This three-cheese, Italian sausage, and ground beef lasagna is the BEST lasagna recipe I've ever made. An easy, crowd-pleasing, meal-preppable, satisfying meal perfect for weeknights, potlucks, and feeding a crowd!
Peel and finely dice the onion and carrot and mince the garlic.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for several minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and carrot and sauté for a further minute.
Stir in the ground beef, Italian sausage, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the meat has browned, using a spoon to break it down while it cooks.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato passata, and water (or broth), and mix well. Then cover and simmer over low for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Prepare the other elements
When the meat sauce is almost ready, freshly shred the mozzarella and parmesan. Then combine them with the ricotta and egg in a bowl and mix well. Reserve some mozzarella to sprinkle on top of the lasagna.
Cook the lasagna sheets until al dente - cook it according to their package instructions minus 1 minute. Mine called for 8-10 minutes in salted water.You can skip this step if using no-boil lasagna as doesn't require pre-cooking.
Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to halt the cooking process and arrange them individually in a large tray to prevent sticking.
Make the lasagna
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375Fº/190ºC and grease a baking dish (9x13-inch) with oil or melted butter.
Layer the lasagna - start with a layer of the meat sauce, lasagna sheets, and cheese mixture. Then repeat until all the mixture is used – about 4 layers.The exact amount of layers will depend on the size of the baking dish used. Feel free to cut the lasagna sheets to make them fit your dish.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake the lasagna covered in foil for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes or until the top is golden, bubbly, and browned.For a more golden top, use the broiler for a minute or two at the end.
Leave the lasagna to rest for about 20 minutes before serving. This not only allows more time for the flavors to meld, but it will set slightly, making it easier to slice. Optionally sprinkle it with some more parsley, then enjoy!
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Notes
Use high-quality ingredients: Like good-quality cheese, San Marzano tomatoes, etc.Use a mixture of cheese: The combination of cheeses perfectly balances rich, salty flavor, gooey melty texture, and super creaminess.Use freshly grated cheese: Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt the same way. Check the blog post for how to meal prep this dish.