Classic Lasagna Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Learn how to make a classic lasagna recipe from scratch for a savory, cheesy, hearty comfort food dish just like Grandma used to serve!

Prep Time1 45

Cook Time1

Resting Time1 30

Total Time4 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: classic lasagna, classic lasagna recipe, traditional lasagna recipe

Servings: servings

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven
1 Stand Mixer
1 Medium Mixing Bowl
1 (9x13 inch or 23x33 centimeter) casserole dish
1 Sheet Tray

Ingredients

For the Red Sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound hot Italian sausage
½ pound sweet Italian sausage
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
5 large garlic clove finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tube double concentrate tomato paste
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
½ small bunch basil chopped
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
sugar as needed

For the Fresh Pasta

2 cup 00 flour
2 large egg
7 egg yolk

For the Ricotta Filling

1 container whole milk ricotta
3 garlic clove minced
2 large egg well beaten
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For Assembly

1 pound whole milk mozzarella shredded
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Red Sauce

In a Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the olive oil. While the oil is heating, remove the sausage from its casing.
2 tablespoon olive oil, ½ pound hot Italian sausage, ½ pound sweet Italian sausage
Once the oil is shimmering, add the sausage to the pot and break it up into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for six to eight minutes, or until golden brown.
Reduce the heat to medium, then add the onion and stir to incorporate. Cook for four to five minutes, or until the onion is mostly softened. Then add the garlic, fennel, and crushed red pepper. Cook for one to two minutes, stirring often, or until the aromatics are fragrant. Add the tomato paste, and stir it to incorporate it into the sausage mixture. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom to prevent burning.
1 small yellow onion, 5 large garlic clove, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tube double concentrate tomato paste
Once the tomato paste has turned a darker red color, add the tomatoes, squeezing them into the Dutch oven as you add them. Add half cup (118 milliliter) of water to the tomato cans and swirl to get any excess tomato product out of the can, then add the water to the pot. Stir to combine everything, then add the basil and season with salt and pepper. Taste and add sugar if the sauce is too acidic.
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, ½ small bunch basil, kosher salt and black pepper, sugar
Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. Taste halfway through and season with additional salt, pepper, and sugar, if needed.
Once the sauce has reduced by 25%, remove the pot from the heat and cover until ready to assemble. When assembling, the sauce should be warm.

For the Fresh Pasta

Add the flour to a clean work surface. Create a well in the middle and add the eggs, egg yolks, and salt into the center. Using a fork, whisk the eggs and salt together, pulling in small amounts of flour as you go. Continue this process until a thick egg paste forms. Then pull in more flour, combining more and more as you go. Once you can no longer combine using the fork, switch to your hands and slowly knead the dough together.
2 cup 00 flour, 2 large egg, 7 egg yolk
Once all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, knead the dough for about ten minutes, or until the surface is smooth and elastic.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature to rest for one hour. Once the dough is fully rested, it should spring back slowly when pressed with your finger and be darker in color.
Unwrap the dough and divide it into four equal portions (121 grams/4 ounces). Then, working with one portion at a time, press the dough piece into a rough rectangle. Cover the remaining portions with plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
Attach a pasta roller attachment to a stand mixer and set it to 0, or the widest setting. Pass the shortest end of the dough through the roller twice.
Transfer the pasta to a clean work surface and fold one of the short ends of the dough into the center. Do the same with the other side, completing a tri-fold. The longest side of the envelope should be five inches (13 centimeters) in width.
Pass the dough through the widest setting, leading with the five-inch (13 centimeters) wide side.
Repeat this process through the widest setting two times, passing through three times in total.
Adjust the dial of the pasta attachment to the next setting and pass the dough through three times. Repeat this process until the dough is 1/8 inch (3 millimeters) thick or on the sixth setting.
Line a sheet tray with parchment.
Trim the ends of the pasta sheet to square off the sheet. Then cut the finished pasta sheet into 7 ½ inch (19 centimeter) long pieces, keeping any trimmings or shorter pieces to the side.
Add the sheets of pasta to the sheet tray, and top with parchment.
Repeat the dough rolling process with the additional dough balls. Set aside until you are ready to assemble.

For the Ricotta Filling

Add all of the ingredients to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate. Remove the mixture one hour before you begin assembling. It is much easier to spread if it is not right out of the refrigerator.
1 container whole milk ricotta, 3 garlic clove, 2 large egg, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, kosher salt and black pepper

For Assembly

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
Add just enough of the red sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch (23x33 centimeters) casserole dish. Spread it into an even, thin layer. Add three pasta sheets vertically and slightly overlapping each other.
Spoon ¼ of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta sheets. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, gently push the ricotta to the edges of the pasta. Sprinkle the mozzarella onto the ricotta, add one tablespoon of Parmesan, then spoon ¼ of the red sauce over the top.
1 pound whole milk mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Top the sauce with more fresh pasta, lightly pressing the sheets into the sauce to create a somewhat flat surface.
Repeat the process until all of the pasta is used, then add the remaining red sauce onto the pasta, followed by the remaining ricotta. Add the rest of the mozzarella over the top, allowing some pockets of sauce to peek through. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese around the edges, and a bit throughout the middle.
Place the casserole dish on a sheet tray.
Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and golden brown.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
Slice and serve.

Video

Notes

Storage:
- Store leftovers covered or transferred to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to five days.
- Freeze baked or unbaked lasagna for up to three months before baking. To serve unbaked lasagna, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then, bake as normal, adding more time as needed for the layers to cook through.

Nutrition