Simple Meat Lasagna

By
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher
Stephanie Gallagher is a journalist and food writer who has authored multiple cookbooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/28/23
Tested by
Victoria Heydt
Victoria Heydt
Tested by Victoria Heydt

Victoria Heydt is a food photographer, stylist, and the Editorial Director for The Spruce Eats. An Institute of Culinary Education grad, she also develops and tests recipes.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Basic meat lasagna

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Rest Time: 15 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 lasagna
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
641 Calories
28g Fat
51g Carbs
45g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 641
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 146mg 49%
Sodium 1523mg 66%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 18%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 45g
Vitamin C 5mg 26%
Calcium 606mg 47%
Iron 5mg 31%
Potassium 1126mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Lasagna is the perfect dish to make when serving a crowd because it can be made in advance, and just about everybody loves it. It's a layered dish with numerous levels of pasta alternated with sauce and ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and cheese, and it's usually topped with melted grated cheese. For a complete meal, serve it with garlic bread and a Caesar salad.

Once you learn how to make lasagna, you can vary this basic recipe to suit your tastes. You can make it vegetarian by substituting spinach or roasted vegetables instead of ground beef. You can make it meatier by adding sausage. You can make it leaner by using ground chicken or turkey instead of beef.

Not only can you change up the meat and vegetable ingredients, but you can make it creamier by using an alfredo sauce or vodka sauce. You can make it Mexican-style by using seasoned taco meat, enchilada sauce, and pepper jack cheese. The possibilities really are endless.

The flat, wide lasagna pasta noodles are considered one of the oldest types of pasta in the culinary world. The dish is believed to have originated in the Naples region of Italy during the Middle Ages. Although in ancient Rome, there was a dish similar to a traditional lasagna called lasana or lasanum, which is Latin for the words "container" or "pot."

"My great-aunt made a to-die-for lasagna every Easter. Although I never got her recipe, this one comes closest and is my hands-down favorite lasagna recipe to make instead. Layers of toothsome noodles, paired with vibrant sauce (I add a tablespoon of sugar), robust cheeses, sautéed meat and onions, and the well-seasoned ricotta cheese are heavenly." —Victoria Heydt

Basic Meat Lasagna Recipe
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 pound lean ground beef (preferably 90% lean)

  • 1/2 cup diced onion

  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese, full-fat or part skim

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided

  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 (24-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

  • 12 oven-ready, no-boil lasagna noodles

  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make basic meat lasagna

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

    A baking dish coated in nonstick cooking spray

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ground beef and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 7 minutes.

    A pan of cooked ground beef and onions

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Drain, if necessary. Set aside.

    A bowl of cooked ground beef and onions

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup of the shredded Asiago cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.​

    A mixture of ricotta cheese, eggs, shredded Asiago cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and pepper in a large bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Place about 3/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish.

    A baking dish with a layer of tomato sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Top the sauce with a single layer of four lasagna noodles (it's OK if they overlap).

    A layer of lasagna noodles on top of tomato sauce in a baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.

    A layer of ricotta cheese-mixture spread over the lasagna noodles

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Top the ricotta cheese mixture with half of the ground beef.

    A layer of ground beef on top of the ricotta cheese-mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Asiago cheese over the ground beef.

    A layer of shredded asiago cheese on top of the ground beef

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Top that with 1/3 of the remaining spaghetti sauce.

    A layer of tomato sauce on top of the shredded asiago cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Then, repeat the layer: four lasagna noodles, the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining ground beef, the shredded Parmesan cheese, and 1/3 of the remaining spaghetti sauce.

    A layer of tomato sauce on top of shredded asiago cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Put the final four lasagna noodles in an even layer over the spaghetti sauce. Slather the top with any remaining spaghetti sauce.

    A layer of tomato sauce over lasagna noodles

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.

    A layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of tomato sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Cover with foil and bake until the noodles are cooked through, about 40 minutes.

    A baking pan of lasagna covered with foil

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  16. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. It's important to let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. It needs to set, otherwise, it'll be a gloopy mess when you cut it.

    Simple meat lasagna in a baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck