This Italian Homemade Lasagna is made with an easy béchamel white sauce (no ricotta) and homemade red sauce, making it is truly the BEST lasagna and can impress any guest!
Looking for more Italian recipes? Try this Tomato Basil Pasta, Manicotti, or Calzones!
Why I love this recipe:
- The Sauces – The white sauce is a homemade bechamel (and could be replaced with ricotta if you prefer), and taking a few extra minutes to make the red sauce, rather than bottled pasta sauce, is so worth the huge improvement in taste!
- Freezer Friendly – I always make a double batch and freeze the second pan for another day. See recipe notes for how to freeze lasagna.
- Family Favorite – lasagna recipes are a staple in most peoples recipe boxes, but you HAVE to try this from scratch version!
How to Make Lasagna:
Prepare the Red Sauce: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and sausage. Remove grease then transfer to a food processor and pulse 3-4 times until it’s broken up into very small pieces. Remove to a bowl.
Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil in the same skillet then add the garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add onion, spinach, and bell pepper. Cook on medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to the same food processor and pulse several times, until it’s nearly puréed.
Add Tomato:Combine vegetable mixture, tomato sauce, and tomato paste in the skillet. Stir to combine then add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Stir. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add Meat to Sauce: Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved crumbled ground beef and sausage, and fresh basil.
Boil lasagna noodles for half the time suggested on the box, then drain and lay them on a greased baking sheet to keep them from sticking together. (If you are using no-boil noodles, don’t boil them.)
Make White Sauce (Béchamel): Add butter to a medium size saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Add Milk gradually, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, whisking often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom, until it thickens– about 5-7 minutes.
Assemble: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Keep in mind that there will be 3 layers of lasagna, so mentally split the sauces into thirds as you layer them to make sure you have enough at the end.
Layer Three Layers: First, place 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Start by layering the bottom of your greased pan with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread the red sauce over the noodles, followed by the white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges. Top with another layer of noodles, then red sauce, white sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Add the final layer of noodles, then red sauce, white sauce, and cheeses.
Bake: Place in the oven uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until golden at the edges, and bubbly. Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.
Serve Italian lasagna with homemade breadsticks or Artisan bread and a green salad, like this orange pomegranate salad!
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: You can make the white sauce and red sauce in advance. You could also boil the noodles in advance. If you want to assemble the lasagna before baking it, make it according to the directions, cover it with plastic wrap, and then tinfoil and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
To Freeze Baked Lasagna: Assemble and bake this Italian lasagna recipe as instructed (using uncooked regular noodles or no-boil noodles). Allow to cool completely. Cover really well with a layer of plastic wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, you can thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, as stated above, or bake from frozen for 1 ½ hours (still covered with foil, but remove plastic wrap.) Then uncover and bake for another 45 minutes or so, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
To Freeze Unbaked Lasagna: Assemble this easy lasagna recipe (use uncooked regular noodles or no bake noodles).. Cover really well with a layer of plastic wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap. Cover with tinfoil and bake until warmed through and bubbly. about 45 minutes. Remove tinfoil 15 minutes before it’s finished baking to allow cheese to get bubbly.
Recipe Variations:
- Bottled Pasta Sauce: If you want to use bottled pasta sauce, instead of making the red sauce from scratch, heat 48oz pasta sauce in a large skillet. Add cooked and crumbled meat, and chopped basil.
- Fresh Mozzarella: Replace shredded mozzarella with layers of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese.
- Lasagna Soup
- Crock Pot Lasagna
- Lasagna Stuffed Shells
- One Pan Skillet Lasagna
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Recipe
Homemade Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
Lasagna:
- 9 regular lasagna noodles (or no-boil noodles)
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
Red Sauce:*
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 large onion , chopped
- 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 bell pepper (red or green), chopped
- 16 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes , or 5-6 whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 container fresh basil leaves , finely chopped (about 10-15 leaves)
White Sauce (béchamel sauce):
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
Make the Red Sauce: (Can be made in advance).
- Brown meat: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and sausage over medium-high heat, breaking the meat apart into pieces with a wooden spoon. When cooked through, remove the grease.Â
- (Optional) Add meat to a food processor and pulse just 3-4 times until it’s broken up into very small pieces. Remove to a bowl.
- Sauté Veggies: In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the garlic, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add the onion, spinach and bell pepper. Continue cooking on medium-high heat until the vegetables are softened –about 2-3 minutes.Â
- Remove from heat and transfer them to the same food processor. Pulse several times until they’re nearly pureed. Return mixture to the skillet.
- Add Tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Cover and allow the sauce to simmer for about 20-30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. Right before using the red sauce in the lasagna, stir in the reserved crumbled ground beef and sausage, and fresh basil.Â
- Cook Pasta: While the red sauce simmers boil the lasagna noodles for half the time suggested on the box. Drain into a large colander and sprinkle them with a tiny bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking together. (You can skip this step if you are using no-boil noodles).
For the White Sauce: (Can be made in advance).
- Add the butter to a medium size saucepan or large skillet. Over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, stirring constantly to combine 2 minutes. Gradually add in the milk, whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.Â
- Cook over medium heat, whisking often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom, until it thickens– about 5-7 minutes.
Assemble Lasagna:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Keep in mind that there will be 3 layers of lasagna, so mentally split the sauces into thirds as you layer them to make sure you have enough at the end.
- Layer: Start by layering the bottom of your greased pan with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread the red sauce over the noodles, followed by the white sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, spreading all to the edges. Top with another layer of noodles, then red sauce, white sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.Â
- Repeat: Add the final layer of noodles, then red sauce, white sauce and cheeses.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Allow the lasagna to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.
- Serve with garlic bread or homemade breadsticks and a green salad.
Notes
- Baked: Assemble and bake lasagna as instructed (using uncooked regular noodles or no-boil noodles). Allow to cool completely. Cover really well with a layer of plastic wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, you can thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, as stated above, or bake from frozen for 1 ½ hours (still covered with foil, but remove plastic wrap.) Then uncover and bake for another 45 minutes or so, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.
- Unbaked: Assemble lasagna (use uncooked regular noodles or no bake noodles).. Cover really well with a layer of plastic wrap and then a double layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap. Cover with tinfoil and bake until warmed through and bubbly. about 45 minutes. Remove tinfoil 15 minutes before it’s finished baking to allow cheese to get bubbly.
- Bottled Red Sauce: If you want to use bottled pasta sauce, instead of making the red sauce from scratch, heat 48 oz pasta sauce in a large skillet. Add cooked and crumbled meat, and chopped basil.Â
- Lasagna Soup
- Crock Pot Lasagna
- Lasagna Stuffed Shells
- One Pan Skillet Lasagna
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe in February 2016. Updated December 2017 and September 2022.
I have been making this same recipe for years. The exception is that I mix the bechamel with ricotta and start my layers with sauce so the pasta has something to swim in (no bake noodles). I just wish my family liked Italian sausage because for me that would take this recipe to the top tier.
This is the best lasagna I have ever made! SO delicious. My family all had seconds. I actually made it without meat and it was fantastic!!
I had been looking for a good lasagna recipe for years until I found this one. It is now my go to everytime. I love the creamy flavour that the Bechamel sauce adds.
What a great recipe. I was a little hesitant looking at the ingredients in the recipe, especially the lack of ricotta, which I love. I was not disappointed though. This recipe was pretty easy to make (make sure you know how to make white sauces!) and I was very pleased with how good it tasted. I made it the first time while some friends were over and everybody was pleased. The lack of ricotta was not a huge deal, as there’s plenty of parmesan and mozzerella instead. The Italian sausage/beef mix was a good idea too. All in all, I’m very pleased with this recipe and will absolutely be making it again.
Best lasagna I’ve ever made! The sauce is incredible – mincing the meat and veggies in the food processor creates a very silky texture. The bechemel helps create a dish that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! I won’t use any other recipe again.
I just discovered your site and love it!
I am calorie counting for weight loss and really appreciate the inclusion of nutrition info. However, I can’t find anywhere that says how large a serving is, or how many servings each recipe makes. Is this something you can add?
Welcome Sarah! You can find the serving info at the top of the recipe card! This recipe has 15 servings. Best of luck!
I have been making my sister’s lasagna recipe forever (made with cream cheese). Your recipe is outstanding. I’ve never made it with Bechamel sauce until now and it was awesome. For argument’s sake I added half a brick of cream cheese and some parmean to the Bechamel.