Easy Ricotta Cheese Lasagna

Ready to say goodbye to pre-made frozen lasagna? Here’s the only guide you’ll need! Enjoy this easy lasagna recipe with ricotta cheese! It’s the perfect homemade take on lasagna.

Want to toss together a salad to go with your lasagna? Try this easy Sicilian roasted artichoke salad!

Where Does Lasagna Really Come From?

When most of us hear the word lasagna, we automatically think of Italy. It seems like one of the quintessential Italian dishes, complete with pasta and lots of cheeses.

However, there is some debate about the actual origin of lasagna. From research done on this, it seems like some distant version of lasagna originated from Greece. The Greeks’ “Laganon” is thought to be the first pasta ever made, which did resemble lasagna somewhat. Others argue it’s from the Romans or the English.

Despite this debate, it is fairly certain that the Italians were the ones who really perfected the lasagna.

Fresh pasta layered with tomato pasta sauce, meat, and cheeses – how could that NOT be delicious?

This lasagna recipe offers up all the flavor of your favorite dish, with a couple of shortcuts to make it easy enough for a weeknight meal

Ingredients

Beef: Ground chuck is the preferred option, but use whatever ground beef your store offers. Choose a less-fatty option if possible. To make this a vegetarian lasagna, you can simply skip this ingredient!

Hot tip: You can brown the beef ahead of time if you like. Just refrigerate the browned meat until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.

Pasta sauce: A red marinara sauce makes this classic lasagna sing with the flavor of tomato. There are a number of options when it comes to the sauce you use for this lasagna. You could use this beef ragu recipe for delicious beef lasagna. If you prefer a vegetarian lasagna, by all means skip the ground chuck. Or you can use ready-made jars of marinara sauce.

Ricotta cheese: A creamy, somewhat grainy soft cheese, ricotta is similar to cottage cheese, but without the lumps.

Egg: You’ll add an egg to the ricotta cheese mixture to bind it together.

Parmesan cheese: A semi-hard cheese from the Parma region in Italy, this cheese packs a flavorful punch. Use fresh Parmesan, not the jars of powdered cheese.

Lasagna noodles: Dried lasagna noodles from the supermarket shelves are what most Americans will find available. Opt for gluten free noodles if you like; the recipe remains the same.

Mozzarella cheese: This is the cheese that will give you the ooey gooey stretchy goodness that makes a homemade lasagna so delicious.

Step-by-Step How to Make Lasagna

• Spray a baking dish and set your sauce and beef in a skillet to heat.
• While the sauce is simmering, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, seasonings, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Adding an egg helps to bind the ricotta filling, giving it a bit more body.
• Layer your baking dish in this order: sauce, noodles cheese. Repeat these and end with a final layer of meat sauce.
• Cover the pan with foil and chill overnight.
• To bake, place the cold casserole in a cold oven.
• Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 more.
• Let rest to thicken before serving.

FAQs

Should I cook my noodles first?

This recipe for lasagna with ricotta showcases a trick I’ve been using for years to make lasagna: Uncooked noodles! Using uncooked noodles does several things:

1. It’s the ticket to a lasagna that’s not too wet.
2. Using uncooked noodles allows you to make this an overnight lasagna recipe.
3. Handling dry lasagna noodles is so much easier than wrestling with wet noodles.

Now, were you to ask a Pasta Granny how to make lasagna, they would be unlikely to tell you that this is the way to do it. I mean, uncooked dry noodles?! But hello, there’s something to be said for easy.

If you prefer to cook the noodles, that’s okay, too! The assembly will be just the same, but instead of letting the dish sit overnight, you’ll be able to cook it right away.

To cook lasagna noodles, fill a large pot with water and salt it generously. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, add the lasagna noodles, and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 10-15 minutes.

How do I keep my ricotta filling for lasagna nice and thick?

I like to add an egg to my filling to keep it rich and thick. Make sure you are using full-fat ricotta for the best taste and thickness. If your ricotta seems watery upon opening, you can even drain it in some cheesecloth before using.

How much time should I let lasagna rest?

It’s hard to wait to eat when everything looks and smells so delicious! But you must wait at least 10 minutes after removing the lasagna from the oven before slicing it. It is too hot to eat immediately anyway, and waiting allows everything to settle and any thin liquid to be absorbed into the pasta. Resting will help you achieve the perfect slices on a plate.

How to Layer Lasagna

This recipe for homemade lasagna with ricotta cheese filling is a super simple meal to make, but it does require some assembly. With the sauce and ricotta filling made, it’s time to start layering the lasagna!

Making lasagna requires three separate layers: The sauce, the cheeses, and the noodles. The sauce and the ricotta filling are made separately and then layered with lasagna noodles to create a delicious casserole.

The first layer should always be the sauce. This prevents the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the casserole.

Scoop a layer of pasta sauce into a baking dish, and spread it to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, so they’re just touching. (They’ll expand overnight.)

Spread on a layer of the ricotta mixture and mozzarella and continuing layering until all of the ingredients have been used. Cover with foil and refrigerate.

Love Italian dishes? Be sure to try this delicious baked cannelloni, too. Gelato is also a perfect treat when you want a cold contrast.

Originally published in September, 2020; this post has been updated.