When
john chandler
submitted this lasagna recipe to Allrecipes more than 20 years
ago, he had no idea how successful it would become. One of our
top-performing recipes of all time,
world's best lasagna
racks up more than 7 millions views per year and has ranked among
the most popular lasagna recipes on the internet for two decades.
Unfortunately, John unexpectedly passed away at 53 years old --
read all about his life and legacy here.
Make our most popular lasagna today to find out what all the fuss
is about!
photo: allrecipes magazine
how to make lasagna
Making lasagna can be time-consuming, but the results are well worth
the wait. You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step
instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics:
lasagna ingredients
The Allrecipes community adores this lasagna recipe because it's
incredibly customizable, so you can easily alter the ingredient
list to suit your needs. If you want to stay true to the original
recipe, though, these are the ingredients you'll need to add to
your grocery list:
🟡 meat: This super meaty
lasagna has sweet Italian sausage and lean
ground beef.
🟡 onion and garlic: An onion
and two cloves of garlic are cooked with the meat to add tons of
flavor.
🟡 tomato products: You'll
need a can of crushed tomatoes, two cans of tomato sauce, and
two cans of tomato paste.
🟡 sugar: Two tablespoons of
white sugar add subtle sweetness and enhance the flavor of the
sauce.
🟡 spices and seasonings: This
lasagna recipe is flavored with fresh parsley, dried basil
leaves, salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and black pepper.
🟡 chesses: Parmesan,
mozzarella, and ricotta cheese make this lasagna extra decadent.
🟡 egg: An egg helps bind the
ricotta so it doesn't ooze out of the lasagna when you cut into
it.
how to make lasagna step-by-step
Here's a very brief overview of what you can expect when you make
homemade lasagna:
1. Make the meat sauce.
2. Cook the noodles.
3. Make the ricotta
mixture.
4. Layer the lasagna
according to the recipe instructions.
5. Cover with foil and
bake.
6. Let the lasagna rest
before serving.
how to layer lasagna
The detailed layering instructions can be found in the recipe
below, but this is the order you'll follow:
1. Meat sauce
2. Noodles
3. Ricotta mixture
4. Mozzarella slices
5. Meat sauce
6. Parmesan cheese
7. Repeat the layers, then
top with the remaining Parmesan.
directions
step 1
Gather all your ingredients.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 2
Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven
over medium heat until well browned.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 3
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water.
Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon
salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer,
covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 4
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook
lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain
noodles, and rinse with cold water.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 5
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2
tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 6
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
step 7
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a
9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat
sauce. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with
1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce
over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
step 8
Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan
cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil
with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the
cheese.
photo: dotdash meredith food studios
over medium heat until well browned.
step 9
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and
bake for an additional 25 minutes.