This classic Italian lasagna with ricotta cheese is layered with oven-ready noodles, a hearty meat sauce, and two different kinds of cheese. A tasty comfort food classic, this is the best lasagna recipe for a cold winter night or Sunday dinner with the family.
This post was originally published in March 2018 and has been updated for content.
We love comfort food of all kinds at our house. Whether it's chicken pot pie, meatloaf, or even pot roast, these soul warming meals are a staple during the cold winter months.
This classic lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese is hearty, filling, and the perfect meal to share with a friend or with family. It would be delicious served with crusty Italian bread, arugula salad, or roasted artichokes.
If you love lasagna as much as we do, make sure you also try my white lasagna with spinach and mushrooms.
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🍅 Ingredient notes
- Meat Sauce - Both ground beef and pork are cooked and simmered with my Italian gravy marinara to make a rich and hearty homemade meat sauce. Use store-bought marinara as an alternative in this easy lasagna recipe, if needed.
- Ricotta Cheese Filling - Some Italian lasagna recipes use a bechamel or white sauce in place of ricotta. I prefer using this herbed ricotta cheese mixture to make for a heartier filling. I recommend using whole milk ricotta for the best creamy ricotta cheese filling.
- Shredded Cheese - Use both mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese for layering the lasagna. The mozzarella adds a creamy, melty texture, while the parmesan cheese adds a nice sharpness and saltiness. Provolone or romano cheese are other Italian cheeses that can also be added to the mix. Use freshly grated cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- Lasagna Noodles - Oven-ready lasagna noodles make this classic Italian lasagna recipe both quick and easy. Regular noodles or homemade pasta could also be used. Regular lasagna noodles will need to be boiled first, however, homemade pasta can be used without pre-cooking.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-Free - Use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Vegetarian - Omit the meat in the sauce.
- Veggies - Saute baby spinach or kale with the onions and garlic.
- Spicy - Use spicy Italian sausage instead of ground pork.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, cook the ground beef and pork together in a large skillet until browned, and then add the sauce. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the ricotta cheese filling.
Saute the diced onions and garlic in olive oil with the Italian seasoning. In a large bowl, mix the onions and garlic, with the ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper.
To assemble the lasagna layers, first, mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add a cup of sauce to the bottom of the pan and add three oven-ready noodles on top.
Next, dollop a third of the ricotta filling on top of the layer of noodles and spread it around. Top the ricotta mixture with a third of the shredded cheese mixture and then half of the remaining sauce.
Repeat the layering process two more times, with the last layer only consisting of noodles, ricotta, and shredded cheese.
Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 375˚ for an hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking to brown the cheese.
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⭐ Expert tips
- Use a deep-sided baking dish or casserole dish to ensure you have enough room for all of the layers without it boiling over. Place a sheet pan on the rack below the lasagna to catch any drips during cooking.
- To brown the cheese on the lasagna even more, turn on the broiler for a minute or two at the end.
- Make sure to let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting it so it doesn't fall apart.
🍅 Order of lasagna layers
⏲️ Make ahead instructions
- Fridge - Wrap the whole pan of lasagna in plastic wrap and store it unbaked in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking time to allow it to come to room temperature. Remove plastic wrap, cover in foil, and bake as directed.
- Freezer - Wrap the whole pan of lasagna in plastic wrap and foil and store it unbaked in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow the lasagna to fully defrost in the refrigerator. Pull the thawed lasagna out of the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking time to allow it to come to room temperature. Remove plastic wrap, cover in foil, and bake as directed.
🥡 Storage suggestions
Keep leftover lasagna with ricotta cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month. Completely thaw the frozen baked lasagna in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or oven until heated through.
🍝 More comfort food
If you loved this recipe for classic Italian lasagna with ricotta cheese, check out these other comfort food favorites that I know you will love too!
- Beef Short Rib Ragu
- Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
- No Fry Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Carbonara Mac and Cheese
📖 Recipe
Classic Italian Lasagna Recipe with Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups Italian gravy or store-bought marinara
Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium white onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 32 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Lasagna Layers
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 9 oven ready lasagna noodles or homemade pasta sheets
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Preheat the oven to 375˚ and heat a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, ground beef, ground pork, salt, and pepper. Cook the meat, stirring occasionally until browned and cook through.
- Add in the Italian gravy and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes while the ricotta cheese filling is made.
Ricotta Cheese Filling
- Heat a medium skillet or pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the oil and diced onions and cook while stirring occasionally for 3 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and continue to cook, while stirring for an additional minute.
- Remove the pan off of the heat and place into a mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and pepper. Stir together the ingredients thoroughly until they are well combined.
Lasagna Layering
- In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
- In a 9x13 deep-sided baking pan, spread approximately 1 cup of the meat sauce over the entire bottom of the pan.
- Place three of the lasagna noodles over the sauce and top with one third of the ricotta mixture. Spread the mixture around to cover most of the noodles. Top the ricotta mixture with one third of the shredded cheese mixture and then top that with half of the remaining meat sauce.
- Repeat the process for the next layer with 3 more noodles, the second third of the ricotta mixture, the second third of the shredded cheese, and the remaining meat sauce.
- To complete the third layer, add the last three noodles, the final third of the ricotta mixture, and the final third of the shredded cheese.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and place in the oven on the middle rack to bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time to allow the cheese to brown. The broiler can be turned on for a few minutes to brown the cheese further.
- Remove lasagna from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Baking - Place a sheet pan on the rack below the lasagna to catch any drips.
- Cheese - Add provolone or romano cheese to the mix.
- Veggies - Saute fresh baby spinach or kale with the onions and garlic.
- Spicy - Use spicy Italian sausage in place of the ground pork.
- Gluten-Free - Use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Vegetarian - Omit the meat from the sauce.
- Make Ahead (Fridge) - Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and store it unbaked in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Take lasagna out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking time. Bake as directed.
- Make Ahead (Freezer) - Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and foil and store it unbaked in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost completely in the fridge then bring to room temperature before cooking. Bake as directed.
- Leftovers - Keep in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Lisa
Best lasagna recipe ever! I made this today for Christmas Day and my family loved it. I used 1 lb grass fed organic hamburger, 1/2 lb Pork sausage and 1/3 lb spicy pork sausage. Thank you.
Amanda
You are so very welcome Lisa. I'm so glad you enjoyed it - Merry Christmas!
Cindy
My family absolutely loved this recipe! My ricotta mixture was a bit runny, but I just added some dry Parmesan (powder) to thicken it up. Maybe because I used minced garlic from a jar? Nonetheless, success and happy family! Thank you!
Amanda
Minced garlic in a jar does have a bit of extra liquid in it, usually either oil or water. In my experience, there are some brands of ricotta that are thicker than others. You can strain your ricotta in cheesecloth overnight to get a thicker consistency if you like!
Toni Jackson
I made this and the glass dish I used used 4 uncooked Lasagna noodles per Layer
It's a recipe that. I will use every time and play with certain ingredients .
Thank you so much
Amanda
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kenneth Strong
still in the oven. preliminary tasting was very good. completely vegetarian except the cheese. Impossible sausage spicy Italian with my homemade sauce. I believe it is a dynamite recipe
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Amanda
That sounds amazing! I hope you enjoy it!
Susan Elizabeth
It was delicious! I'll use your recipe again! Thank you!
Amanda
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Susan!
Carie
Getting ready to prepare this. Very excited.
Amanda
Yah! I hope you enjoy it!
Susan Elizabeth
It's in the oven now. I made my meat sauce this morning. I couldn't remember how to layer the ingredients and used your ricotta mixture also. My mouth is watering, it will be delicious 🤤!
MyYellowApron
Would love to try the recipe. Thanks for sharing ❤️ who doesn’t love a good pasta!!
Amanda
Absolutely! Thanks!
Melody Durant
The Italian gravy recipe, how many cups does it make? Is it enough for 2 lasagna's?
missionwife@hotmail.com
Amanda
Hi Melody! Yes, it will be plenty. The recipe yields between 4-6 quarts of sauce.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This dish looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Amanda
Thank you so much!
Sachi
This looks delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Amanda
Thank you! Let me know how it turns out for you!
Mireille | the Tortilla Channel
What is not to love about this recipe Amanda? Love it with the beef and pork and all that cheese. Beautiful.
Amanda
Thanks Mireille!!!