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A bubbling dish of savory beef lasagna with a golden cheesy top.

Beef Lasagna

This classic beef lasagna recipe is a comforting and hearty dish, perfect for family dinners or a gathering. Layers of rich meat sauce, tender pasta, and creamy cheese create a truly satisfying meal.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meat Sauce
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 0.5 cup water
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 0.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Cheese Mixture
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
Other
  • 12 lasagna noodles oven-ready
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

Equipment

  • large pot
  • medium bowl
  • 9x13 inch baking dish
  • aluminum foil

Method
 

Make the Meat Sauce
  1. Cook ground beef in a large pot over medium heat until browned, then drain any excess fat.
  2. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the pot, cooking until softened.
  3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the Cheese Mixture
  1. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, grated Parmesan, fresh parsley, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Assemble the Lasagna
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce, top with half of the ricotta cheese mixture, and then sprinkle with about a third of the mozzarella cheese.
  3. Cover with another layer of meat sauce, followed by more noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, and another third of the mozzarella.
  4. Add a final layer of noodles, the remaining meat sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Bake and Serve
  1. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
  2. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
  3. Let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

For best results, use good quality tomatoes for the sauce. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the meat sauce for a bit of heat. Leftover lasagna reheats well and often tastes even better the next day!