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–+ servings
A casserole dish with baked lasagna.

Best Lasagna with Ricotta

Author: Veena Azmanov
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Coooking Temperature: 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5
Calories: 19
Adjust Servings Here: 8 servings

Description

This quick and easy lasagna with ricotta is made with homemade meat sauce then layered with no-boil lasagna noodles. Perfect for a big family meal and entertaining guests.

Ingredients 

Lasagna meat sauce

  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • ½ cup Onions finely chopped
  • 1 tsp Garlic thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup Carrots finely chopped
  • ¼ cup Celery finely chopped
  • 1 lb (500 g) Ground beef
  • 4 oz (100 g) Ground pork or pancetta
  • 1 tbsp Brown sugar (optional)
  • 2 cans (30 oz) Tomatoes (15 x 2 oz or 4 cups) crushed
  • 4 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp Dried thyme Or 1 tbsp fresh
  • ½ cup (120 ml) Water
  • 1 tbsp Bouillion chicken or beef
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Pepper
  • 2 sprigs Basil fresh
  • 2 tbsp Parsley finely chopped

Ricotta sauce

  • 2 cup (500 g) Ricotta
  • 1 Egg large
  • ½ tsp Pepper
  • ½ tsp Salt

Plus

  • 1 lb (500 g) No-boil lasagna noodles
  • 2 cup (225 g) Mozarella cheese grated
  • ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Lasagna meat sauce

  • In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom saute pan, add olive oil. Saute garlic, carrots, celery, and onions until translucent.
    Pro tip - I like to start with a cold pan with oil and garlic, to get more flavor from the garlic before I add the rest of the veggies (see video).
  • Then, add the ground beef and pork. Break apart the beef into smaller pieces. Saute until the meat is no longer pink.
    Pro tip - It is important to break the meat apart now or the sauce will be very lumpy when layering the lasagna.
  • Add the Italian seasoning, thyme, and bouillon. Followed by the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
    Pro tip - Alternatively, you can use 4 cups of ready-made marinara sauce instead.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Add the water, whole basil sprigs, and chopped parsley.
    Pro tip - Depending on the type of canned tomatoes you may need a little less or more water for the sauce.
  • Cover and cook for an hour on low stirring every 15 minutes until you have a thick delicious meat sauce.
    Pro tip - Add a little water if necessary to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Alternatively, take the lid off to help evaporate excess moisture.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the basil sprigs and discard them. Set aside to cool completely before using.
    Pro tip - I find cool tomato sauce works better when layering the lasagna.

Cheese layer

  • In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
    Pro tip - you can combine the grated mozzarella and Parmesan with the ricotta to make just one mixture but I like to sprinkle these over separately.

Layering the lasagna

  • Preheat the oven at 375°F / 190°C/ Gas Mark 5.
  • In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar
    - Spread one cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan
    - Top with 3 or 4 lasagna noodles
    - Spread about 1/2 cup ricotta cheese with an offset spatula
    - Sprinkle on some paremsan and mozzarella cheese
    Repeat the process 3 more times until you have used up the meat sauce and ricotta.
    Pro tip - It is important to plan the amount of each component you will use ahead of time. Otherwise, you will have uneven layers in your lasagna.
  • After the last layer, sprinkle any remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
    Pro tip - Place the baking dish on a baking sheet for easy clean up just incase of any spilover.

Bake the lasagna

  • Bake for 30 minutes covered, remove the aluminum foil and cook another 20 to 25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
    Pro tip - Covering with the foil will help the noodles cook in the steam created in the pan. Baking uncovered will ensure you have a nice golden top, which looks appetizing and delicious.
  • Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. This will give you nicer slices that won't fall apart when sliced.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

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