This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
The Best Make Ahead Lasagna has three kinds of cheese, two different meats, one fantastic homemade sauce, and oodles of real noodles that require absolutely zero boiling. It all adds up to an award-winning, freezer-friendly recipe I’ve been making (and loving) for over a decade.
Over the years, I tweaked this recipe to get everything exactly right. Here’s what I love about it:
You can make it ahead. The lasagna needs at least 5 hours to chill and let the sauce soften the noodles, but you can definitely make it the night before (even 3 days before) and bake it when you need it. Want your own freezer lasagna? Wrap it up in foil once you assemble it, no need to bake it beforehand. Then stash it away for dinner emergencies.
It uses real lasagna noodles. I’ve always hated the “oven-ready,” pre-boiled, no-boil lasagna noodles, which fall apart in the pan. Real noodles taste better, period. And with this recipe, you don’t even cook or soak them.
Homemade meat sauce. A quick and easy, 20-minute meat sauce loaded with ground beef and Italian sausage.
Table of Contents
Oven Ready Lasagna Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Ground meat: I prefer 1 pound each of ground beef and Italian sausage (2 pounds total). Or use just ground beef, just ground Italian sausage, or choose another ground meat entirely (such as ground turkey).
- Sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of sugar in your meat sauce, please leave it out. In my family, people add ¼ cup or even up to ½ cup.
- Italian seasoning: It’s easy to make your own homemade Italian seasoning with dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
- Fennel seeds: The seeds make the Italian sausage flavors pop. If you love the taste of a sweet tomato sauce, use just ground beef (no sausage), at least ¼ cup sugar, and omit the fennel seeds.
- Ricotta cheese: Make your own ricotta with just 4 ingredients: Milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
- Lasagna noodles. NOT “oven ready” or “no-boil noodles.” Those pre-cooked noodles will shred on your fork in the most unappetizing way, while the “real” noodles will soften in the fridge in just 5 hours
How to Make No Boil Lasagna
Recipe revision: I updated this Lasagna recipe to make just the amount you need (2 quarts). In the past, my recipe made a quart of extra sauce. You can download a PDF of the original lasagna recipe ( <– click this link) if you are looking for that.
To make the meat sauce:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
To make the cheese filling:
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and salt. Chill until the sauce is finished.
How to Layer Lasagna
- In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of uncooked noodles over the meat sauce (I sometimes do 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and then a partial noodle crosswise).
- Spread with a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 ½ cups (5 ounces) of mozzarella. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of noodles, ricotta mixture (heaping 2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 ½ cups) and Parmesan (⅓ cup). Repeat layers 1 more time, for a total of 3 layers. Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish. Refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley before serving if desired.
No Boil Lasagna Recipe Tips and Variations
- Yield: As written, the lasagna is made in a 9” by 13” baking dish, enough for 12 servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make this recipe up to 3 days before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 25 minutes with foil, 25 minutes without foil). To bake the frozen lasagna straight from the freezer, bake 1 hour covered with foil and 24 minutes without the foil (the lasagna must reach 165 degrees on an internal thermometer).
- Store-bought sauce: You’ll need 2 quarts of sauce for one pan of lasagna. You might want to add a little extra water if the sauce is on the thick side. This lasagna recipe uses a wet sauce so the noodles can soften in the liquid.
- Disposable aluminum pans: I’ve made this in aluminum pans without a problem. They’re just fine!
- Pesto: Got a jar of pesto in the pantry, or homemade pesto in the refrigerator? Add a surprise layer somewhere for lots of extra flavor.
- Lasagna as a soup: Dinner in 30 minutes with my stove top Lasagna Soup, or set and forget my Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with only 10 minutes of prep.
What to Serve With Lasagna
Round out your Italian feast with an Italian-inspired salad such as a Caesar salad or antipasto salad. Add a side of garlic bread or bruschetta on toasted crostini. If you prefer a vegetable side, choose something green and light such as roasted green beans with lemon.
For dessert, choose any Italian classic such as Tiramisu or a basket of crunchy Italian pizzelle. If you’re looking for a cocktail, try an Aperol Spritz or a pitcher of Red Sangria.
How to Store No Boil Lasagna
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make ahead:
Make this recipe up to 3 days before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Freezer:
Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 25 minutes with foil, 25 minutes without foil). To bake the frozen lasagna straight from the freezer, bake 1 hour covered with foil and 24 minutes without the foil (the lasagna must reach 165 degrees on an internal thermometer).
Recipe FAQs
No-boil noodles shred on the end of your fork in the most unappetizing way, so this recipe uses traditional dry lasagna noodles that soften in the source in a matter of hours. It takes a little bit of planning, but it’s fool-proof!
I love a mixture of three cheeses in my lasagna: ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
1. Ricotta is the primary cheese. A layer of ricotta is creamy with a smooth texture, and the other cheeses layer on top of it.
2. Mozzarella melts like a dreamy so you get that classic stretchy cheese you expect. It also has a mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the dish.
3. Parmesan adds a savory flavor and saltiness. It’s the least important, but I always add it.
If you don’t like ricotta cheese, substitute cottage cheese or just use more mozzarella. You could also use provolone (just make sure it isn’t smoked). Instead of Parmesan, you could try fontina, pecorino Romano, or asiago.
Round out your menu
Entertaining
Italian Feast
Italian Recipes
Garlic Bread
Appetizer Recipes
Bruschetta on Baguette
Cookie Recipes
Pizzelle
Join Us
Oven Ready Lasagna
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef (see note 1)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or to taste (see note 2)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see note 3)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds (see note 4)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheese filling:
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese (see note 5)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For assembly:
- 1 box lasagna noodles NOT no-boil (see note 6)
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
To make the meat sauce:
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef (or sausage) and onion, and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, and fennel seeds. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). You should have about 2 quarts of sauce.
To make the cheese filling:
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and salt. Chill until the sauce is finished.
To assemble and bake the lasagna:
- In the bottom of a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish, spread 2 cups meat sauce. Arrange a single layer of uncooked noodles over the meat sauce (I sometimes do 3 full-size noodles lengthwise and then a partial noodle crosswise). Spread with a heaping 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Top with about 1 ½ cups (5 ounces) of mozzarella. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese. Make another layer of noodles, ricotta mixture (heaping 2/3 cup), mozzarella (1 ½ cups) and Parmesan (⅓ cup). Repeat layers 1 more time, for a total of 3 layers.
- Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover baking dish. Refrigerate at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an until hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes longer. Cool 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley before serving if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Ground meat: I prefer 1 pound each of ground beef and Italian sausage (2 pounds total). Or use just ground beef, just ground Italian sausage, or choose another ground meat entirely (such as ground turkey).
- Sugar: Even a tablespoon is too much for some people. If you don’t like the sound of sugar in your meat sauce, please leave it out. In my family, people add ¼ cup or even up to ½ cup.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own Italian Seasoning, in a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. of dried basil, 2 Tbsp. of dried oregano, 2 Tbsp. of dried rosemary, 2 Tbsp. of dried thyme, and 2 Tbsp. of dried marjoram. Store extra in an airtight container.
- Fennel seeds: The seeds make the Italian sausage flavors pop. If you love the taste of a sweet tomato sauce, use just ground beef (no sausage), at least ¼ cup sugar, and omit the fennel seeds.
- Ricotta cheese: Make your own ricotta with just 4 ingredients: Milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt.
- Lasagna noodles. NOT “oven ready” or “no-boil noodles.” Those pre-cooked noodles will shred on your fork in the most unappetizing way, while the “real” noodles will soften in the fridge in just 5 hours
- Yield: As written, the lasagna is made in a 9” by 13” baking dish, enough for 12 servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Make this recipe up to 3 days before you need it and keep it in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed (preheat oven to 375 degrees, bake 25 minutes with foil, 25 minutes without foil). To bake the frozen lasagna straight from the freezer, bake 1 hour covered with foil and 24 minutes without the foil (the lasagna must reach 165 degrees on an internal thermometer).
- Store-bought sauce: You’ll need 2 quarts of sauce for one pan of lasagna. You might want to add a little extra water if the sauce is on the thick side. This lasagna recipe uses a wet sauce so the noodles can soften in the liquid.
- Disposable aluminum pans: I’ve made this in aluminum pans without a problem. They’re just fine!
- Pesto: Got a jar of pesto in the pantry, or homemade pesto in the refrigerator? Add a surprise layer somewhere for lots of extra flavor.
I made this but I believe the box of noodles I used was WAY too big! I’ve seen this similar recipe in various places .. but NOBODY lists a SIZE for the box of noodles! H Kroger carriers 12 oz of no boil – but only 16 ounces in regular. What size is this recipe supposed to be for??
Hi Lasreci, this recipe is for regular lasagna noodles, so in this case I would go with the 16 ounce box of regular lasagna noodles. I hope you loved it! – Meggan
I am in the process of making this but I’m a little confused regarding the layers. When you talk through the second layer, you don’t include ending up with the meat sauce like in the first layer. I assumed it needed it, though….. so that there’s two cups of meat sauce on the bottom and then as the last ingredient in each of the 3 layers. ….But in one of your answer/comments, it said you usually end the whole thing with a cheese layer. Can you clarify? Most of the lasagnas I have made end up with noodles then some meat sauce and cheese. I wondered whether to put another layer of noodles on to end up with some meat sauce and cheese, but there wouldn’t be any meat sauce left to do this and soften the noodles.
Hi Melody, I’m sorry for the confusion. You’ve likely already finished assembling the lasagna, so I hope it worked out! The order for the second should be meat sauce, noodles, ricotta, cheeses. Then repeat for the top layer. I hope this helps. Sorry about that! – Meggan
Wonderful recipe! I doubled the recipe and made 2 lasagnas and had 6 cups of sauce leftover (which is enough to make a 3rd lasagna). The sauce is delicious and I froze the extra for upcoming pasta dinners. The fennel seeds do make it shine! I made it with 1/2 mild Italian sausage and 1/2 lean ground beef and the recommended 3Tbsp of sugar. The recommended salt level is good, though for my personal tastes, I might lower it a tad next time.
I was freezing these for Christmas Eve dinner, so I made them in foil trays with covers. Taking note of how the local Italian Cultural Centre packages their signature frozen lasagnas, I lay a sheet of parchment paper over the top of each tray before putting the foil lids on tightly. I did not use any cling wrap. With the help of a food processor to grate all the cheese, these were a snap to put together and I will never buy another pre-made frozen lasagna. These are so easy and so good!
On Christmas Eve, they went directly from the freezer into the oven. No cling wrap meant no unwrapping fuss! I had two lasagnas in the smaller of my dual ovens and thus increased the cooking time as recommended by another commenter. I baked them covered for 1hr 15 min, uncovered for 35 mins, to get them to temperature and to have a bit of browning of the cheese around the edges. Then they rested on the counter, loosely tented, for 30mins while the brussel sprouts roasted. They cut cleanly into squares and were the perfect serving temperature. Everyone loved it – that says a lot as I have a family of foodies!
Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe! For me, it is game changer and makes entertaining a crowd a much more relaxing experience. 🙂
You’re welcome, Susan! Thank you for writing such a thoughtful comment. I’m so glad it was a hit and helped you have a more relaxing holiday! – Meggan
I made 4 of these at one time for two family Christmas celebrations this year and everyone ranted and raved about them! I used the “giant lasagna” 9×13 deep disposable metal pans, and didn’t deviate from the recipe at all. I used half ground sirloin (90/10) and half sweet Italian sausage with the 2 TBSP of sugar (no fennel seeds). The left overs were a bit on the dry side, and the top layer was little chewy/crunchy – but that’s the part everyone loved! Maybe a little more sauce towards the top? I put 3 in the fridge 2 days before baking and 1 in the freezer 5 days before the next celebration and all turned out fabulous! Great compliments all around! Thank you SOOOOO much!
You’re so welcome, Candice! I’m so glad they were a hit! – Meggan
Question please… I’m making this right now and the 15 oz of ricotta at 2/3 cup/layer only covered 2 layers. Did I read something incorrectly? Everything else went the distance. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, it should be enough for the three layers. I have this on my list to look at, I’m thinking it might be brand dependent, some may be more dense than others, so there would be less ricotta by volume. What brand did you use? Thanks! – Meggan
Can you use fresh noodles for this recipe?
Hi Trish, if you have fresh noodles you can just make and assemble the lasagna right away and skip the 5 hour refrigerating time. The extra time could cause the noodles to become doughy. Hope you love it! – Meggan
This was a hit! For anyone else wondering about the pasta: I used Aldi’s lasagna which is “oven ready” and it worked perfectly and stayed intact (no shredding or falling apart)! I also used cottage cheese instead of ricotta. Prepped it 24 hours before baking.
Thanks for writing, Jess! I’m glad that brand of oven-ready lasagna noodles worked for you. 🙂 – Meggan
What a great recipe. Lots of good information. Loved reading the reviews and all your suggestions. I sent the whole article to my email. I’ve been making lasagna for many years but still need help! LOL!
So glad you love it! It’s so nice to have a reference, it’s quite an undertaking. Take care! – Meggan
Hi – I want to make this on a Sunday, but not serve until Tuesday. Would I assemble everything and refrigerate it, then take it out to bake on Tuesday or would that be too soggy.
Thanks!
Hi Dana, thanks for writing! You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days before baking. You can also assemble it, cool, and wrap it well, and freeze it until you’re ready to bake. Take care! – Meggan
Would it be possible to split the lasagna into two smaller pans for two dinners?
Hi Coral, yes! Just be mindful of the cook time since the pans are smaller. – Meggan