The Best Lasagna Recipe with Homemade Pasta Noodles

Once you make lasagna with homemade lasagna noodles, you’ll never want to go back!  This is a classic lasagna recipe with homemade noodles that don’t even have to be boiled before baking.

Lasagna is such a classic in almost every home, and everyone has their own personal twist and methods for making it. My absolute favorite lasagna upgrade to make this a truly from scratch dish is using fresh lasagna noodles.  Making homemade pasta has become a regular part of my homemaking routine.  Yes, there are always health benefits to making anything from scratch as opposed to buying store-bought.  But honestly, the main reason I’m hooked on homemade pasta is that it is just so delicious – trust me, you can absolutely taste the difference.

I’ve been told by family and extended family that this is the best lasagna recipe, and I agree!  But then again, we are probably all a bit biased.  So if you make this recipe, please leave an honest review.

I may receive a small commission for items purchased through affiliate links in this post at no additional cost to you.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This is a classic lasagna recipe that everyone will love with nothing too crazy or out of the ordinary.  What makes it superior is the fresh pasta!  If you’re fortunate enough to have access to lots of fresh food, make as much as you can from scratch and taste the difference.  When my hens are laying, my cows are in milk, and my garden is popping – I make the ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese and tomato sauce from scratch as well as the egg pasta, and top it off with some fresh herbs from the herb garden.
• This is a great make-ahead recipe.  If you know you’ve got a busy day, or couple of days coming up – just prep this lasagna in the evening, cover it, and bake it before dinner within the next couple of days.  You can make this a quick, easy lasagna recipe by using store-bought pasta sheets, canned pasta sauce, dried herbs, and pre-shredded cheese.
• It’s easy to make in bulk.  In the video below, I made a triple batch of this lasagna as part of my postpartum meal prep.  I baked one for dinner and froze two.  This is so easy to do – since I was already making lasagna anyway it took very little extra work to triple the sauce, pasta, and cheeses.  Then I assembled the freezer batches while dinner was in the oven.
• The homemade lasagna noodles do not need to be pre-boiled before baking.  Just lay them in the baking dish when assembling the lasagna and they will cook as the lasagna bakes – this means no handling soggy lasagna!

What You’ll Need

INGREDIENTS

BOLOGNESE SAUCE

?2/3 lb ground beef

2/3 lb ground sausage (can be Italian sausage)

1 small onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 quart (32 ounces) pasta sauce

HOMEMADE LASAGNA NOODLES (for 3 layers of noodles)

?1.5 cups all-purpose flour

3 whole eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

?1 tablespoon olive oil

extra flour for rolling pasta

RICOTTA CHEESE FILLING & CHEESE TOPPINGS

?15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried or chopped parsley

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (fresh mozzarella works well too)

2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried or chopped parsley

TOOLS

Large pot or dutch oven for bolognese sauce

rolling pin for pasta

pasta machine/pasta roller (optional)

small mixing bowl for ricotta cheese filling

9×13 inch baking dish

Step-By-Step Recipe

MAKE THE BOLOGNESE MEAT SAUCE

Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large dutch oven or pot on medium heat  Once the meat is browned, drain it, return it to the dutch oven, and add the chopped onion and minced garlic and sweat on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper as well as the quart of pasta sauce.  Stir well, cover, and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes.  Ideally, simmer for a few hours or even all day to bring out depth and flavor in the sauce.

MAKE THE PASTA DOUGH

An hour before you are ready to assemble the lasagna, make the homemade pasta.

In a large bowl or on the counter add the flour and make a well with the back of a spoon or measuring cup.  Add the salt, eggs, and oil to the well.  

Whisk it all into the flour with a fork and then turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.  Knead the dough for 3-4 minutes until it is smooth.  It should be slightly sticky, but able to be handled.  

The dough should not be dry.  Let the dough rest – wrap the dough in plastic wrap or in a zip-loc bag and set it to the side to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

MAKE THE RICOTTA MIXTURE

?While the pasta dough is resting and the bolognese sauce is still simmering, make the ricotta cheese mixture.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, salt, egg, and parsley.  Set aside.

Shred, grate, or slice the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses if you are not using pre-shredded.  Mix the shredded cheeses in a small bowl and set aside.

ROLL AND CUT THE SHEETS OF PASTA

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pasta out into thin sheets and cut enough for 3 layers of pasta to fit your 9×13″ baking sheet.  If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer with a pasta attachment, use that.  I use this manual pasta maker that works wonderfully.  

Once the homemade pasta sheets are cut, dust them with flour on each side so they do not stick together, stack them up, and set them aside for assembly.  These fresh lasagne sheets do not need to be pre-boiled!  So no need for big pots of boiling water or shocking the noodles in cold water after.  The fresh pasta will go straight into the lasagna and be cooked perfectly al dente during the baking process.

ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA AND BAKE

Assemble the lasagna in a greased 9×13 baking dish.  This recipe makes three layers of lasagna. 

First layer: Start by spooning a third of the bolognese sauce into the baking dish.  Add the first layer of noodles, then spread a third of the ricotta egg mixture over the lasagna noodles.  

Top with a third of the shredded cheese mixture.  This completes one single layer of the lasagna.

Second layer: On top of the shredded cheese, add a third of the bolognese sauce, another layer of lasagna noodles/sheets, another ricotta cheese layer, and another shredded cheese layer.

Third layer: Same as the second layer.  Top the shredded cheese with chopped parsley this time, cover the lasagna with a piece of aluminum foil.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.  Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow it to cool and set for a half hour before serving.  It really is best to let it set before serving or the lasagna will spread all over the plates like soup rather than maintaining its shape.

FAQ

HOW DO I LAYER LASAGNA PROPERLY?

Start by spooning a third of the bolognese sauce into the baking dish.  Add the first layer of noodles, then spread a third of the ricotta egg mixture over the lasagna noodles.  Top with a third of the shredded cheese mixture.  This completes one single layer of the lasagna.  On top of the shredded cheese, add a third of the bolognese sauce, another layer of lasagna noodles/sheets, another ricotta cheese layer, and another shredded cheese layer.  Repeat this process for as many layers as you’d like.  Top the final shredded cheese layer with chopped herbs, cover, and bake.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE HOMEMADE LASAGNA NOODLES OR CAN I USE STORE-BOUGHT LASAGNA SHEETS?

?You do not have to use homemade lasagna noodles in this recipe, you can use store-bought lasagna sheets, but they may need to be pre-boiled and the flavor will not be the same.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE HOMEMADE LASAGNA?

It takes a minimum of 2 hours and 45 minutes to make this homemade lasagna, although you can take shortcuts by using canned bolognese sauce, pre-made lasagna sheets, pre-shredded cheese, and dried herbs.  Taking these shortcuts will cut the time down to one hour.  Making everything from scratch and simmering the bolognese sauce all day will increase the time.

SHOULD I BAKE MY LASAGNA COVERED?

?This depends on whether or not you like a crispy top layer or a melty, cheesy top layer.  Either way, it is best to start the baking process with the lasagna covered.  If you like a crispy top layer, uncover the lasagna after 20 minutes.  If you like a melty, cheesy top layer, uncover the lasagna with 5-10 minutes of baking time remaining.

WHAT IS BOLOGNESE SAUCE?

?Bolognese saice is an Italian, tomato-based pasta sauce with a mixture of sausage, beef, garlic, onions, and fresh herbs that simmers and develops a rich flavor.  You can add a 1/4 cup of red wine to your bolognese for even more flavor.

Tips

Don’t skip making the fresh lasagna sheets.  

While this recipe can absolutely be adapted to use store-bought lasagna sheets, part of what makes it so good is the fresh pasta!

Simmer the Bolognese Sauce for several hours if you have time.

Any tomato-based sauce develops more depth and flavor over time.  This is why meals like chili, spaghetti, and lasagna are so often better the next day than if eaten fresh!  One way to get that depth and flavor of next-day lasagna is to simmer the bolognese on low all day long, just like the Italian grannies do on Sundays before preparing and serving Sunday dinner to the family (its often called Sunday sauce among Italians for this reason, or so I’m told by my Italian friends)

Prep the night before and double batch or triple the batch.  

?Making lasagna completely from scratch, especially making the fresh pasta sheets from scratch, can be a chore that takes quite a bit of time!  Utilize your time well by preparing this dish the night before and making a double or triple batch.  This isn’t actually that much more work since you’re already making everything anyway.  You’ll be glad you put that little bit of extra work in on a busy night when you can pull a batch of fresh lasagna out of the freezer, bake it, and enjoy.

Storage

This lasagna can be prepared a day or two before baking.  Just cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate the assembled lasagna, then bake when you’re ready.  Store leftover lasagna in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.  This lasagna can be frozen in an airtight container before baking or after baking, it stays fresh in the freezer for 3 months.

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