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Recipe: Mom’s Unforgetable Lasagna

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This is the best lasagna I’ve ever had and my whole family makes it. It lasts for days and you can make ahead and freeze.This is the best lasagna I've ever had and my whole family makes it. It lasts for days and you can make ahead and freeze.

Oh this lasagna is so good….ask anyone in my family….we all make it. I made it tonight and my father in law praised me. Of course the Steelers won so that may have something to do with it but even Max had 3 pieces!

This is probably the one dish that I know other people will enjoy. So that is why I make it for those who’ve just had babies or are suffering from a loss or just getting out of the hospital. I know they will like it and they can eat it for a few days. Plus it feeds so many people so it’s perfect for dinner parties.

It takes some time to make this. I’m not going to lie. The sauce has to cook down for an hour or two and then it takes some time to assemble it.  However I am always able to get one 13×9 pan plus a small pan out of this recipe. That is I’ll make one pan for dinner and freeze the other for another time. If you have a smaller family, you could easily make 3 lasagnas out of this recipe.

Mom’s Unforgettable Lasagna

Mom's Unforgetable Lasagna

One more thing before I get to the recipe, the sauce is really good. If you like a hearty, tasty pasta sauce you could just make the sauce and be happy. If I have extra sauce I always keep it for a Bolognese pasta dish. It’s really good on it’s own and again it’s freezable. So during this holiday season if you need a delicious dish that will feel lots of people you won’t be disappointed with this lasagna recipe. Enjoy!

This is the best lasagna I've ever had and my whole family makes it. It lasts for days and you can make ahead and freeze.

Mom's Unforgetable Lasagna
5 from 7 votes
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Recipe: Mom's Unforgettable Lasagna

This is my mom's lasagna recipe and it's outrageously good. It's also very filing so 1 pan goes along way. Enjoy!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword casserole, lasagna, pasta
Servings 24
Author Denise Wright (MyLifeCookbook.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
  • 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (1 lb) cans of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon basil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 16 oz ricotta
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 lb sliced mozzarella
  • 1/2 lb sliced provolone
  • 1/2 cup parsley chopped
  • 1 box lasagna noodles

Instructions

  1. Add olive oil to a large pot and sauté onions, garlic, sausage and ground beef.
  2. Depending on how fatty the meat is, drain off the excess fat.
  3. Once the meat is browned, add the tomato sauce, paste and whole tomatoes. You should break up the whole tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher before adding them to your pot.
  4. Next add the sugar, oregano, basil, salt and bay leaves. Let simmer for an hour or two until it thickens and everything is incorporated.
  5. While the sauce is simmering, boil the lasagna noodles, drain and cool.
  6. In a bowl, add the egg yolks, ricotta and parsley.
  7. Spray a 13x 9 pan with cooking spray.
  8. Add a little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.
  9. Next add a layer of lasagna noodles.
  10. Then a layer of the ricotta mixture.
  11. Over that, add your meat sauce and then sprinkle some of the parmesan cheese.
  12. After that put a layer of both the mozzarella and provolone slices.
  13. Repeat all the layers again.
  14. The layers go like this: noodles -> ricotta -> sauce -> parmesan sprinkle ->cheeses ->
  15. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
  16. Take off the foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
  17. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving so the lasagna has time to set up.
  18. You may have left over ingredients so you can make a smaller pan and freeze.
  19. After your prepare the lasagna you can freeze and cook it another day. Just make sure to thaw over night in the refrigerator. Bake the same way but double check that the center is cooked after the hour time.

 

This is the best lasagna I've ever had and my whole family makes it. It lasts for days and you can make ahead and freeze.

 

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Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. You should always do your own calculations if you are concerned about the accuracy of this or any recipe. I use the Lose It app for all of my nutritional information because I have for years.

Comments

  1. Kathi starr

    May 20, 2019 at 3:08 pm

    This looks delicious! I have a question. Every time I make lasagna the cheese just runs out. How can I make it stay firm when it is cut? I follow directions to a T & let it set at least 15-29 minutes after baking. Still, the cheese still is runny. My now deceased aunts was always perfect & I have yet to master her technique. Please help!

    Reply

    • Denise

      May 21, 2019 at 6:22 am

      Hi Kathi, that is a good question though I have to say I never had that problem. All I can think is that it has to do with the ricotta. You could possibly use less or another brand that doesn’t have much water in it. You could also add some grated parmesan cheese to the ricotta mixture to maybe soak up the excess moisture? I’m just guessing on all this. Maybe someone else will pipe up with an idea. Hope that was a little bit of help.

      Reply

      • An Dales

        November 1, 2019 at 6:40 pm

        I read a suggestion to spread the ricotta out on a plate and cover with a paper towel to absorb the extra moisture in ricotta.

        Reply

  2. Marisa F. Stewart

    March 15, 2019 at 2:51 pm

    It always seems that the great Mom recipes always took longer than some of the more modern recipes. But one thing is true – those recipes are so good. Lots of love go into them as well as time. The lasagna looks exceptional – I’d love to come over and join you. Now, we’d more than likely put in hot Italian sausage rather than the sweet. We are crazy about hot. This is definitely a recipe to be handed dow for generations to come.

    Reply

  5. Jolina

    March 13, 2019 at 11:26 am

    You know it’s going to be a fantastic dish if the sauce cooks for 2 hours! Totally worth the wait. This looks so delicious. Love that you can make it ahead too.

    Reply

    • Theresa thomson

      July 1, 2019 at 9:45 pm

      I have made this quite a few times now and I will say this is the best lasagna I have ever made. I usually double recipe in second pot and do meatballs so I have the sauce for my pasta dishes because I love the sauce

      Reply

      • Denise

        July 2, 2019 at 1:54 pm

        Hi Theresa, so glad you like it! I usually make two smaller pans or sometimes just double the sauce like you do and freeze it for pasta. Thanks for coming back to comment!

        Reply

  6. Gloria

    March 13, 2019 at 10:59 am

    Lasagna is always a hit. I know when I make it I have to make 3 pans. One for us, and one for each of our daughters to take home. This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I need to make it soon.

    Reply

  7. Dawn

    November 5, 2018 at 7:45 am

    At 60 years of age, I have yet to find a lasagne recipe that I like. The other day husband was craving it. My last attempt I used frozen ravioli, it was ok but not lasagne. This receipe however was the best! It took all afternoon but worth every minute. The best lasagne my husband and I have ever had… even his mother’s! Thank you for sharing, this is a definite keeper and I have pinned it!

    Reply

    • Denise

      November 5, 2018 at 8:43 am

      Hi Dawn,
      SO glad you liked it! We love it too but you are right it takes all day. Just some tips if you are interested:
      – I usually double the recipe and get about 3 pans of it and I freeze two.
      – Or if there are only 2 of you, you can get more pans.
      – Sometimes I just double the sauce because I like that part the best.
      – My step daughter used zuchnin noodles and said it was good too.
      Thanks for the taking the time to come back and comment too!

      Reply

    • Denise

      October 20, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Karen, I have never done that. but I don’t see why not. I know my mother in law used to use cottage cheese. I don’ think it will effect the texture at all.

      Reply

  10. Sandy Genoa

    August 5, 2018 at 7:25 pm

    Wow, this lasagna recipe looks amazing.
    What brand tomato paste and tomato sauce do you use? It looks so rich and yummy.

    Thank you so much for sharing. Your mom must be an amazing cook.
    Sandy

    Reply

    • Denise

      August 6, 2018 at 8:02 am

      Hi Sandy,
      My mom was a great cook! I just used any brand ….Contadina or RedPack. Even generic sometimes. When it cooks for awhile it get’s thick and rich. I think it’s from the meat. I’ve made just the sauce and frozen it for pasta and it’s great. Hope you like it as much as we did.

      Reply

    • Denise

      July 14, 2018 at 6:55 am

      Hi Becky, no they are the 8 oz size. I don’t know why I didn’t write that down in the recipe card. Thanks for pointing that out. You could just use 1 15 oz can or the two 8 oz cans. Hope you like this as much as my family does! Let me know if you have any other questions.
      Denise

      Reply

    • Denise

      November 30, 2017 at 6:28 am

      Hi Cassie,
      I have never used them so I can say for certain but I can’t see why not. Everything is cooked except the noodles so you shouldn’t have a problem. Maybe someone else will see this and chime in if they have don’t it. Sorry I couldn’t be more help and I hope you like it as much as we do!
      Denise

      Reply

  14. Barbara

    June 29, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Can’t wait to try this—have the sauce cooking right now. I’ll have more than I need for dinner. After I assemble it, should I freeze what I don’t need for dinner this evening…that is not putting it in the oven? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Denise

      July 1, 2017 at 9:23 am

      Hi Barbara,
      Depending on what size pan you use, I can often get an extra, smaller pan made out of this recipe.
      You can then freeze that pan if you wish. I hope that answers your question.

      Reply

  17. Aleda

    November 6, 2016 at 6:30 pm

    Hello Denise! Coming from an Italian famil, I am very much so looking forward to making this lasagna. I am always looking for a different variations of cheeses to use (as my family has a meat sauce passed down for generations that I dont think I’ll ever budge from 😉 The provolone sounds like a delicious, gooey cheese that I dont think I ever would have thought of!:) Question for ya, your revipe calls for parmasan… do you use grated or shredded?

    Reply

    • Denise

      November 6, 2016 at 6:51 pm

      Hi Aleda,
      Thanks for stopping by. I use grated Parmesan. Your family’s meat sauce sounds wonderful! Please let me know if you have any other questions.

      Reply

  19. Melinda

    January 1, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    Making his this evening for my New Year’s day dinner 🙂 Searched so many other recipes before deciding this was the one for me. Not even Rachael Ray, Giada de Laurentis or Pioneer Woman made the cut. I have faith in your mom’s unforgettable lasagna recipe LOL! Am pinning this and will let you know how I do-wish me luck! 🙂

    Reply

    • Denise

      January 1, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Hi Melinda,
      I hope you like the recipe as much as we do. I’ve been making it for years for my family and for friends. It is really filling and goes along way. I even just make the sauce sometimes with pasta. Please let me know how you like it and Happy New Year!
      Denise Wright

      Reply

      • Melinda

        January 5, 2016 at 4:23 am

        I had to come back and let you know how much my family LOVED the lasagna!! It was easy to make, and so delicious! I had enough sauce for another dinner, so I froze the extra sauce. I will be using this recipe for years to come, I am sure 🙂 I am going to try your recipe for the buffalo chicken bleu cheese meat balls next. Thanks so much for the yummy recipes 😀

        Reply

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