The Best Homemade Lasagna

With a Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce

Lasagna is the kind of meal you make when you want to fill your home with the coziest smells. It’s hearty, comforting, and rich — but the real secret to truly unforgettable lasagna is the sauce.

This is not a “quick” lasagna. This is the slow-simmered, deeply flavorful, three-meat sauce lasagna you make when you have time to let everything cook together and become something magical. The kind you pull out of the oven on a Sunday or for a special family dinner.

And trust me… it is worth every minute. It also makes for the best leftovers, almost ever! Growing up my mom used to make this for dinner parties because you can make everything and even assembly it ahead of time. Then on the day of your party you can just pop the lasagna in the oven and mix up a delicious salad. Trust me, everyone will be talking about how amazing it is.

Why This Lasagna Is So Good

• A slow-simmered meat sauce with three different meats

• A rich, creamy ricotta mixture with Parmesan and mozzarella

• Oven-ready noodles for easy assembly

• Water added around the edges for perfectly cooked sheets

• Layers of melty mozzarella + Parmesan throughout

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

• 3 links spicy Italian sausage (about ¾ lb)

• 2 links sweet Italian sausage (about ½ lb)

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 4 carrots, finely chopped

• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped

• 5-6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ cup red wine

• 1 jar (24 oz) tomato sauce

• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (more to taste)

• 1–2 tsp salt, to taste

• ½–1 tsp black pepper, to taste

For the Ricotta Mixture

• 1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella

• ½ cup grated Parmesan

• 1 egg

• 1–2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried)

• ¼ tsp black pepper

Additional Ingredients for Assembly

• Oven-ready lasagna noodles

• 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella (for layering)

• ½–1 cup grated Parmesan (for layering)

• A splash of water for the edges of the pan

How to Make the Best Lasagna

1. Brown the Meat

Remove sausage from casings. Brown spicy sausage, sweet sausage, and ground beef in a large pot until fully cooked and deeply browned. Transfer meat to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the pot.

2. Build the Flavor Base

In the same pot:

• Add onion, salt, add the Italian seasoning and sauté until soft,

• Add carrots + celery until tender

• Add garlic + tomato paste and cook until fragrant

These caramelized bits create incredible depth.

3. Deglaze With Wine

Return the meat to the pot, then add ½ cup red wine, scraping up the browned bits. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes. Any cheap red wine will do! Trust me, you will not taste the difference in the finished product.

4. Add Tomatoes & Seasonings

• Tomato sauce

• Crushed tomatoes

• Salt

• Black pepper

Let this sauce simmer at least 30 minutes (longer = better).

5. Mix the Ricotta Filling

In a bowl, combine:

• Ricotta

• 1 ½ cups mozzarella

• ½ cup Parmesan

• Egg

• Basil

• Pepper

Stir until completely mixed.

6. Assemble the Lasagna

In a 9×13 baking dish, layer in this order:

1. Meat sauce

2. Oven-ready noodles

3. Ricotta mixture

4. Mozzarella + Parmesan

5. Repeat until dish is full

Tip: Pour a small splash of water around the edges before baking — this helps the oven-ready noodles soften perfectly and prevents dry corners. If you have extra meat sauce or ricotta mixture, you could make a second pan! With this recipe I did 3 layers in my 9x13 pyrex pan and a small square. Or, freeze the extra meat sauce for an easy dinner in the future.

Top the final layer with extra mozzarella and Parmesan.

7. Bake

Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375°F for 30–40 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.

Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Why This Lasagna Is Worth the Time

This lasagna is rich, layered, cheesy, and absolutely comforting. The slow-simmered meat sauce brings deep flavor that you just can’t get from anything store-bought. The ricotta mixture is creamy and balanced, and the melted mozzarella + Parmesan throughout makes every bite perfect.

Whether you’re making it for a family dinner, guests, or meal prep, this lasagna is always a showstopper.

If you make it, tag me — I’d love to see your cozy lasagna layers! 🍝✨

Lauren Morgan,

The Weeknight Homemaker