Homemade Ricotta Cheese Lasagna
A homemade ricotta cheese lasagna recipe that is pure Italian taste with lean ground beef, flavorful spices, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, lasagna noodles, and topped off with more cheese. Delicious!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 tub Ricotta cheese 15 ounces
- 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
- 1 can whole tomatoes 14.5 ounces - do not drain
- 1/2 cup medium-sized onion chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1 tsp minced garlic in water
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 8 lasagna noodles oven-ready
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Preparing the Ground Beef Mixture
- Brown the ground beef, chopped onions, and garlic over medium heat. Stir occasionally. Browning takes approximately 20 minutes.
- Add two-thirds of the chopped parsley (save the other for later) to the ground beef mixture. Keep browning the ground beef until it is no longer pink.
- Drain to remove any accumulated fat.
- Add the basil, sugar, whole tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Break up the whole tomatoes with a fork.
- Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes until slightly thickened.
Preparing the Cheese Mixture
- Mix the ricotta cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese (save the other half for later), oregano, and the rest of the chopped parsley we saved earlier.
Layering the Lasagna
- Use an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish.
- First layer - half of the ground beef mixture.
- Second layer - half of the lasagna noodles.
- Third layer - half of the ricotta cheese mixture.
- Fourth layer - half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the four layers, ending with mozzarella cheese and the remaining Parmesan cheese we saved earlier.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.
Notes
- Garlic bread and buttered green beans with lots of ground black pepper are great side dishes.
- This lasagna recipe uses oven-ready lasagna noodles. If you prefer, you can use the lasagna noodles that are boiled in water. There is no difference in taste, just more work in the kitchen using the lasagna noodles that need to be boiled.
- Unbaked lasagna, covered with aluminum foil, can be put into the freezer for up to two months.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!