Easy lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese, ground beef, and Italian sausage is a filling, savory dinner you can enjoy with a side of garlic bread.
You can make the meat sauce the night before, and assemble the following day to make it an easy lasagna recipe to put together.
Use fresh noodles over regular lasagna noodles. Using fresh noodles eliminates the need to cook the noodles, and they are much thinner than any “oven ready” lasagna noodles.
Italian sausages give this recipe a hint of spiciness which is a welcome flavor in lasagna to make it a bit different than a plain lasagna.
Frozen spinach can sometimes be difficult to find in the grocery stores, we have included some directions on how to cook down fresh spinach for your lasagna if you need to. Make sure to remove all of the water from the spinach before adding it to your ricotta mixture. Otherwise the cheese mixture ends up too thin.
How long to bake lasagna for
Bake lasagna for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Finish off by browning the cheese using a broiler for 3-5 minutes.
Do you bake lasagna covered or uncovered
Bake your lasagna uncovered. Lasagna does not need to be covered in the oven. The cheese will brown the longer you have it in the oven, but it does not start to brown until after 40 minutes in the oven.
What kind of mozzarella is best for lasagna
Use pizza mozzarella or shredded mozzarella is best for lasagna. Do not use fresh mozzarella.
Why do you add egg to ricotta cheese for lasagna
Adding egg to ricotta cheese for lasagna combines the mixture together and binds it all together. This allows the cheese not to fall out of the lasagna as it cooks.
How many layers should lasagna have
Lasagna should have at least 3-4 layers of noodles for it to be sufficient.
Do you have to boil lasagna noodles before baking
You have to boil lasagna noodles before baking if they are not “oven ready” or “fresh” noodles. Regular lasagna noodles need to be cooked before baking, because they will not be cooked by the baking process in the oven.
Is lasagna better with ricotta or cottage cheese
Lasagna is better with ricotta cheese than cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is bitter and is mild in flavoring, whereas ricotta is more creamy and flavorful, which goes very well with lasagna that has spinach in it.
What can you serve with lasagna
You can serve many different foods with lasagna including:
- garlic bread
- cheese bread
- breadsticks
- focaccia bread with oil and vinegar
- Caesar salad
- green salad
- white wine
What type of pan is best for lasagna
It is best to bake lasagna in a large casserole dish with high sides so you can layer your lasagna with at least 3-4 layers of lasagna noodles
Can you make lasagna in a glass dish
You can make lasagna in a heat proof glass dish, just make sure the sides are high enough for layering.
What is the best salad to go with lasagna
The best salad to go with lasagna is Caesar Salad. It has complimentary flavors and goes well with lasagna.
What is a good dessert to serve with lasagna
There are a few good desserts that go with after serving lasagna including:
- crème brulee
- raspberry mousse
- vanilla ice cream
- apple crumble
- pumpkin pie
Easy Lasagna Recipe with Ricotta Cheese
Materials
- 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 1 hot Italian sausage
- 1 mild Italian sausage
- 1/4 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 770 ml tomato sauce
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 cup carrots diced
- 1/4 cup celery diced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh basil cut into strips
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup spinach cooked or frozen
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 10 fresh lasagna noodles
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, brown ground beef and Italian sausages. Break up the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks. Add onions and salute with 2 cloves of minced garlic.
- Drain excess oil off of the frying pan.
- Add tomato sauce to the meat mixture. Cut an onion in half, and add this to the sauce. The onion will release its flavors into the sauce, making it very tasty.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, carrots, celery and mix into the sauce. Set the temperature to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.
- At the end of cooking the meat sauce in the last minute, add the strips of fresh basil to the sauce.
- Remove the meat sauce from the heat source and set aside.
- If you are using fresh spinach, cook it in a large frying pan over medium heat until it has wilted down. It should take about 10 minutes. Remove all water from the spinach by squishing it when it has cooled down. Use a paper towel around the spinach to draw out more water from the spinach. If you are thawing spinach from frozen, place it in the microwave for 30 second intervals until it has fully thawed. Remove the water from the spinach.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, spinach, and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Mix together until fully combined.
- In a 9 x 13 baking pan or casserole dish that has high sides, place meat sauce on the bottom of the pan until it's fully covered (about half of the meat sauce). Add lasagna noodles lengthwise to the baking pan. Make adjustments as needed by breaking apart the noodles to fully cover the meat sauce.
- Add the next layer on top of the meat sauce/lasagna noddle's by adding 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Spread the ricotta mixture so it's one layer that goes right to the edges. Add another layer of lasagna noodles.
- Add the rest of the meat sauce on top of the last layer of lasagna noodles. Add another layer of lasagna noodles.
- Add the rest of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Add 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the top of the lasagna. Fully cover the lasagna noodles in cheese. If you don't, the noodles will end up dry and you won't want to eat them.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Then, broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the cheese to your liking.
- Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting into. It will be very hot, and needs to cool down before eating.
- Lasagna is good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
