Easy Homemade Traditional Beef Lasagna Recipe

This Easy Homemade Traditional Lasagna recipe serves 12 and is make-ahead friendly, so it can be frozen for up to 3 months and baked whenever you need it.

Lasagna is a Great Comfort Food

There’s nothing quite like a homemade traditional beef lasagna to bring everyone together around the dinner table. With layer after layer of pasta, rich and savory beef tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, and plenty of gooey melted mozzarella, this classic Italian comfort food is hearty, satisfying, and full of homemade goodness. 

Whether you’re preparing a cozy Sunday dinner, feeding a hungry family, or hosting friends for a special occasion, this traditional homemade lasagna recipe is sure to become a favorite (it’s certainly one of mine!). It’s made with simple ingredients and I have a couple of simple time-saving hacks that makes preparation even easier. 

Also, it is something that you can assemble ahead of time and pop in the freezer. Then, you can have lasagna anytime. And, it’s way better than any frozen lasagna you can buy at the store!

Get ready to make a delicious, crowd-pleasing lasagna that’s worth every layer!

What Makes This Recipe Great

What to Serve with Homemade Traditional Beef Lasagna

You have so many options of great side dishes, breads and wine to serve with this delicious classic beef lasagna. Here are some of my favorites:

Salad
A Caesar Salad is probably what first comes to mind, but this Field Greens Salad as well as this Chopped Cucumber Summer Salad Recipe are a couple of lighter options.

Bread
Bread with pasta is pretty much a no-brainer! A straight-up garlic bread is pretty much a standard. But, you can also try this fun Cheesy Bloomin’ Crusty Italian Bread or this very tasty Easy Focaccia Bread for something a little different.

Wine
Your favorite white or red wine is always welcome to accompany this dish! I tend to gravitate towards a heavier red like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache or Syrah.

Is This Lasagna Recipe Make-Ahead Friendly?

Yes! This certainly falls into great make-ahead recipes. I’m always looking for make-ahead meals to keep on hand for when I’m either out of ideas for the night, or need something relatively quickly. 

To Store the Unbaked Lasagna

In this case, assemble the lasagna up to the point of getting it ready to put into the oven. At this point, the unbaked lasagna is ready for storage. If you will be baking this within the next 3-4 days, you can simply cover the pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put into the fridge.

If you are freezing for later, cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer. You can store this for up to 3 months.

To Reheat the Unbaked Lasagna

To bake from refrigerated, allow to sit out for 30 minutes before baking. It may take an additional 10-15 minutes to bake. 

To bake from frozen, either defrost completely or you can bake it from frozen. If baking from frozen, you’ll need to add about an additional 30 minutes to the baking time.

Either way, to determine if it is done, watch for the sauce to start bubbling and the cheese to turn a golden brown.

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Leftover Lasagna

To Store and Freeze

If I have enough lasagna leftover for another full meal, I usually just keep the lasagna in the same baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer. It will keep up to 3 months.

If I want individual portions, I tend to grab an airtight container for each piece, place individual slices into each container and then either place in the fridge or put into the freezer for later use. The lasagna will keep just fine in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To Reheat

Oven Method: From either thawed or frozen, place the lasagna in a non-preheated oven and turn on the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If the lasagna was thawed, it usually is hot by the time the oven reaches temperature. If from frozen, it will likely take another 15-30 minutes to come to the proper temperature. Again, watch for bubbling sauce and cheese browning.

Microwave Method: If from frozen, I defrost for 2-4 minutes and then reheat on High for 1-2 minutes. If from thawed, then 1-2 minutes on High is usually enough to heat up to a proper temperature. 

Recommended Equipment

Tips and Tricks

• Over the years I have figured out ways to make lasagna easier to make and to make it come out just right. The first thing is to use no-boil noodles, which is a huge time saver. I have used Barilla no-boil noodles as well as Aldi’s store brand and I find that either works really well.
• I also always try and have homemade marinara sauce on hand in the freezer. But, you also can save time by using a jarred sauce. 
• I always use ricotta cheese with an egg and parmesan cheese mixed into it as well.
• It’s also very important to take the time to let the entire lasagna rest before you cut into it. You don’t want it to come to room temperature, but about 10 minutes should be enough time for it to set.

Ingredients Needed to Make Traditional Lasagna

Full instructions are found below in the printable recipe card

• Olive oil – I like the flavor that olive oil adds, but vegetable oil can be substituted.
• Ground Beef – I recommend using lean ground beef (90% or 93% fat). Anything lower than that can make the lasagna greasy.
• Onion – I like to use red onion for the color, but yellow onions are also a good choice.
• Fresh garlic – I prefer fresh over garlic powder for a fresher flavor.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Red pepper flakes – Add more or less to taste depending on the level of spiciness you want.
• Marinara sauce – I like to make this quick homemade recipe, but your favorite jarred sauce is also a good option to save time and effort.
• Ricotta cheese – If you’re up for it, you can prepare your own homemade ricotta cheese.
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Egg – This helps bind the cheese mixture together.
• Italian parsley – Use for color and added flavor.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese – I like to use pre-shredded for convenience and meltability.
• No-boil lasagna noodles – Like using jarred marinara, using no-boil lasagna noodles saves you preparation time.

How to Make Traditional Lasagna

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add ground beef, onion and garlic, breaking up beef with a spoon.
• Season mixture with salt, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. 
• Cook until beef is no longer pink and onions are translucent.
• Stir marinara sauce into the ground beef mixture and heat over medium low heat until heated through.
• Place ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg and black pepper in a bowl.
• Mix until well combined. 
• Now it’s time to assemble. I find it works best to make an assembly line for youself so everthing is right there for you. 
• Start by spreading remaining ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 pan that’s been coated with cooking spray. 
• Place three no-boil noodles on top of the sauce. 
• Spread ¼ of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. 
• Spread about 1 cup of the meat/sauce mixture over the ricotta mixture. 
• Top with ¼ of the mozzerella and about 2 tbsp of the parmesan. 
• Repeat layers 3 more times: noodles, ricotta, meat sauce, cheese. 
• Coat aluminum foil with non-stick spray, cover the pan with foil (sprayed side down) and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. 
• After 45 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
• Cut into 12 pieces.

Other Lasagna Recipes to Explore

• Lazy Day Chicken Lasagna
• Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
• Zucchini Lasagna Rollups
• Tex-Mex Lasagna – A South of the Border Recipe

Enjoy!