recipe? Do I have to change the temperature?
Hi Cha, you will need to make adjustments if using a convection oven. I would follow your oven instructions for any changes since I don’t use one to advise.
Hello Natasha,
Could I use No boil lasagna sheets instead of the regular?
If anyone has experience in using no boil sheets, can you please share
It’s my first time using these
( Looking forward to your reply )
Hi Polly, I saw this comment from one of our readers “I make this recipe all the time. I do use no boil noodles. It is always perfect. It is a family favorite!” I hope that helps.
very interesting points you have observed, appreciate it for putting up.