The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe

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The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. Combining three different kinds of meat and three different kinds of cheese with lasagna noodles and an easy homemade sauce, this one will be your go-to lasagna recipe. So good!

A rectangular casserole of sliced ultimate lasagna with pepperoni.

Meat Lovers Lasagna

I’m obsessed with a good lasagna. In fact, I don’t shy away from ordering lasagna at a good Italian restaurant because I’m always looking for inspiration to make mine better. Which is why this recipe just got a necessary makeover.

I decided to use my homemade marinara sauce because I feel it really is the best (and super easy too). My seasonings also got adjusted slightly, and the end result? 10/10 – in my opinion! 😀

What are your requirements for a good lasagna? Meaty? Saucy? Cheesy? Well, this one is all of that and more.

Why This Recipe Works:

HEARTY – This recipe feeds a crowd. It’s full of protein and great for carb-loading if you’re a runner! 😀 (BTW, the pan of cooked lasagna weighs a ton.)
CHEESY – Extra cheese makes everything better, right?
IMPRESSIVE – The perfect lasagna for serving guests.
GREAT MEAL PREP – Leftover meat lasagna freezes beautifully but it’s also great for meal prep for lunches during the week.

Other Lasagna Recipes:

Looking for other delicious lasagna recipes? Look no further!

A hand lifting up a square of meat lovers lasagna over a casserole dish.

Ingredients needed for The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe:

The Meat Sauce:

Olive Oil – Used to sauté the onion and garlic.
Onion and Garlic – These will be sautéed for the sauce.
Meat – THREE meats…ground beef, ground sausage, and pepperoni.
Tomatoes – You’ll need crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and some tomato paste. All of these will help make the perfect sauce!
Broth – Some broth for additional flavor. You can use either chicken or beef.
Seasonings – Dried Italian Seasoning, basil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Sugar – Just a pinch to balance the tomatoes.

The Cheese Layer:

Ricotta – Use full-fat or at least 2%.
Mozzarella – Buy a good quality cheese so it melts. I usually prefer to buy a block of cheese and grate it myself.
Parmesan – Use a wedge of parmesan and grate it fresh!
Egg – This helps keep the cheese layer intact.

Pasta: 15 Lasagna noodles!

Warning: This lasagna feeds a crowd. If you have a smaller family or don’t like a lot of leftovers, I suggest making it in two smaller dishes. Enjoy half now, and then pull the other half out of the freezer on a rainy day.

Lasagna meat sauce plus noodle ingredients.

How to make The Ultimate Lasagna Recipe:

Step 1
Make the meat sauce.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil to medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, or 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so.
Then add the ground beef, ground sausage, salt, and pepper – and cook until completely browned, breaking it apart as you go.
Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, sugar, and seasonings, and simmer on medium-low for 20-30 minutes or until partially reduced. Remove from heat, and add pepperoni. Let cool slightly.

A pot of the beef and sausage mixture, after browning.

A pot of the meat sauce with the sauce on top.

A dutch oven of the meat sauce and the pepperoni on top.

Step 2
Cook the pasta. While the sauce is cooking, cook the lasagna noodles until al dente. You want the noodles to be a bit under-cooked. Spread the noodles on a towel to dry flat.

Step 3
Mix the cheese layer. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, about 10 oz. of the mozzarella, half of the parmesan cheese, and the egg. Stir to combine.

Step 4
Assemble. Add about 1/2 cup of the meat sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Then add 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese mixture. REPEAT three times, and then top with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Assembling the lasagna showing the lasagna noodle layer.

A casserole of lasagna with the meat layer on top.

A casserole dish of the lasagna with the ricotta cheese mixture on top.

Step 5
Bake. Bake the lasagna at 350 degrees, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes, or until top is nice and bubbly.

Step 6
Rest. Let the lasagna sit in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before slicing it. This will allow the juices to absorb into the pasta and the servings will hold their shape.

Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prep this lasagna a day ahead of time. Just wrap tightly with wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Freezing: You can also freeze this lasagna by wrapping tightly and freezing for a month or two. Set it in your refrigerator for a few days until it’s completely unthawed. Then bake for a bit longer than instructed below.

A hand serving up a piece of lasagna on a plate.

What to serve with the ultimate lasagna:

A simple green salad, or Arugula Caprese Salad.
My Mom’s French Bread or some Whole Wheat Honey Bread!
For dessert? How about French Silk Pie (my fav), White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, or some Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies.

Other Pasta Recipes:

Recipe FAQs:

Can I use oven-ready noodles for this recipe?

While I haven’t tested no-boil recipe, I believe you could use them as long as they are surrounded by plenty of moisture.

Can I make lasagna ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble lasagna ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. This allows the flavors to meld. Alternatively, you can freeze it for longer storage. Just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly.

Do I need to use ricotta cheese, or can I substitute it with something else?

While ricotta is a traditional choice, you can substitute it with cottage cheese or a mixture of cottage cheese and cream cheese. Some people also use a béchamel sauce for added creaminess.

How many layers should my lasagna have?

Generally three to four layers is needed for a nice, thick lasagna. Make sure you have enough meat sauce and cheese mixture to cover each layer evenly.

Do I need to let the lasagna rest?

Allowing the lasagna to rest for about 10-15 minutes after removing it from the oven helps the layers set, making it easier to slice and preventing it from falling apart.

Side view of a partial pan of lasagna, showing the insides.

Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)

xoxo ~Sue