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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.
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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.
Your recipe mentions softening the dry/boxed noodles for five hours in the refrigerator. What is the best way to do this?
Hi Terri, sorry for the confusion! The noodles soften as the assembled lasagna chills in the refrigerator. Sorry again, and I hope you love this lasagna! – Meggan
My grandson is allergic to eggs. Can you skip the eggs in the ricotta? Thank you!
Hi Carmen, yes! The filling will likely be a little looser, so I would make sure to give it some time to rest before cutting into it. I would also make sure, depending on the nature of his allergy, to check the noodle ingredients, as some contain egg or are manufactured on equipment that processes egg products. I hope he loves it! – Meggan
I have a question: the recipe states that 2 quarts of sauce are needed, but if I am reading the instructions correctly, there are three layers, each with 2 cups of sauce. Shouldn’t there be sauce on the final layer of noodles to make sure they soften?
Hi Liz, thanks for writing and sorry for the confusion! The order for the second should be meat sauce, noodles, ricotta, cheeses. Then repeat for the top layer, so there is sauce under the noodles. The ricotta mixture also has moisture to help the noodles softened. I hope you love it! – Meggan
This is delicious! I have made three times now and have two questions:
1) It has been a bit dry with the amounts of sauce as instructed so I always make a little extra to plate the servings with. Could it be that I am at almost 5000 ft in a very dry Montana? Should I add a little more tomato sauce to the sauce recipe?
2) Have you or your subscribers had success with any gluten free noodles? If so, any specific ones?
Hi Tina, thank you for writing! I’m so glad you love this lasagna! Altitude would have an affect on the sauce, as the boiling point of water is lower and there is a higher rate of evaporation. I think adding a little more sauce or water as needed sounds like a good idea, and I would make sure to taste and adjust the sauce as needed. For gluten-free noodles, a reader shared they use Jovial Gluten Free noodles. Another shared they use Barilla brand. I hope this helps and your next batch is perfect! – Meggan
Could I use fresh homemade noodles for this recipe and would I need to adjust anything?
Hi Mary, yes! If you have fresh noodles, you can assemble the lasagna and bake right away, skipping the overnight refrigerating time. The extra time could cause the noodles to become doughy. Hope you love it! – Meggan
Can this recipe be made in single-serve aluminium pans? If so, would that change the cooking time at all? I want to make freezer meals for my family while I am traveling, and this looks so good!
Hi Abigail, yes! I love making this recipe in the disposable lasagna pans. I would start checking for doneness about 15-20 minutes after removing the foil and returning to the oven just incase the oven does run warm. I hope you and your family loves it! – Meggan
I made this recipe for a friend who just had a baby. I followed it exactly, but I had 8 noodles leftover (Barilla brand) and maybe a 1/4 cup left of sauce. I layered the noodles with three across and one half-ish crosswise. Curious what I did wrong. I won’t know how it turns out until I ask, but now I’m feeling nervous!
Hi Jessica, she will love it! It’s so thoughtful and kind of you to make it for your friend. Since noodles are sold by weight and not number, there is sometimes some variance with the number of noodles, so as long as they were close/touching, the layer should be fine. (You can always overlap them some so no noodles are left over). I usually add any small amount of sauce to the final sauce layer. I hope your friend loves it! – Meggan
I din’t understand why this has such high markings. Just because it’s so easy? It is easy. It tastes… perfectly fine. Basic. The lasagna will not blow anyone’s socks off.
Hi Jess, thanks for your feedback. Hope you find another recipe you like better. Thank you – Meggan
This has quickly become a family favorite!! Making this weekend for a meal train and texted to see if any of my kids want me to make them one also…lol they all do!!
That’s great, Stephanie! I’m so glad everyone loves it! – Meggan