Lasagna Recipe (VIDEO)
This easy Lasagna Recipe is meaty, cheesy, and packed with flavor in every bite. Homemade lasagna is better than any restaurant version and it feeds a crowd for way less than going out to eat.
We love lasagna around here and have gotten creative over the years with Lasagna Soup and even Chicken Lasagna, but we’ve heard again and again from our readers that this is the best lasagna recipe they’ve ever made.
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Best Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna is the perfect meal, and of all of the recipes I’ve tried over the years, this is the perfect lasagna. We loved it so much, we even turned it into Lasagna Roll Ups. It’s flavorful and satisfying, but also easy to make. It’s delicious as-is, but you can make it your own by swapping in your favorite ingredients.
In our house, lasagna is a staple for busy school nights because it keeps, reheats, and freezes so well and it’s nice to have something in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. I even use it for kids’ lunches—I pack a serving in my son’s thermos to keep it hot and that thermos comes home empty every time.
Lasagna Video
Watch Natasha make this classic Lasagna Recipe. It’s the best lasagna we have tried, with the perfect balance of meat sauce to the three cheese sauce and noodles. That golden cheese crust seals in all the flavor and makes it irresistible. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Meaty, cheesy, and saucy – Everything you want in a lasagna recipe.
- Perfect for Meal Prep – It’s simple enough that you can make it on a weeknight, but you can also make it over the weekend to enjoy it throughout the week. Or double the recipe and freeze one lasagna for later.
- Everyone approves – this is a family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
This 3-cheese lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and the ingredients are refrigerator and pantry staples. See the recipe card below for quantities and full instructions.
- Ground beef – We used 80/20 beef (20% fat content) for a juicier lasagna.
- Onion – we use yellow onion, or sweet onion works well
- Garlic cloves – you can add more if you love garlic
- Red wine (or beef broth) – This amps up the flavor of your sauce (avoid using cooking wine).
- Marinara sauce – Use homemade marinara or store-bought.
- Dried thyme – Italian seasoning, basil, or oregano can be substituted
- Sugar – balances the acidity of the tomatoes
- Parsley – flat-leaf or curly parsley works well
- Lasagna noodles – Cook these al dente; they’ll continue to soften as the lasagna bakes.
- Cottage cheese – adds great texture and moisture
- Ricotta cheese – we use low-fat or part-skim ricotta
- Mozzarella cheese – An Italian cheese blend works, but mozzarella is definitely the classic choice
- Egg – helps hold the cheese layer together
Pro Tip: Use a very large pot of salted water to boil the lasagna noodles and stir them several times, especially right after adding them to the pot. This will keep them from sticking to each other and tearing.
How to Make Lasagna
If you’d like to get a head start on this recipe, you can make the meat sauce a day or two in advance. That said, it’s still easy enough that you can make it all in one go, even for a weeknight dinner.
- Brown the beef – Add oil to a deep pan and sautee onion and beef until browned, 5 minutes then add garlic and stir another minute.
- Finish the sauce – Pour in 1/4 cup of wine and stir until almost evaporated. Add marinara, salt, pepper, thyme, sugar, and parsley; bring to a simmer, then cover and cook 5 minutes.
- Make the cheese filling – Combine all of the cheese sauce ingredients and 1 cup of mozzarella in a mixing bowl (reserve the rest for later).
- Prep – Preheat your oven to 375ºF and cook the lasagna noodles in a pot of well-salted water until al dente.
- Assemble – Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1 cup of mozzarella, and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat, then for the top layer, add 3 noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake – Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
- Rest – Let the lasagna rest for about 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Pro Tip: There’s nothing worse than having the top portion of cheese stuck to the foil. To prevent this, I poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of the lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the foil from touching the cheese. Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.
Common Questions
I use both; cottage cheese is healthier and ricotta is creamier, so you get the best of both worlds by using both of these cheeses in your lasagna.
This lasagna recipe was developed with traditional lasagna noodles, but several readers have reported great results using no-boil noodles.
If you don’t have red wine, or prefer not to use it, you can substitute with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
Cooking al dente pasta means it should be “firm to the bite.” The package instructions will provide the cook time for pasta to reach al dente. Keep in mind, the lasagna will be baked for 45 minutes so do not overcook your lasagna noodles.
Homemade marinara is definitely best, but if you don’t have time to make it, use your favorite store-bought marinara sauce.
Yes, you can easily double this recipe, but you’ll need to bake the lasagna in two pans.
What to Serve with Lasagna
Lasagna is a satisfying meal on its own, but if you’re feeding a big crowd, you can stretch it out by serving it with:
Make-Ahead
Here’s everything you need to know about storing lasagna for later.
- To Refrigerate: You can assemble the lasagna and store it covered in the refrigerator for a day or two until you are ready to bake.
- Freezing: Lasagna can be frozen before or after baking. Either way, it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months when wrapped well or stored in an airtight container.
- To Reheat: Frozen lasagna should be thawed in the refrigerator first; this reduces the time needed for baking and ensures more even heating. Bake according to the recipe instructions; if your lasagna was already baked and you’re simply reheating it, cover the baking dish with foil and reheat at 350ºF until warmed through.
- Slow Cooker Lasaga – this is one of our favorite ways to make dinner ahead of time.
With its meaty sauce and layers of cheese, we think you’ll agree that this is the best lasagna recipe ever!
More Pasta Recipes
If you love this lasagna, then you won’t want to miss these pasta recipes.
- Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole) VIDEO
- Chicken Pesto Pasta (VIDEO)
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe (VIDEO)
- Creamy Baked Feta Pasta (VIDEO)
- Mom’s Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (VIDEO)
Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lasagna
- 1 lb ground beef, (15-20% fat content)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup dry red wine, or beef broth
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce , (3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
Ingredients for Cheese Sauce:
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese
- 15 oz reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
Instructions
How to Make Meat Sauce:
- Place a deep pan or dutch oven over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground beef and diced onion. Saute, breaking up the meat, for 5 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Add pressed garlic and sauté another minute until fragrant.
- Add 1/4 cup wine and stir for 2 minutes or until wine is nearly evaporated. Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp parsley. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook 5 minutes.
How to Make Cheese Sauce:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 16 oz Cottage Cheese, 15 oz Ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 egg and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
How to Make Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and 9 lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente according to package instructions.
- Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a deep 9×13 casserole dish. Add 3 noodles, spread on 1/3 of the meat sauce, and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon on and spread the top with 1/2 of your cheese sauce.
- Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles:
Add 3 noodles, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 cup mozarella cheese, 1/2 cheese sauce
Add 3 noodles, remaining 1/3 meat sauce, remaining 1 cup mozarella. - Poke 9-12 toothpicks over the surface of your lasagna (to keep the foil from sticking to the cheese). Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese turns golden. Let lasagna rest 30 min before slicing.
This is the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted. Easy to follow and super yummy. The kids loved it. I didn’t have ricotta chesse yet turned to be super delicious. Thank you for sharing.
You’re most welcome, it is my pleasure to share this recipe. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
I make this recipe all the time. I do use no boil noodles. It is always perfect. It is a family favorite!!
Great to hear that this is your family’s favorite recipe, Erin! Thanks for the review and feedback.
We love this lasagna recipe.. I’m making it tonight.. So yummy.
Sounds great! Enjoy, and I hope everyone will love it!
Is there any way to print your recipes without all the ads? ON ONE PAGE MAYBE? I like to keep hard copies for when I make the recipe. Love so many of your recipes but too much paper with all the ads.
Hi Pam! There sure is! The print friendly recipe is at the bottom of each post. Once you scroll there, click on the print icon in that recipe card which will open a print screen, then you would need to click file —> print. I hope that helps! If not, please let me know exactly what steps you are taking and where you are navigating to print our recipes.
Hi Natasha,
To keep the foil from sticking to the lasagna I spray the foil first with Pam, or similar before putting on top of lasagna. Then the cheese will not stick.
Good luck.
MJ
Great tip!
Love this! If I’m making it for company, I prepare and bake it halfway through the day before!
Then the day I serve it, it holds its shape perfectly when cut! Also, the flavors meld and even taste better!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Doris!
Can’t wait to try,but can I use all ricotta instead of cottage cheese? Thank you
Hi Linda, we prefer the mixture, but that should work. I hope you love it!
Replying to Linda most all italians use all ricotta i like it better the original way and i also put in thin slices of italian sausage . But i do like your receipes.
Made this last night and it is gone! My picky little ones 8 and 10 ate it which is a good sign. My wife does t like ricotta cheese – is there something I can substitute this with? I was thinking Greek yogurt or something 🤔
That’s great to hear! I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna. I saw others comment that they used cream cheese and I think it worked well. You may also just use and add more cottage cheese. Please let us know how it goes if you try it!
Wonderful recipe!!! Loved it!! Thank you!!
Although I did half hamburger half pork sausage, excellent!! Yum!!!!
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed it.
I am so excited to make this dish for my family!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!❤️❤️❤️
You’re welcome, Andrea. I hope it becomes your family’s new favorite!
This looks delicious. I’m
making this for a party this week. Some of my guests don’t eat eggs, wondering if I can omit it in the cheese mixture, or if there is another substitute? Thanks!
Hi Sam, while I haven’t tried a substitute for the egg, Google recommends the following substitutes: “The best substitutes for egg in lasagna are bechamel sauce, plain yogurt, heavy cream, mashed potatoes”
on the recipe for how to make lasagna it calls for putting 1/2 of the meat sauce in the boottom of the pan and then further on distributes 3 1/3rd cups of meat sauce . Please help me . Thank you
never mind I figured it out I didn’t read it properly Love your recipes Natasha
Will be making this lasagna for a party tomorrow. Is it best to put together and bake the next day or bake and reheat the next day?
Hi Tracy, we love it best when baked fresh! You can put it together and bake it the next day, since you’re keeping it in the fridge, you may need to add a few extra minutes of bake time.
This is for sure the best lasagna I have ever tasted or made. My kids loved it. I will be making this over and over and over again
So glad to hear that!
Do you have a recipe for lasagna with zucchini as the pasta noodles
Hi Karen, lasagna sounds with zucchini noodles sounds like an excellent idea! You might omit the wine though in a vegetarian version – I don’t recall seeing wine as an ingredient in any meatless lasagnas I’ve seen. There are so many different veggies you could try – I bet some zucchini and mushrooms would be awesome! Let me know if you experiment! 🙂
I’ve always layered my noodles the same way you did in the video. However, I have a friend who is a chef and has his own restaurant and he told me to layer the first layer the way you did and then layer the second layer the opposite way. I tried it and it’s actually a little easier to cut. Great recipe regardless of how you layer things. 🙂
Nice, thanks a lot for sharing this tip with us!
Hello!
By opposite way you mean that the cheese mix goes first then the tomato sauce?
Because I have tried this recipe twice (follow the exact instructions) but cheese goes all runny and not firm at all… STILL YUMMY. But I don’t know if I need to let it sit and cold for longer.
Or if it’s just because I used full fat cottage cheese instead of low fat .. Maybe I need more eggs?
This is the BEST recipe ever!!!!
I’m a former executive chef I think what her chef friend is talking about is putting one layer with the noodles going from the top to the bottom of the pan and then putting the noodles from left to right. I’m 100% sure but I’m pretty sure that’s what her chef friend is referring to.
My mother’s lasagna always came out with the cheese so fluffy & stable. This basically is how she made it except she added 2 eggs per pound of cheese. Otherwise the cheese comes out a little soupy. But that’s what I loved.
Hi Mary, that sounds wonderful. Good to know that your mother has a very similar recipe to this. It is such a great recipe and an all-time favorite at home too!
I can’t find ricotta cheese here in Phoenix area…I did but cottage cheese, and wonder whether I could just use that???
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried this with only cottage cheese, but I have mixed cottage cheese and ricotta before. I think that could work with cottage cheese only, but you might try mashing the cottage cheese up a bit with a potato masher or pulse it in a food processor a few times so it blends a little better with the cheese sauce if you are going to be using more cottage cheese.
I’m in the Phoenix area too and I’ve been able to find ricotta cheese easily at Albertsons and WinCo. So I would check there.
Thank you Liana!
Absolutely wonderful! I used dried seasonings except for onion, and my ricotta:cottage cheese ratio was a little off because of a cottage cheese snack attack, but boy it was awesome!
Hi Melissa, great to know that you loved this recipe! Thank you for your good comments and feedback.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Do you think it would make a huge difference if I doubled the meat sauce portion of the recipe but kept the cheese, pasta, etc the same?
Hi Kaye, I haven’t tested that myself to advise, but I bet it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha…..I am also working my way thru your fabulous recipes…..would this recipe work with chicken mince ?
Hi Trish, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. You may do an experiment or check out my Chicken Lasagna recipe.
Fantastic lasagna! I just served it for my family Sunday dinner and it was a huge hit. I served it with Natasha’s delicious Caesar salad.
That’s a perfect combo! Thank you for sharing that with us, Sandra. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipes!
Hi Natasha, I love all your recipes! I was wondering about cook time if I made a smaller lasagna?
Hi Laurette, I always make an entire batch, but that should work! You may reduce the time slightly, but the cooking time shouldn’t change by much!
I made this lasagna on Christmas Eve for my family. It turned out great. Only substitute is that I used one pound of sweet Italian sausage removed from the casing instead of ground beef. I liked the flavor of the red wine brought to the dish.
Thanks for all the great recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Michael!
I have been searching quite awhile for a lasagna recipe that my family and I would love and thanks to you I found it!! The red wine adds such an amazing flavor!
I’m so glad you found it on my blog! Thank you for your great review!
Hi Natasha I made this recipes for New Year’s Day it was delicious.
Thank You. You making my life easy with your easy, simple and very yummy recipes. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hello Mary, you are most welcome. Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback, I appreciate it!
Hi Natasha,
Can I make the cheese sauce and meat sauce a day before as a preparation?
Hi Fion, you can but you can also fully assemble the entire lasagna, cover and refrigerate then give it an extra 5 minutes or more since it will be coming out of the cold refrigerator.
Hi Natasha,
Absolutely delicious. A very nice Christmas Eve dinner. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my recipes, Denise! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha, LOVE this recipe! I made it for a birthday party in the summer and am making it again for New Years, big hit! I did use italian sausage verses ground beef, delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Crystal!
Question: can the marinara sauce be substituted by tomato sauce instead?
Hi Matthew, that’s a tough one; we love marinara sauce in this, and adjusting tomato sauce may work, but it will require spice adjustment for flavor. I imagine it may lack some flavor with tomato sauce.
Julia Eats has a cottage cheese lasagna where the meat sauce is made with tomato sauce. You put the spices in the tomato sauce 4 cans. Here spices are basically like this recipe. Including using 3 Tablespoons of parsely but hers is dried parsely. Everyone liked.
I think I will try this recipe next since it has ricotta but I will make the marinara sauce as this recipe states just to see the difference. Plus the other recipes cottage cheese mixture uses Parmasian cheese .
I wanted to try a recipe that uses ricotta cheese. I just thought you could use the meat sauce mixture with this cheese mixture.
I am not a fan of beef so i will use corned-beef, do i follow the same steps just instead of the beef i use corned-beef?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
What kind of red wine did you use for this? I’ve never used wine for cooking, and I don’t know which wine to choose.
Hi Sarah, Any good red wine (not cooking wine) will work. Some good red wine options include:
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon
Soft Red by Ste Chapelle (our favorite local brand)
If you don’t have red wine on hand or prefer not to use it, you can substitute it with beef broth or beef stock. The red wine adds great flavor but the lasagna will still be delicious with beef broth.
Do I have to add water when using oven ready noodles? The box says to do that.
Hi Christine, I havne’t tried that myself, but You can save a step by using the oven-ready noodles. One of my readers, Stacey, wrote: “for anyone else who’s reading, I use oven-ready noodles for this recipe all the time” I hope that helps
Mistake I made was using no cook noodles and not baking right away. They were mushy. If you use no cook, i would recommend baking same day. Other than that, YUMMY! Also, i doubled the marinara and served on the side. YUMMY!
Hi Sherrie, I’m so happy you loved the recipe!
Delicious lasagna! I am not a fan of lasagna made with sausage so this was perfect for me but this would certainly taste good either way.
Thanks for your review, Sara. Great to hear that you enjoyed this lasagna recipe.
Craving lasagna and was drooling just thinking about this recipe. Imagine my horror when I realized while mixing my cheese sauce the cottage cheese I purchased had pineapple in it! What to do?!
I decided I was all in – to go for it!
Isn’t this how the peanut butter cup was discovered?
Result? Amazing! No one even knew the pineapple was there! Whew! Guess I just found another way to sneak in fruits into my picky eater son’s diet! Thanks for another winner, Natasha.
I’m so glad it worked out, Sheila!!
What is the name/brand of lasagna pan that you use?
I’m looking for a new one and like the size and shape.
Hi Rebecca, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Hi Natasha! Love your recipes Can I use oven ready lasagna noodles instead ?
Hi Nelly, You can save a step by using the oven-ready noodles. One of my readers, Stacey, wrote: “for anyone else who’s reading, I use oven ready noodles for this recipe all the time”
Hi Natasha, sadly I can’t seem to find ricotta and cottage cheese in the Philippines. What are other alternatives for these?
Hi Darlene, I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna and see if that is available in your area.
Since I had a positive experience with the shrimp alfredo pasta recipe, I thought why not give your lasagna a go. Wow, it was so delicious despite some shortcomings. I didn’t have wine and cottage cheese, and had to replace ricotta with mascarpone. It was still the best lasagna I’ve ever had. Thank you so much and God bless!
That makes me happy to hear, so glad you enjoyed the Lasagna!
Hi
I’m going to make this dish today and really looking forward to having it for supper tonight. Quick question, can I freeze it after its cooked? I am single and want to freeze it in portions to enjoy later on. Thank you. I love your recipes and your site is my go to place for easy, delicious recipes.
Hello Dorothy, it can be frozen baked, or unbaked.
Where did you get your casserole dish from?
Hi Caitlin! you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
can I make this ahead and refrigerate the uncooked lasagna to bake the next day? or should I bake and reheat the next day?
Hi Carolyn, it would work fine refrigerated the way you are describing. I haven’t tested that for more than half a day to advise on anything longer.
I made this recipe tonight & it is by far the best lasagna I’ve ever had! Definitely keeping this recipe. My boyfriend & I absolutely loved it. Thank you!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Emily!
Cannot wait to try this recipe- every recipe of yours has been a success when I recreate! Can you please share information about the 9×13 dish you use? I’ve seen the dish in other recipes of yours as well and I think I need it in my kitchen!!
Hello Tracy, hope this becomes your new favorite! You may also see the kitchen tools that I always have in my Amazon Shop affiliate link.
Hello Natasha
Your recipes always work for me. This time, I have to make four important substitutions:
(a) Mutton Keema instead of Beef
(b) Use of Basil leaves instead of Parsley
(c) Greek Yogurt instead of cottage cheese and (d) finally apple juice instead of red-wine.
According to my kids it came out quite alright! So this could be an Indian-Non-vegetarian Hindu version of your recipe. Thank you again
That’s nice to know that your substitutions worked too! Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi, any substitute that I can use for Ricotta?
Hi Mahjabeen, I haven’t tried it with any substitutes. You might google to see see what a good substitution is for ricotta in lasagna and see if that is available in your area.
Hi Natasha, I made this delicious lasagna again today. I did not if you knew this but Reynolds has a non -stick foil and it works great.I know you are great about letting us know about all the kitchen tools and items. Thank you again for all the great recipes.Blessings
You’re welcome Beth. I’m happy that it helps you with that.
WOW great recipe!! Lasagna is a regular rotation in my home and I’ve only ever used cottage cheese so the mixture of cottage cheese AND ricotta was DELICIOUS! I never would have thought of that, thanks for sharing this, I will use this for years to come. My family just loved it 🙂
That’s so great Mary! Thank you for your lovely review!
You’re very welcome, Mary. Happy to know that you always love this recipe! Thanks for sharing that with us.
I truly loved it: I used turkey instead of beef and I added a bit of good parmesan cheese. I made a meatloaf, shrimp scampi, and meatballs also. I love your videos: they are so cute, easy, and funny: they make me want to cook more! My boyfriend is a chef, and I am a bit intimidated cooking for him, so big thank you from me and him!
You’re very welcome, Larisa. I hope you’ll both love every recipe that you will try!
Hi Natasha.
One tip.
I don’t use toothpicks, just spray your foil with pan or grease it with butter. Won’t stick to lasagna. 😀
Thanks for sharing a tip with us, Marilyn. We appreciate it!
that looks so delicious
So so good, hope you can try this recipe!
This is my favorite lasagna ever! Do you have any tips for freezing an uncooked lasagna? I’m meal prepping for baby and need tips for thawing/heating etc.
Hi Winter, You can make this ahead, assemble it, put it in the fridge, freeze it, and then bake it the next day. Yes, it can be frozen unbaked 🙂
The best lasagna recipe ever! Super delicious and easy to make😍
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Marta!
Natasha, you are awesome just like your recipes. Brings joy to my heart. Thank you.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Can I use regular ricotta and cottage cheese?
That will work! You can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. I bet a mix of the two may work also.
Hi Natasha, I have made this recipe several times and it is a family favorite! I’ve always wondered if I can substitute egg plant instead of lasagna noodles in this recipe?
Hey Kayla! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe! I haven’t tried that substitution to advise on the process or outcome. But, if you happen to try that I’d love your feedback!
It is a great recipe I made it and it was so good
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Can I replace cottage cheese for Parmesan? They don’t sell that in my area, if so how many cups?
Hi Amy, you can replace the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese using the recommended measurements in the recipe. I haven’t tried using parmesan to advise.
Amy, I do not think that parmesan cheese would sub well for cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is so wet so it is actually used as part of the liquid in this recipe. On the other hand, parmesan cheese is drier and would not measure or cook in the same way. You cannot get ricotta or cottage cheese where you live? You might ask around because that seems so strange. Do you live in the U.S.?
Dear Natasha, I follow you from out of the US. I tried the recipe and I made it work, it actually was very tasty, but sadly 448 gr of mozzarella are NOT 4 cups 🙁
Silly me, not checking first!
4 cups of mozzarella are around 800 gr of cheese.
The rest was great!
Thanks for your great job!
Hi Laura, when I shredded the cheese and put it into a measuring cup, it measured 4 cups shredded.
We eat vegetarian so I made this with 2lbs impossible meat and an extra cup of marinara. My son typically will not eat lasagna but he loved this – as did we all! Thanks for a GREAT recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hey Natasha,
I seriously love you. I’ve been using this recipe of yours for years now. You are such a beast in the kitchen. I want to make this for my friend but would like to make the meat and cheese mixture ahead of time so I can have enough time to do all my other errands and then just assemble when I get home. How far ahead can I pre make everything?
Great to hear that, Gwen. Yes, you can make this lasagna ahead. You may assemble put it in the fridge or freeze it then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes.
My family said this was the best lasagna I’ve ever made! The deep, rich flavor is outstanding!
Love it! Thank you for sharing your family’s comments and feedback with us, Amy.
Thank you Natasha.
I try this recipe, but instead of meat I use vegetables, it turn out good, but do you have a recipe for vegetarian lasagna.
Hi Bebi, I don’t have a recipe for vegetarian lasagna but feel free to experiment. Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment.
I made this Lasagna recipe and it was delicious thank you for your recipes Always look forward to the recipes
Glad you enjoyed it, Theresa. I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try!
Hi Natasha,
What brand of marinara sauce do you use? I usually make my own, but looking for a faster method this week.
Hello Erica, I usually make my own Marinara Sauce too. Here’s the recipe that I use.
I question the meat portion of this recipe. One pound of meat to two pounds of cheese just doesn’t work. It’s not much meat sauce for a 9×13 dish.
Hi Patricia, the measurements are correct since the meat is in a sauce. If you added more, you would overflow your dish.
Wow…really?
Your lasagna recipe is easy process going to try soon.
I cooked lasagna before but i never do boiled the lasagna noodles,what i do i directly put in the baking try but it works too.
I hope you love this recipe!
What kind of wine do you suggest?
Hi Faith, Some good red wine options include:
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Savignon
Soft Red by Ste Chapelle (our favorite local brand)
Hi Natasha, can I swap out 1/4 cup of the mozzarella in the cheese sauce for 1/4 cup Parmesan?
Hi Terry, that should work to make that substitution. I hope you love this cheesy lasagna recipe.
Ii use both mozzarella and parmesan and it is great
Ok I see that there is cottage cheese in it as well….hence my prior comments/ question. I made it once….delicious…..can I make it and assemble and bake the next day?
Hi Terry, yes, you can make this lasagna ahead. You may assemble, put it in the fridge, freeze it, and then bake it the next day. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through, which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
Hi!! I am trying to cook this for a family who doesn’t like onions. What can you use to substitute onion??
Hi Hanna, we have always made this with onions, but I imagine it may work if you happen to test that. I would love to know how you like that.
Been making lasagna for years, but wanted to change it up from my own recipe and yours looked SO amazing…everyone loved it! Instead of toothpicks, I always spray the inside of the foil on any cheesy dish to ensure the cheese doesn’t stick. I have always been skeptical of a lasagna that uses cottage cheese (it’s the one cheese I don’t like) but this is going to be my go-to lasagna from now on.
Hello Toots, so great to hear that you enjoyed this lasagna recipe! I’m glad this is going to be one of your favorites, thank you for sharing!
I made this dish it was good lasagna
I’m happy you enjoeyd this, Ida! Thank you!
Is spaghetti sauce alright to use instead of marinara?
Hi Madeline, yes spaghetti sauce is essentially the same thing and can be used interchangeably.
FABULOUS!
I can’t wait for my son to taste it, but he’ll have to wait until I make it again.
Scrumptious. So happy to add it to my recipe box.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Celeste! I hope he loves it too!
If frozen, can you bake from freezer, or thaw completely first?
Hi Karol. We also have this note on the recipe ” Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.” It will take less time from not frozen, just enough to heat it through which should take about 30 to 45 minutes. I hope you find this helpful!
I love your recipes and your presentations.They are simple to follow and good choices for familiy dinners.I usually have all the necessary ingredients on hand and do not have buy anything to complete one of your recipes
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles