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
Follow me for more great recipes
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.
- (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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Lasagna Soup
- Crock Pot Lasagna
- Lasagna Stuffed Shells
- One Pan Skillet Lasagna
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe in February 2016. Updated December 2017 and September 2022.
This post contains affiliate links.
I made my own noodles and put nutmeg in the bechamel. I also added carrots. My sister and mom loved it. Wanted the recipe.
Holy smokes, this lasagna is amazing! Lasagna is my husband’s favourite food. I lost my previous recipe that had won him over. I made this one for his birthday this year and he went back for thirds! Says it’s better than any lasagna he’d ever had before. He said it’s even better than the most epic lasagna that his mom made one time at Easter. (She doesn’t follow recipes but that Easter one was so amazing that we still talk about it to this day, and it was over 7 years ago!) Make this lasagna and thank yourself later!
Question. I have about a quart of previously made bolognese sauce. Do you think that would be enough for this recipe?
I’ve seen the recipes using the bechemel sauce but this was the first one I tried. Never going back!
I varied the recipe slightly: made the tomato sauce out of two large cans whole peeled tomatoes, two small tomato paste cans, and one medium can tomato sauce in a blender and then cooked on the stove.
I also used regular uncooked lasagna noodles (not the no-boil variety, baked slightly higher oven for about an hour. Amazing!
Very good. The only change I would suggest is that a classic Bechamel sauce has nutmeg. That would take this to the next level. Thank you.
I just made this for a Christmas lunch I had for friends and neighbors and everyone raved about it! It’s delicious, worth every step of the process, and is better than any quantity Italian restaurant’s lasagna! I’ve been looking for a really good go-to lasagna recipe for a few years and finally found one. Thank you, Lauren! 🙂
good eats
This was a HUGE hit tonight for dinner. We had guests over and they cannot stop raving about how good it tastes! Followed the recipe to a tee, and I am extremely impressed! Will definitely be using again, thanks!
This was amazing!! I’m so glad that I found this recipe!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I just tried it for the first time and it was very tasty. I have been making pasta noodles and wanted to find a solid lasagna recipe to try with my homemade noodles.
I really like how my red sauce came out and using the food processor to puree the veggies added a great flavor consistency to the sauce. In the future I will probably leave about 1/3 of the veggies out of the food processing step to get have some bigger chunks in the final result.
I did the use the béchamel recipe with whole milk and found that it was a little to rich for my tastes, so I will maybe try 2% milk or a mix with ricotta in the future.
Anyway. Thank you so much for your recipe and such clear cooking instructions.
What type of ground sausage did you use or use in this receipt?
I like to use Jimmy Dean pork sausage, but you can use whatever you like!
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.
First full-sized lasagna I’ve ever made, and it turned out great. Made as directed, except I used no-boil noodles and dried basil instead of fresh. If I could request one change in The only thing I need to change next time is adding a lot more salt – I wish there was a little bit of direction in the recipe. I don’t mind “salt & pepper to taste” most of the time, but a recipe like this where you can’t taste it all together until it’s fully assembled & baked…apparently I’m not a good judge on amounts! Needed a lot more once we dug in. Otherwise, this truly was great and i appreciate that it uses the cheeses I typically have on hand!!
A gracious tip:
authentic cuisine a l’Italia no added salt during cooking – this preserves harmonious delicacy of interplay of ingredients , but this is where La fromage is used to the taste
I have made this recipe twice now. I have also used the red sauce for spaghetti. This is delicious and it really isn’t hard. Lauren has very easy to follow steps. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Wonderful lasagna and surprisingly very easy to make. It made so much that I had tons of frozen leftovers which made for easy quick meals. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Make it sound like cottage cheese and ricotta is bad. Some love them, like me! The texture, taste etc mixed with the sauce. Will give this a try though. As a caterer I have plenty of people who order my lasagna as is but always open for good ideals.
This is literally the best lasagna recipe I have ever had or made, and I consider myself a Garfield level lasagna enthusiast. I was pleasantly surprised and only slightly intimidated by the bechamel. The only subs I made were Cowvin and Kevin and using 60 calorie almond milk in the bechamel, because I was too lazy to go get cow milk. We feed and slaughter our own beef (Cowvin); and the s.o. is an avid and excellent hunter, so we also have Kevin (a 7 point buck) who provided a wonderful homemade Italian sausage. I’ve already been recruited to make this in June when we spend the month with the in-laws in Oregon. The s.o. has also provided direct and explicit instruction that this is THE ONLY recipe I am to use for future lasagnas. Thank you for such an amazeballs recipe!
Very good! Was a hit by the family. Will definitely fix it again!
I’ve made this several times. An absolute family favorite. No more ricotta or cottage cheese stuffed lasagna for us. I do add about 3/4 Cup of sharp cheddar to the bechamel.
I added mushrooms instead of spinach and also added some freshly grated Romano cheese to the white sauce. It was delicious!! Highly recommend this recipe. I’m not a fan of ricotta so this recipe is my new go to for lasagna
This lasagna was liked by all at Christmas dinner. Everyone raved about it and no leftovers. Next year I need to make two!! Thank you
First full-sized lasagna I’ve ever made, and it turned out great. Made as directed, except I used no-boil noodles and dried basil instead of fresh. If I could request one change in the fe i The only thing I need to change next time is adding a lot more salt – I wish there was a little bit of direction in the recipe. I don’t mind “salt & pepper to taste” most of the time, but a recipe like this where you can’t taste it all together until it’s fully assembled & baked
Loved it! Making another. Question: I have made the red sauce but don’t have room to store a full lasagna in the freezer. Is it possible to freeze the red sauce as a completed item? If so, would you freeze it with or without the meet added? Thank you!!
Yes, definetly! I would just add the meat and freeze it, but either way will work well.
Please call the “red sauce” what it really is Ragù all bolognese, and no Bell pepper, basil, mozzarella, spinach, garlic and no Italian seasoning (whatever that is)
Maybe that is why she did not call it Ragu alla bolognese?
🤣
I love this!!! You are the best
Very good lasagna. Thank you
THE best lasagna, EVER. So moist and full of flavor, it disappears quickly as everyone wants seconds and my teenage boys simply can’t have enough. This is by far my favorite meal to make on the weekends when we are all together, thank you Lauren for the wonderful recipe!
This lasagna is truly delicious! Even my picky teenage grandson ate his whole serving! It is WAY better than any lasagna I’ve had from “authentic” Italian restaurants, which I love to frequent! I can’t wait to make this again!!
Whole family had seconds, and my teenager had thirds! Best part is my wife let me cook/bake it in her kitchen.
My family loved it! You can never go wrong with a this recipe. Best lasagna I’ve ever had! Much better than the ones in restaurants! Yum!
Are your recipes for the 5 week plan freezable?
Many of them–each recipe will have make ahead and freezing instructions in the recipe card notes.
DELICIOUS! I’ve made this twice now. it’s my favorite lasagna! I love that it doesn’t have ricotta or cottage cheese. So delicious!
I add nutmeg to the béchamel sauce and omg, it’s so good.
The consensus was: Best lasagna ever.
I am making this again today. It us absolutely delicious lasagna!!! Using beshemel sauce instead of ricotta or cottage cheese is key, considering it really is the way Italians make theirs. It is very filling….
Thank you for sharing this recipe with others.
Note: Lasagna, is easy to make so don’t let it intimidate you. Your family & friends will rave.
Made this for Christmas and it was a hit. Prepping the day ahead and just popping it in the oven made the day easy for me but we still had a delicious meal. Leftovers were great too.
We decided to serve lasagna for Christmas this year – RAVE reviews from everyone! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Love, love! Love!
Delicious lasagna! Recipe was perfect for us since it uses bechamel sauce instead of ricotta or cottage cheese, which my family doesn’t like. I will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely the best lasagna I have ever made and eaten 👍👌
Thank You so much this was fabulous! The only recipe I will ever use !!!
Lasange perfette! The family loved this dish. I was a little intimated to make the bechamel, but this was super easy. So tasty, with the right amount of flavor. Claiming this recipe as my own. Thanks!
Love your recipe The only change I made was to use homemade lasagna noodles. My family loved it.. This was my husbands birthday dinner
My son is taking culinary class. I teach him to make food from scratch . I picked out this recipe because it looked interesting and good. He did a really good job in following the instructions . He will make 2 loaves of Homemade French Bread to go with our dinner . The Lasagna is delicious .So was the bread.. Great job TITAN !
Holy moly! Best lasagna I’ve ever had! Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! The best lasagne I’ve ever made. Thank you for this recipe Lauren.
The kids enjoy it was excellent
What if I am using fresh pasta, any adjustment?
Really delicious…I could not stop eating it. I thought it was not gonna turn out as good because the white sauce seemed thicker than in the video but it was perfect. Do you have a vegetable version? I guess I could experiment adding vegetables to the red sauce instead of meat 🙂
I frozen this unbaked. Can I pop it in the oven prior to thawing? Thanks.
Yes. Cook covered with tinfoil for about an hour, then remove the tinfoil and cook for another 30-40 minutes until bubbly and warmed through.
Hi! This looks great. Can I assemble on Sunday morning and bake Monday evening?
Yes, just don’t pre cook the noodles. Enjoy!
Made it, ate it, loved it. The only changes I made were due to not having all the specific ingredients in the pantry. My substitutions proved amazing, and I’ll use this again! Thank you!
Best lasagna recipe for sure! My (Italian) mother in law, husband, and stepdaughter devoured this! I did add some other veggies to the sauce, shredded zucchini, peppers, and carrots. And some nutmeg in the white sauce. Was amazing for Christmas and then again the day ever! Thank you for sharing!
Hi! I’m going to make this for Christmas Eve, I was wondering, could I make this without the spininch? Thanks so much!!
😊
Yes of course. Enjoy!
I am about to make this recipe for first time. Can it be made without the bechamel sauce? Thanks
Yes, you could use ricotta, or the white mixture I use in this lasagna recipe: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/slow-cooker-lasagna/
Can you use the white sauce in addition to the ricotta mixture? I found a recipe that mixes the white sauce with the red sauce with the ricotta mixture.
The taste was amazing! But, it was really runny. I followed the directions and quantities very closely. The only thing was I didn’t let it rest before cutting into it.Was worried it would not be hot hot if I let it rest.
Any ideas how to make this and keep everything picture perfect? So it stays standing up?
I used fresh pasta sheets from the fridge section of the grocery store. I made the sauce and let it simmer as per instructions – didn’t use the store bought one.
Otherwise it was amazing! My family finished it (husband and parents) and my kids (ages 4.5.7) who are the worst at trying new foods are it for the first time and loved it!
I would definitely let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes, or it will be very runny and fall apart when served. 🙂
It was runny even after sitting for 15+ minutes. Have any other solutions to that? It was delicious in taste.
Scramble an egg an pour it in between your layers keeps the lasagna in place.Will not be runny.
Can you add the scrambled egg to the red sauce or seperate?
Just double checking the instructions for re-heating from “Frozen-baked” state because I am a newbie at cooking – it takes 2 hrs and 15 minutes to re-heat? 1.5 hrs with tin foil on and another 45 minutes with tin foil off? Worried 45 minutes with tin foil off will dry it out. Thanks!!
Just keep an eye on it after taking the tinfoil off– it’s done when it’s bubbling on the sides and the cheese is golden.
This turned out to easily be the most delicious lasagna I’ve ever eaten.
I flat couldn’t believe I actually created something so delicious.
Thank you very much for giving us all this recipe, very kind of you.
This is a fantastic lasagna recipe. Very well balanced. I’ve made it a few times now, with some variation, always to rave reviews.
Thinking of creating a tshirt, like those ones that list boy bands, the Golden Girls, US preisdents and Hamilton cast members, to my lasagna mentors:
Biba
Raven
Jonathan
Lauren
Brava
Forgot to add:
I noticed most of the work is in the red sauce, or at least a good bit. Assembly is still time consuming.
I don’t usually have freezer space for a whole lasagna, but this red sauce with meat fits in half a gallon zip bag. This recipe is an easy double on the red sauce, just use a higher walled wide pot instead of a skillet for all tasks.
We are not big ricotta fans in this house (my husband LOATHES it) so I was excited to come across a lasagna recipe without ricotta and with such great reviews. I was a little apprehensive at first because of the bechamel–my mom makes it for one of her recipes and it was never a favorite. It turns out, I don’t think she makes it right (sorry Mom!) because the bechamel in this recipe adds an absolutely luxurious silkiness and pop of flavor that I never knew lasagna could have. And it takes no time to whip up the bechamel even if you’re pressed for time and cutting corners by using a premade tomato sauce. This recipe is brilliant and has absolutely become a staple. Thank you for sharing!
I have only made lasagna once before this and I didn’t like it because of the ricotta….. I was going to try it again, looked for recipes and stumbled on this….. first of all, I was sold at the ‘no ricotta’ but this lasagna is the best! The juiciest, the bombest
You really need to let it sit before dishing!!! I love it
Best lasagna my family has ever eaten!
I am on my third pan of this in a month. I do use Bertilo jar sauce, just easier for me, but still add the garlic, basil, italian and spinach. This is so wonderful, great for leftovers, and the balance is perfect between sauce and cheese. My husband said it is the best he has ever had. Thanks for sharing, great instructions and photos
This ended up being the most delicious lasagna I have ever eaten and the best dish I’ve ever prepared. I ended up making a little more of both sauces and I used all of what I made. I bought the best ingredients I could get my hands on. It’s just soo good, thank you very much for sharing this recipe!!
I couldn’t ask for a better compliment–and, well done, I’m so glad it was a great success!
I made this recipe a few months ago and it was a hit! In my book truly the best lasagna recipe. My husband who is not a pasta lover in general (but not a picky eater) loved it! I am making it again today, and came back to remind myself of the recipe. Thanks for sharing
I made this and it was delicious. Used jarred sauce and added spinach. Can’t wait to make it with the real sauce – the bechamel, cheese, whole recipe is so perfect. Thank you!
DELICIOUS – made exactly per recipe first time and whole picky family LOVED! Second time I used ground turkey and made extra bechamel and went very light on the red sauce (froze the rest for next time) and the lasagna was equally as good. Thank you for giving me ideas for switching up a family favorite!
Traditional lasagna does NOT contain garlic!
What a succulent lasagna created by Red sauce and White sauce! I’m feeling so hungry right now xD
– Natalie
Made this classic lasagna for my 3 boys a few months ago. They LOVED it. Making it again today for my family’s Thanksgiving potluck tomorrow. Yes, it takes a bit to put it together, but it is so worth it. I saw your post for lemon poppy seed bread on FB this morning and I plan on making and bringing that as well.
Seriously, the best lasagna – ever. Hands down! I am decidedly NOT the cook in the house, but I wanted to make a special meal for my boyfriend since he feeds us daily.. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and figured it would be a win, mostly because of the replacement of ricotta or cottage cheese(he’s not a fan of those) and I wanted something comparable to whatever his grandmas super secret Italian recipe! It took forever for me to prep everything, but the sauce is on point, and the finished dish was nothing short of amazing! I think I gained some confidence in the kitchen with this one, thanks so much!
Can I use dry basil? If so, how much would you recommend instead of using the fresh basil?
Yes, you can use dried basil. I would add 1 teaspoon!
This looks awesome! When making this for the freezer, what type of pan do you recommend? Do you use a disposable pan, or is there a certain type of reusable pan that you trust? Thanks so much!
I recommend a disposable pan–that’s what I’ve found most convenient and it freezes well!
I am making your lasagna recipe this evening for my hubby who does not like lasagna. He says its the cottage cheese looking stuff thats in it. So, tonight there will be no ricotta . I just hope I like it ! I LOVE ricotta. It is scrumptious on warm french bread . Anyway, back to the lasagna. I do have a few questions 1) can I add some Parmesan to the Bechamel Sauce? And 2) could Alfredo Sauce be used in place of Bechamel? I will not do that but it was an idea I have been pondering for some time now . Maybe AFTER making your recipe,,,, I will try it & let you know. I ask because my hubby loves Parmesan Cheese & since we put it over the Bechamel …….. Just a thought. I will let you know how hubby grades it…. Usually I know if he likes or Loves it when he asks is there enough leftovers for the guys at work. Thank You So very much for sharing ALL of your recipes.
Hi Theresa, yes you can add extra parmesan to the bechamel sauce–yum! You could substitute alfredo, but I honestly think the bechamel pairing with this recipe is much better. Hope you enjoy it.
The. Best. Lasagna. Ever! Seriously, this is our absolute favorite recipe for lasagna (I personally think it’s the homemade béchamel sauce)! My husband thinks this is the best recipe I have ever made. Needless to say, this is a winner!
If refrigerating overnight before cooking, do I need to adjust the cook time? Should I use the directions from the frozen then thawed section?
Thanks!
Hi Ian, it will probably just need a few minutes (maybe 10-15) longer to cook, for the cheese to get bubbly on top. I’d love to hear how you like it!
So do you really not need to cook (even par boil) the noodles if freezing unbaked? When you do bake it, do the noodles get cooked through? Just curious as I always seem to have issues with lasagna noodles!
I have made this recipe countless times as a freezer meal and I never pre-boil my noodles. I usually bake it from frozen (following the instructions I listed here). I’ve never had an issue and the noodles are cooked perfect. You could always use no-boil noodles instead of regular noodles and then you really wouldn’t have to worry. 🙂
I have made this recipe multiple times! It is my go-to lasagna recipe and my boyfriends FAVORITE meal. He can never stop talking about it! It is a lot of work, but so worth it.
What a huge compliment! I am so happy you and your boyfriend have enjoyed it so much! It does take some prep, but the end result is simply amazing! I always make at least 2, for that reason, to freeze one for another day. Thanks again for your comment, and for following TBFS.
I’ve been living in Italy for almost 3 years, and have made this recipe 5 or 6 times now. This recipe comes the closest to replicating my favorite restaurant lasagnas in Italy. The use of bechemel rather than ricotta is key!! I’ve made a few minor adjustments over time, but otherwise follow the recipe pretty closely. I’ve had multiple visitors tell me it’s the best lasagna they’ve ever had!
What a huge compliment! Thank you so much for sharing Andrea–I’m really happy you’ve perfected the recipe and made it so many times! Enjoy Italy–how fun!
My husband and I are pescetarians, so I made a veggie version of this tonight. It was so incredibly delicious! The bechemel was such a lovely addition. My husband told me it was the best lasagna he’s ever had, and that he has no desire to eat any other kind, ever again. HUGE praise from him!!
That’s what I love to hear! 😉 Thanks so much for your nice comment. I’m so happy you liked it, and I love that you made a veggie version.
I always make homemade lasagna noodles, can I go ahead and use them in this recipe?
Of course! Sounds delicious!
This is really good! I felt like it could have used a bit more bechamel, so I might add half again the next time I make it. I added nutmeg to my bechamel, too. I might use a bit more tomato sauce, too. The difference might be that I used a pan this time instead of using a dish like I usually do. Anyway, I LOVED the idea of putting the meat in the food processor, and the veggies too! Thanks for posting this!
Made this for my two daughter’s birthday dinner. They loved it. But the surprise of the night is that my husband who doesn’t care for red sauce, ate 3 helpings! This recipe will definitely go in the long term file. Thanks for sharing.
Really good! Super cheesy! Took a little time to make, but so worth it! Great recipe.
This recipe is SO GOOD!! I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually made lasagna before until my husband requested it for his birthday dinner. I decided on this recipe and was not disappointed. The birthday boy claimed that it was the best lasagna he had ever had! I used hot Italian sausage and made some small additions to the sauces (crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, and red wine vinegar to the red and garlic powder and nutmeg to the bechamel), but this recipe was a complete home run. This will definitely be my go-to from now on. So happy to have found this on my first try! 🙂 Awesome job!
Thank you so much Ali! Love your additions–so happy the birthday boy loved it to! Thank you for taking the time to comment
I just made this and I got carried away on the amount of spinach so my red sauce is green. I hope my guest will like it. Yes, first time making this:) I will come back and rate it after tonight.
Oh man, this was so good. First time making lasagna, too! The bechamel sauce worked so well in it. I skipped the puree steps since I prefer the chunks.
Came together in about an hour and a half, but I think I could get that down to an hour next time. Perfect for a straightforward weeknight meal!
This lasagna recipe is so easy to make and it tastes amazing! Highly recommend.
Delicious!
in love!
Would you be able to tell me an adjusted cook time if I wanted to make this in an 8×8 pan? I want to cook this as a meal for two.
Let me know. Thank you!
I would half the recipe for a 8” pan. (Or you could make the full recipe in two separate 8” pans and freeze the second for another time!) Bake it for about 20 minutes to start, and then watch it and take it out when the cheese is bubbly.
Wow! Just wow! This recipe is amazing!! I made the red sauce (I added way more meat and veggies) and the white sauce the night before and kept them in the fridge – my husband was caught eating the red sauce as a snack! My sister and brother in-laws actually took half of the lasagna home with them because they lived it so much too. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
That makes my day! Thanks so much for sharing–I’m so happy everyone liked it so much!
This is close to the lasagna I make with a few exceptions.. I don’t use red or green pepper because I hate the taste. Also no spinach. I use crushed tomatoes – makes a smoother sauce. Add a touch of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomaties and a pinch of basil. I also melt the cheese in in the white sauce. Try theese tweeks. I think you will love the recipe even more.
This recipe is amazing. I also add mushrooms and any other veggies I have sitting around that look good. My family LOVES it and have no idea about all the veggies packed in it. My 11 year old son made this today by himself and it was awesome. Thanks for the recipe.
So happy to hear it! Thanks for commenting 🙂
This is one of the greatest things I have ever made. I used more meat because they didn’t come in smaller packages, but it was amazing.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks for coming back to comment!
This recipe was heaps of fun to make, I loved that the red and white sauces are made from scratch. To make it extra special, I used fresh herbs from our herb garden instead of dry Italian spices (I picked some basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme and parsley). My husband (who isn’t a huge lasagna fan) had two helpings and said he thinks it may be the best lasagna he has ever had! The recipe itself is a bit fiddley, but I think making a double batch of red and white sauce to freeze goes a long way to making this a quick dinner. I just loved how involved the whole process was. Thanks so much! This one is going in the recipe book.
Thanks Shar! That sounds amazing to use fresh garden herbs! So happy your family loved it!
This reminds me of the authentic lasagna I tasted while living in Italy when I was a kid. I actually was always in search of the recipe that would come close and now that you mention it, it didn’t have ricotta in it.
Next time I make lasagna, I will be making your version!!
Thanks Ciel! I would love to hear if you get a change to make it 🙂
Absolutely the BEST lasagna EVER! I followed the recipe step-by-step, and it was perfect! My family loved it, and this will be my go-to for company. My 12 yr old commented about how he doesn’t like the “chunks” in the other lasagna I usually buy, so now that I’ve raised the bar with this homemade version, I can never go back (not that I would want to)!!
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks so much Rachel! I love to hear it and I’m really happy your family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing.
Could i freeze this? If so would i do it before i bake it or after?
Hi Hollie, I’ve added freezer instructions in the note above. Hope you enjoy the lasagna!
Could I prepare refrigerate, and cook later?
Yes, see make ahead instructions above in the post 🙂
I made this last night for Mother’s Day dinner. It was a hit! My boyfriend even said it was one of the best lasagnas he’s ever eaten. I’ve never made a bechamel sauce before, let alone used it in lasagna, so I was a little nervous that it wouldn’t turn out. I was wrong! It was fabulous! Thanks for the recipe. I’m never going back to the ricotta/cottage cheese versions.
I am so happy to hear everyone liked it so much! Thanks for coming back to comment 🙂
Nothing beats the classic! Lasagna is one of my favorite Italian foods. I love eating this dish especially with my loved ones during special occasions! It’s quite some time since I last made a Lasagna. I think it’s time to make one again!
My husband isn’t a lasagna person. I made this on Tuesday for a guest and he asked me to make it again tonight (Sunday.) This is absolutely the best lasagna I have ever made!
I am so happy to hear it!! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
This is an amazing recipe! Made it exactly as written (used spicy turkey sausage and ground turkey) – lots of steps, but if you make the red sauce ahead of time it goes together quickly. My husband RAVED about this, said it was the Best lasagna I’ve ever made. I’ll never go back to cottage cheese/ricotta again! I love your website, Lauren!
Thank you so much for your nice comment! I’m really happy the lasagna got rave reviews. And I agree–we will never go back to the cottage cheese or ricotta either–this recipe is just better! Thanks for sharing Pam 🙂
Made this tonight and it was delicious!!
Thanks so much Andrea! I’m happy you guys liked it 🙂 It made me so happy to see your comment
When we lived in Malta bechamel sauce was sold in the grocery stores, although like you, I always make my bechamel sauce from scratch. I also learned in Malta how to add some bechamel sauce to left-over pasta and sauce, and then bake it in the oven – which made a whole new ‘taste sensation’ from leftovers. My Italian-American neighbor, who showed me how to make lasagna, used ricotta. I ADORED her lasagna, so I also add ricotta. I don’t use bechamel sauce in my lasagna simply because its not usually prepared that way where I live in Massachusetts. (I’ve eaten lasagna made by my husband’s French Canadian family in Quebec… it was lasagna in name only!! )