Recipes and Cooking Classic Lasagna 5.0 (1) 1 Review This lasagna recipe is a Better Homes & Gardens favorite. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 3, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Kritsada Panichgul Hands On Time: 45 mins Bake Time: 35 mins Stand Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 12 Jump to Nutrition Facts Our classic lasagna recipe features your choice of ricotta or cottage cheese, plus mozzarella and Parmesan for all that cheesy goodness. Read through this easy lasagna recipe and we'll walk you through how to make the meat sauce, creamy filling, and noodles. We're also sharing step-by-step instructions for layering homemade lasagna. After baking, let the dish stand for 15 minutes before serving. Don't forget the garlic bread! Ingredients 8 ounce bulk Italian or pork sausage or ground beef or turkey 1 cup chopped onion (1 large) 3 cloves garlic, minced ¼ - ⅓ cup dry red wine 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 2 8 ounce cans tomato sauce 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional) ¼ teaspoon black pepper 12 dried lasagna noodles 1 beaten egg 1 15 ounce container ricotta cheese or 2 cups cottage cheese, drained ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 cup shredded mozzarella (12 oz.) Grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Snipped fresh basil (optional) Directions Meat Sauce BHG / Ana Cadena In a large saucepan cook meat, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is browned, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain fat. BHG / Ana Cadena Stir in dry red wine; bring to boiling. BHG / Ana Cadena Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds (if desired), and black pepper into meat mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lasagna BHG / Ana Cadena Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. BHG / Ana Cadena For filling, combine egg, ricotta, and the ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside. BHG / Ana Cadena Spread about ¼ cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. BHG / Ana Cadena Arrange three of the cooked noodles lengthwise over sauce. Spoon one-fourth of the filling over noodles. Test Kitchen Tip: For mess-free assembly, spoon the filling into a resealable plastic bag. Snip off one corner of the bag; squeeze the bag to pipe the filling over the noodles in the baking dish. Top with one-fourth of the remaining sauce and one-fourth of the mozzarella cheese. BHG / Ana Cadena Repeat layers three more times, starting with noodles and ending with mozzarella cheese (cover top layer of noodles evenly with sauce). If desired, sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over top. BHG / Ana Cadena Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes or until hot in the center (160°F). Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with basil. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare as above through step 5. Cover unbaked lasagna; chill for up to 24 hours. To serve, bake, covered, in a 375 degree F oven for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake about 20 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Quick Lasagna Variation Substitute 6 no-boil lasagna noodles (one-third of a 9 ounce package) for the regular lasagna noodles and skip step 3. Omit the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. For sauce, stir a 26-ounce jar pasta sauce into the browned meat mixture. Do not simmer. Continue as directed in step 4. Vegetable Lasagna Variation Prepare Classic Lasagna as directed, except omit beef or sausage. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, quartered, and 1 yellow or red sweet pepper, cut into strips, with the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped zucchini and/or yellow summer squash; cook for 3 to 5 minutes more or until vegetables are tender. Continue as directed. Lasagna with Bechamel Variation For Béchamel sauce, in a 3-quart saucepan melt 3 Tbsp. butter with 3 cloves minced garlic over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. black pepper. Gradually whisk in 2½ cups milk. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Cook and whisk 2 minutes more. Stir in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese into finished sauce. Remove from heat. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 441 Calories 20g Fat 37g Carbs 24g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 441 % Daily Value * Total Fat 20g 26% Saturated Fat 10g 50% Cholesterol 97mg 32% Sodium 695mg 30% Total Carbohydrate 37g 13% Total Sugars 6g Protein 24g Vitamin C 8.3mg 42% Calcium 343.3mg 26% Iron 2.3mg 13% Potassium 233mg 5% Folate, total 68.5mcg Vitamin B-12 0.7mcg Vitamin B-6 0.2mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.