🍝 Lasagna (Baked in a Rectangular Casserole Dish)
Perfect for a 9×13-inch rectangular baking dish — classic layers, rich meat sauce, creamy cheese, and bubbly top.
🛒 Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef (or half beef, half Italian sausage)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 can (14–15 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper
Cheese Layer
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (plus 1 extra cup for topping)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)
Pasta
- 9–12 lasagna noodles (regular or oven-ready)
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Meat Sauce
- Brown beef and onion in a skillet; drain excess grease.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in marinara, crushed tomatoes, seasoning, salt & pepper.
- Simmer 10–15 minutes.
2️⃣ Mix Cheese Filling
In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, mozzarella, and parsley.
3️⃣ Layer in 9×13 Dish
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom.
- Add noodles (overlapping slightly).
- Spread ⅓ of ricotta mixture.
- Add meat sauce.
- Sprinkle mozzarella.
- Repeat layers 2–3 times.
- Finish with sauce and extra mozzarella on top.
4️⃣ Bake
- Cover with foil (spray foil underside to prevent sticking).
- Bake 375°F (190°C) for 40 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 10–15 more minutes until bubbly and golden.
5️⃣ Rest
Let sit 15 minutes before slicing — this keeps layers neat.
🔥 Tips
- Use oven-ready noodles to skip boiling.
- Add spinach to ricotta for extra flavor.
- Make ahead and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
If you’d like, I can give you:
- 🥬 Vegetarian lasagna
- 🍗 White chicken Alfredo lasagna
- 🧀 Extra cheesy 5-cheese version
- ❄️ Freezer-friendly prep instructions
