This homemade lasagna is all about the sauce.

Hot Italian sausage. A little extra fennel. No sugar. The sweetness comes from a carrot and a couple cans of tomato paste cooked down until they’re brick-red. Then beef broth for depth, a two-hour simmer, and a splash of red wine vinegar at the end to wake it all up.

I tested it on the crew at work. Three big pans. Gone. One guy told me the only lasagna that beats it is his dad’s, and that’s strictly for the memories. Another one walked straight over and said, and I’m cleaning this up for the blog, “Dude, that lasagna was awesome. I need your recipe. Immediately.”

So here it is.

What Makes This Sauce Different

The tomato paste gets cooked, not just stirred in. Give it 4 to 5 minutes in the pot until it darkens and starts sticking to the bottom. That’s where the deep, slightly sweet flavor comes from.

Carrot instead of sugar. It melts into the sauce and takes the edge off the acidity without making it taste sweet. Nobody will know it’s there.

Vinegar goes in last. If it simmers for two hours, the brightness cooks off. Stir it in right at the end and the whole pot tastes livelier.

Tips for the Best Homemade Lasagna

Slice your own mozzarella. Grab a block of low-moisture mozzarella from the deli and slice it thin. It melts into one big blanket instead of little shreds, and it doesn’t have the anti-caking stuff bagged cheese does.

No grater? Use a blender. I didn’t have one. I tossed the carrot in a bullet blender with a splash of water, pureed it, and let it cook down for a minute before the tomato paste went in. Worked perfectly.

Undercook the noodles. Pull them 2 minutes before the box says. They finish cooking in the oven and won’t turn to mush.

Cover the top edge to edge. Any noodle edge without sauce on it bakes up crunchy. Spread that last layer of sauce all the way into the corners.

Let it rest. Fifteen minutes. I know. But if you cut it right out of the oven, it slides all over the plate.

Feeding a crowd? This recipe makes one 9×13 pan. I tripled it for three big foil pans and it scales just fine. Buy a little extra ricotta and mozzarella if your pans are deep. I ran short on both and had to get creative on the last layer.

Make It Ahead

The sauce is even better the next day. Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. You can also build the whole lasagna a day early, cover it, and refrigerate it. Just add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time since it’s going in cold.

The Best Homemade Lasagna

Homemade lasagna with spicy Italian sausage, a deep two-hour meat sauce sweetened with carrot and caramelized tomato paste instead of sugar, creamy ricotta, and sliced mozzarella that melts into one big gooey blanket.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Resting Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Meat Sauce

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage casings removed (or mild/sweet Italian sausage if you prefer)
• 1 lb ground beef 80/20
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 1 medium carrot finely grated or pureed (see notes)
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cans tomato paste 6 oz each
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed lightly crushed
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
• 1 can tomato sauce 15 oz
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary crushed
• 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Ricotta Layer

• 24 oz whole-milk ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup Parmesan finely grated
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Assembly

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 1/4 lb low-moisture mozzarella sliced thin from a deli block
• 3/4 cup Parmesan shaved or grated from a block
• parsley dried or fresh, for garnish

Equipment

• Large Heavy Pot or Dutch Oven
• Large Pot (for noodles)
• Deep 9×13 Baking Dish
• Blender optional, for the carrot puree

Method

 

Make the Sauce

1. In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the sausage and ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, about 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of the fat.
2. Add the onion and carrot and cook until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. If you pureed the carrot, let it cook until most of the liquid is gone and it just starts to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Push everything to the sides. Add the tomato paste and fennel seed to the middle and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the paste turns brick-red and starts sticking to the bottom of the pot.
4. Pour in the beef broth and scrape up all the browned bits. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a bubble, then drop the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Add a splash of broth if it gets too thick. It’s ready when a spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail.
6. Turn off the heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar, then taste and add more salt if needed.

Assemble and Bake

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the noodles 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and lay them flat so they don’t stick together.
2. In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, grated Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.
3. Spread about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a deep 9×13 baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, then one-third of the ricotta mixture, one-third of the mozzarella slices, a ladle of sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Repeat two more times.
4. Top with the last noodles. Cover them edge to edge with sauce, then the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
5. Cover with foil, tented or sprayed with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until bubbling and browned on top.
6. Let it rest for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, slice and serve.

Notes

Sausage swap: I like the kick from hot Italian sausage, but mild or sweet Italian sausage works fine if that’s more your speed.

No grater? Blend the carrot with a splash of water until smooth, then cook it down in step 2 until the liquid is mostly gone.

More than one pan: multiply everything. If you run a little short on ricotta, two ricotta layers instead of three is completely fine.

Make ahead: the sauce keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge. An assembled lasagna can be refrigerated up to 1 day; add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake.

Storage: leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Baked lasagna freezes well for up to 3 months.

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