The Most Flavorful Lasagna You’ll Ever Make
This most flavorful lasagna has layers of lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, marinara and meat sauce, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. It is 18 layers of goodness in one 9×13 baking pan that your family or guests are sure to love!
I have been making this recipe for many years. I have made it for my family, for holidays, we even had a team of us make 12 pans of it to serve to the company we worked for. It has been tried and enjoyed by many!
Marinara and Meat Sauce
When I make lasagna, I like to assemble it and bake it. I want to assemble it as quickly as possible, yet still be delicious. So, I do have some cheats or shortcut that I do. One, I use a jar marinara sauce. This is the semi-home part, right? There are a large variety to choose from. To me they taste good, and I can use whatever is on sale or in my pantry.
If you have some vegetables like spinach, carrots, or zucchini, that you’d like to use they can be added. They can be pureed and added too. Sometimes you just need to sneak them in somewhere for family members that struggle to eat their vegetables. It can also be made with without additional vegetables.
Ricotta Mixture
This layer has egg, ricotta, Italian seasoning and minced garlic. Fresh basil can be used in place of the Italian seasoning. That is really flavorful!
I put the ricotta mixture into a resealable bag and snip off about a 1/2 inch of one corner. Then when I put the ricotta layer on, I just pipe it on, like I’m piping frosting. I don’t spread it out. It usually spreads as it cooks.
Layering
Once the marinara and meat sauce is ready, and the ricotta mixture is prepared, you’re ready to assemble. I assemble it in a 9×13 baking pan. I prefer one that has a lid. It’s easy for storing the leftovers in the fridge and it is convenient for storing before you bake it.
- Spray your baking pan with cooking spray. Then Spread a small amount of marinara and meat sauce on to the bottom of the pan. This layer will help prevent the noodles from cooking to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Add a layer of noodles. I use 4 of the long no bake lasagna noodles for each noodle layer. Three noodles in one direction and the fourth noodle I crack about 2 inches off and lay it the opposite direction and I place the cracked off piece on top of the other noodle.
- Then I layer a third of the remaining marinara and meat sauce. You will want to spread the sauce over all of the noodles. They will need that moisture to soften up while cooking.
- Add one third of the ricotta mixture. I usually pipe it in a quick S pattern over the marinara and meat sauce.
- Sprinkle on 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheeses, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheeses.
- Repeat steps 2-5 two more times.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil. I will use either no stick foil or I will spray the foil with cooking spray. This prevents the cheeses from sticking to the foil.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake it for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is the desired golden color.
- Let is rest for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. It will hold its shape when cutting and serving. Otherwise, it can be runny. It’s too hot to eat immediately anyway.
Serving
After letting it rest you can cut it and plate it up. I like to serve this flavorful lasagna with garlic bread and a strawberry spinach salad with a vinaigrette dressing. A glass of wine pairs nicely with it too.
This flavorful lasagna freezes well after it is cooked. The leftovers are amazing too. Since a 9×13 pan for the two people is too much, I separate what is left into individual meal containers and freeze. It is convenient to have some in the freezer for nights when we need something quick to eat.
I hope you give this most flavorful lasagna recipe a try and that you enjoy it. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Happy cooking!
The Most Flavorful Lasagna You'll Ever Make
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Cheese grater, optional
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Ground beef, browned and drained
- 1 box Oven ready lasagna noodles
- 1 32 oz jar Marinara or Spaghetti Sauce
- ¾ cup Spinach leaves, cooked (optional)
- 1 15 oz Ricotta cheese
- 1 large Egg, beaten
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3 cups Medium Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- To make the marinara, brown and drain ground beef. Add the marinara sauce and spinach and cook until heated. Set aside.
- To make the ricotta cheese layer, beat egg with a fork. Add the ricotta cheese, minced garlic, and the Italian seasoning. Mix well. Set aside.
- Take your 9x13 inch pan and spray it with cooking spray.
- Spread a small amount of the marinara and meat sauce on the bottom of the 9x13 baking pan. This helps prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Layer each ingredient in this order three times. 4 noodles (uncooked), a third of the remaining marinara and meat sauce, a third of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Either use not stick or use cooking spray on the foil before covering. This will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake it another 10 minutes or until the cheese is slightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before eating.
