American Lasagna Recipe

I believe this is a great basic recipe. I made several modifications to fit my tastes (adding mushooms, increasing spices, using turkey instead of beef), but that versitility only increases the value of the recipe in my mind. Others have commented on the dryness and that concerned me a bit. I didn't find it dry at all and have a couple of observations that I didn't see in other reviews. First, the recipe isn't clear whether the tomatoes should be drained or not. Do NOT drain them, use the juice in the sauce. Second, use cooked noodles. Uncooked dry or fresh noodles (I used fresh) will absorb water from the sauce and make the finished product drier. I suspect the same is true of the oven ready product I have never used. Third, I did end up adding a half-cup of water to be sure, but this will depend on how you simmer and personal tastes. I think adding about this much red wine as some others suggest could add flavor and the needed moisture. I gave it only four stars because of the discrepancy on cooking times (it needs 1 1/2 hours, not 30 min) and not being clear on retaining the juice in the diced tomatoes. Otherwise, I think it's a great and very adaptable recipe. Thanks, Rosemary.

WARNING... I made the receipe a day ahead as suggested. Although I thought it was odd, I saw the cook time was 30 min and followed directions without looking back at the cook and prep times listed at the top of the web page (when I hit PRINT, those didn't print out, just the actual receipe!). I should have known better. There must be a typeo at the bottom of the receipe, it does NOT cook in 30 min, but an hour and 30 like it says at the top! It was easy to figure out my mistake, and I should have prob known better, but in a rush I followed the receipe and planned for 30 min. Now we'll have to wait another 60 to eat. Oops. I hope it's as wonderful as everyone says, it smells fabulous! And DO add some extra tomato sauce and water to the sauce.

I gave this recipe a shot tonight for my little sister’s birthday party, it was served to my family of 6 + 5 teenage girls, and everyone LOVED it!! This will be my new lasagna recipe from now on. I wanted an outstanding meat sauce so I prepared the sauce early this morning and allowed it to simmer all day long, stirring every half hour. The only changes I made to the sauce were to use ground turkey instead of beef, 2-tsp of dried basil instead of fresh, and I also added 1/4 cup of water as needed so the sauce didn’t get too dry (I probably added close to 2-cups of water throughout the day). I used oven-ready noodles so I skipped the noodle preparation step, but next time I may try regular noodles. In the ricotta mixture, I used dry parmesan and 1/4-cup of fresh parsley instead of dry as I had some on hand. For the mozzarella, I used slices instead of grated for a thicker cheesy layer. For layering: begin with meat sauce on the bottom, then noodles, ricotta mix, mozza slices, meat sauce, repeat. Topped with fresh shaved Grand Padano and dry parmesan. Next time, I will make sure to cover the top layer of noodles with more sauce as some areas were dry/crunchy. Baked in 11x15 pan *this would NOT have fit in a 9x13, in convection oven at 350 for 40-minutes (covered with foil); 20-min uncovered. Amazing.

First, the meat sauce is fantastic; I'd put it on spaghetti. I opted for crushed tomatoes instead of diced (still 29 ounces), and added an additional 15 ounce can, because of the many comments that it needed extra liquid. Based on other suggestions, I reduced the salt, saved mozzarella cheese for the top, and used cooking spray on the foil to keep the cheese from sticking. This lasagna was fantastic, and is the recipe I'll use from now on.

Read reviews b/4 making. It is the best I've ever had even from a restaurant! I didn't have basil so it was omitted. I added everything else including an additional ( 14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes as suggested by another review since the sauce did seem pretty thick. I used finely shredded parmesan instead of grated. Baked it according to the "Editor's Note" ; for 1 hr covered with foil sprayed with cooking spray & then uncovered for 20 min. more. It was so good. My family said my lasagna was good but this was more flavorful & liked it better. No need to look for another recipe. This is it!!

I've made this several times now and we've all loved it! After multiple takes, I've figured out what works best for our taste buds.....As a few reviews have mentioned, you really do need more sauce. So I used an extra 14oz can of diced tomatoes (I've been using no salt added-I prefer to control my own salt use). I also have used ground turkey rather than ground beef, but only because it's what we prefer. However I have found that one pound is plenty (and we love a good meaty lasagna)! Last time I made it I even had some extra sauce leftover to use for pasta. I've tried both the recipe stated boil noodles and no boil noodles, and personally I've liked the way it's turned out better with the boil ones. It's a little more work, but it's worth it. Also, I found nine noodles (three layers of three) to be the magic number, as another review said as well. I used fresh basil instead of parsley (we have a parsley allergy in the family). Lastly, I threw in some salt, pepper, dried rosemary, and garlic powder into the sauce before letting it simmer just to give it some extra kick. It's one I'm excited to make now, knowing it's a hit and it's even better as a leftover is always really comforting when you've got picky mouths!

I've made this recipe OVER five years! It's a family favorite and probably the best dish I make. I make it in large quantities, at least one or two baking dishes at a time. The herbs and spices are spot on in regard to flavor. I recommend a few things: 1. Begin sautéing the onion by itself. Give it a few minutes to soften, then add the hamburger meat. My family has commented in the past that they wished the onion wasn't crunchy, and since I've sautéed the onion first, that eliminates the crunch. 2. I do recommend buying a couple extra cans of petite diced tomatoes. I will typically buy a 50 ounce can plus another 20 ounce can. Two or three cans of tomato paste will do. 3. I ALWAYS have extra lasagna noodles that I don't need for the 9X12 dish, so if you are smart, conserve some to make a smaller baking dish. Freeze it uncooked, write directions on the dish, and then when you don't feel like cooking one day, pull it out a day early and put in the fridge to thaw, OR put it in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 45 minutes to thaw, then cook it at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, uncovered.

Rave reviews from my family! I will definitely be making this one again. The only thing I changed was to add an additional 15-oz can of tomato sauce, and as a result, an extra 1/2 teaspoon each of dried basil & oregano. I used dried basil instead of fresh, it's what I had on hand. I didn't find this dish too salty at all, all of the flavors blended together perfectly, especially since I made it the day before and let it sit in the fridge overnight before baking for supper the next day. From the fridge, I baked it (covered) for 1 hour and then baked it (uncovered) for another 20 minutes. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Everyone loved it, even the ones who typically don't like lasagna. Such a wonderful recipe - next time I would love to double it and store one in the freezer for another day. Delicious!!

I made this for company. Since I don’t eat meat or dairy, I had to rely on others to tell me if it was good. Based on the fact that I didn’t have much left I would say it was a success. I made the following changes. I used another 14 oz can of diced tomatoes as others did. It needed it. I also cut out a TBSP of sugar and left salt out of the cheese mixture. I also doubled the ricotta cheese because it just made sense. I used only 16oz bag of mozzarella cheese which made two perfect layers. I prepared this a day ahead and baked for an hour covered and then uncovered for 30 minutes. Came out great not watery or runny at all.

I'm writing this so I don't forget - soak noodles in hot tap water for a while. (gonna sit in fridge over night anyway). Put non stick spray on bottom of pan, spread cream cheese on noodles, increase spices and lots more garlic. no salt., another can of tomatoes (you can always freeze any left over). Mushrooms and a good parm cheese. Use hot Italian sausage instead of hamburger. Cook an hour, turn off stove and remove foil. Let sit between 10 minutes to 1/2 hour or so in oven. Dash of nutmeg & cayanne in ricotta with lots of pepper. Let's face it ... better quality and fresh herbs make a better lasagna.

AMAZING restaurant quality flavor! I made this again a week after the first because it was that good! My tweaks: Used 1lb Jenni-O Italian seasoned ground turkey and 1/2 lb of Jenni-O Italian sausages chopped, for the meat! I added the extra 15 oz of diced tomatoes as someone suggested (and got the garlic/onion flavored, but only for the 15 oz can). I added 12 oz sliced mushrooms directly on top of the noodles (the two layers that then have ricotta on top). The moisture that cooks out of them also helps keep this moist. I actually only ended up using about 1/4 C of Parmesan cheese (because I ran out) and none on top. I use a bit less than the full pound of cheese and buy the 4-Italian variety for one 8 oz pkg, and Mozzarella for the other. I also used 1/2 an onion (one with about a 3 inch diameter). As far as baking, I do 1 hour with foil on top, then take it off and add the cheese that belongs on top (so that it doesn't stick to the foil) and bake another 30 minutes. Because we all raved about this the 1st time, I made it the exact same way the second time and that's my permanent version!

I made it exactly as the recipe stated. Excellent.

I’m saving this one forever.

This recipe is officially my go-to.

Our family really like this , and it turned out well. However we thought it could use a few tweaks. The second time making this we did as others suggested, and added a 12 ounce can of diced tomatoes. I also subtracted one can of paste as we felt the original recipe had a strong tomato flavor. Used un-cooked noodles in the preperation, and added about 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes. Our family also prefers cottage cheese in place of the ricotta.

easy to make

My family absolutely loved this. I made a couple of changes. I did 50% ground beef and 50% sweet Italian sausage. I added a 1/2 cup of red dry wine while cooking the meat mixture. I also used a smaller onion and added a whole diced shallot.

This was a great Lasagna! I did just use it as a guideline. I always add to taste and texture . I used 2lbs of lean ground beef and seasoned accordingly added more paste and tomatos also topped with cheese. This was moist and is a family favorite 😍. I will send a pic when it comes out of the oven.

Made meat gravy as instructed using half sausage and half beef, then added a glass of red wine and fresh mushrooms to the meat sauce gravy. Layered as directed using uncooked lasagna noodles. Topped with provolone cheese instead of a sprinkle of Parmesan. Covered and baked 1 hour, then removed foil and baked for an additional half hour. This was excellent! Will make it again in about two weeks. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

Finally, finally, FINALLY gave this a try. I thought it was pretty good! We have a different lasagna recipe that my family loves but everyone thought this one was good, too. Next time I will try substituting crushed tomatoes for the diced, like someone else suggested. I also covered the sauce as it simmered, which will help keep it from drying out. I followed the instructions where it said to cover with foil & bake 1 hour and then uncover and bake another 20 min. I had to take it out before the last 20 minutes were up because it was getting too brown (I suspect my oven is baking at a higher temp than I'm setting it at, the sneaky thing.). All in all it was really good!