Ricotta Lasagna
Ricotta Lasagna features creamy ricotta cheese, marinara meat sauce and soft lasagna noodles. You’ll make it again and again.
Creamy Ricotta Lasagna Recipe: A Heavenly Twist on a Classic Favorite!
Growing up, we didn’t spend much time inside worrying about what was for dinner. Most nights were all about quick meals, like lunch meat and hamburgers. But every once in a while my mom would make her famous lasagna recipe. Funny enough, she never ate it herself—she just wasn’t a fan. But the rest of us? We loved it. Over the years, I’ve taken her lasagna recipe and added a few of my own twists. And now, I’m excited to share it with you!
Here’s why I love this dish!
- Made with creamy ricotta cheese that melts in your mouth.
- Hot ground pork sausage is the way to go. It’s what my momma always used for good reasons.
- This lasagna recipe takes me back to childhood and gives me all those good warm feelings.
If you want to up the homemade in this lasgana recipe, make homemade pasta in your own kitchen. You can also try this pasta-free low-carb lasagna version. Serve your lasagna by making this garlic bread recipe.
Step 1
Make the Meat Sauce
Brown the ground beef and sausage with chopped onions, then toss in your herbs and marinara. Let everything heat through.
Step 1
Mix the Cheese Sauce
Combine ricotta, herbs, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and an egg to make the cheese sauce. It’s that simple.
Step 3
Layering Time
Start with a layer of meat sauce, then add noodles, followed by more meat sauce and a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat the layers—meat sauce, noodles, cheese sauce—until your pan is full. Finish off with a good amount of mozzarella and parmesan on top.
Step 4
Bake and Rest
Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Then uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Let it rest—if you can wait that long–for 10 minutes.
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Ricotta Lasagna
Equipment
- 9×13 casserole dish Deep Dish
Ingredients
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb hot sausage (a nod to my mother)
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- ½ cup beef broth (or water)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley (2 tbsp for sauce and 2 tbsp for cheese)
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 Large eggs
- 4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded, divided)
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Add 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil to a 5-quart pot. Then add 1 medium onion and cook until transluscent, about 3 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves (minced) and cook for 30 seconds. Remove to a large bowl.
- Brown ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb hot sausage in the 5-quart pot, over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Break up the meat into small pieces with a spatula. Drain excess grease if necessary. Add the onions back to the pot and stir.
- Add 24 oz marinara sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, and 2 tbsp chopped parsley. Simmer until heated through.
- Prepare 9 lasagna noodles according to package instructions or until al dente in salted boiling water. If using oven ready, they can be used straight from the package. I make my own lasagna noodles, so that is an option as well. If you plan to freeze the lasagna and bake it later, I suggest drying freshly made pasta fully before using them in the lasagna.
- Add 16 oz ricotta cheese to a large mixing bowl. Mix 3 cups mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp chopped parsley and 1 Large eggs into the ricotta.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Spread a quarter of the meat sauce on the bottom of a deep dish casserole.
- Layer with noodles, sauce, and cheese mixture, in that order, three times. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil. Place a large baking sheet on the oven rack directly below the casserole if it's full. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, top with ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil if desired, and let the lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
