Lasagna is one of those classic comfort foods to me, and while it looks impressive, it actually is very easy to make. This lasagna recipes features a homemade meat sauce and a creamy ricotta filling for a recipe that is as delicious as it is beautiful. I mean, take a look:

I hope you try this recipe out!

Ingredients:

Noodles:

• 1 package of Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagna Sheets (9 oz)

Meat Sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• pinch of sugar (to taste)

Ricotta Filling:

• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup chopped basil

Topping:

• 1 cup freshly grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• more fresh basil, to top

Directions:

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the chopped onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions have turned lightly brown (about 5 minutes).
2. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so until the garlic is fragrant (garlic is quick to burn, so one minute is more than enough). Add in the dried oregano and pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) and cook for another minute.
3. Add in the ground beef, seasoning with more salt, and cook until brown (about 5-7 minutes). I recommend letting the meat get a good sear in the pan before breaking it up, to make sure you get those brown bits.
4. Once the meat is fully cooked, add in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and chopped basil. When adding in the tomatoes, be sure to rinse the can out with water to get all of the sauce. Now you can taste the sauce for seasoning— if your tomatoes are too acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance it out.
5. Cover the sauce and let simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have melded. Taste for seasoning again at the end, then remove from the heat while you work on the ricotta mixture.
6. For the ricotta mixture, combine all ingredients until smooth. I like mine to have a strong garlic flavor, but feel free to adjust to your preference.
7. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
8. Begin layering the lasagna. Add 1/5th of meat sauce to the bottom of the pan to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then top with 3 lasagna sheets, followed by 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top, followed by another 1/5th of the meat sauce. Continue layering until you have 3 layers of noodles/ricotta/sauce.
9. Once you have finished the 3 layers, top with 3 more lasagna sheets and the remaining meat sauce. Evenly sprinkle over the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375F for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned. You will know the noodles are cooked through when you can easily poke a knife into the lasagna.
10. Once the lasagna is done cooking, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it. Top with more basil if desired, and enjoy!

For a video tutorial, watch my TikTok below! The layering process can be a bit confusing, but hopefully this helps. You want three layers of noodles→ ricotta → meat sauce, with one more layer of meat sauce at the bottom and at the top.

@madeby.milena

lasagna per my sister’s request🕺🏽 recipe is on my blog! #food #lasagna #pasta #fyp #foryou

♬ Bar Mediterraneo – Nu Genea