Classic Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
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This is my family-style lasagna — layered in a baking dish with sheets of pasta, marinara sauce, and three cheeses: Whole milk ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Every serving has crusty edges, tender pasta, and creamy, melty cheese. Make it for a dinner party or stash it in the freezer — it holds beautifully either way.
I grew up eating a version of this cheese lasagna almost every Sunday. A big tray of baked pasta, either with or without my grandmother’s rich meat sauce, was one of the pasta dinners that was always on the table for holidays and other special occasions. That meat sauce is in my fettuccine bolognese — hearty enough to layer into this lasagna in place of marinara.
While I often make lasagna recipes that stray from tradition, like my vegetable lasagna with oven-roasted vegetables, this is the classic I come back to.
Reader Rave
Fantastic lasagna that is truly easy to prepare and everyone loved it! I highly recommend this recipe and I’m a pretty picky eater.”
~MARC
A few ingredients worth getting right
The most common reasons lasagna turns out watery: Using low-fat ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and cutting into it too soon. The first two release excess moisture as they bake. The third is about patience — the starch, fat, and sauce need time to thicken as the lasagna cools. Here’s what to use and what to do.
- Lasagna noodles: In a perfect world, sheets of fresh pasta would be my first choice for an absolutely primo lasagna. If you have access to a market that sells fresh pasta sheets (or want to make your own!), you can use them interchangeably in this recipe. Otherwise, knowing that fresh pasta isn’t always available, my everyday choice are convenient no-boil, “oven-ready” lasagna pasta noodles. They don’t need to be pre-boiled the way regular dried lasagna sheets do, and they don’t become mushy or overcooked.
- Whole milk ricotta: Skim or low-fat ricotta releases water as it bakes, which can make the cheese layer wet and loose. Whole milk ricotta has more fat, which helps it hold its structure and stays creamy between the pasta layers. You’ll need about 20 ounces — two 15-ounce containers gets you there with a little left over. Use it to make a batch of tender ricotta meatballs.
- Low-moisture mozzarella: Fresh mozzarella packed in water has the same problem as skim ricotta — too much moisture. Low-moisture whole milk mozzarella is what melts cleanly into the layers without making the lasagna watery. I recommend buying a whole ball and shredding it yourself for the best creamy melt.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan doesn’t melt the way mozzarella does — it firms and seasons the sauce layer. A chunk grated at home or good-quality Italian Parmesan from the deli counter are best.
How to assemble and bake cheese lasagna
1. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl with salt and pepper — this is what binds the ricotta mixture so it holds its layer when you cut the lasagn 2. Add ricotta cheese and parsley. 3. Whisk until smooth and creamy. The mixture should be loose enough to spread easily, but not runny..
4. Spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. This prevents the first layer of noodles from sticking and starts steaming the no-boil pasta from underneath. 5. Arrange 4 no-boil noodles slightly overlapping on top of the sauce — or 2 fresh pasta sheets..
6. Spoon about 1 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles in even blobs. 7. Spread the mixture out to the edges of the pasta, using a spatula or back of a spoon. 8. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the ricotta.
9. Arrange the next layer of noodles and spread with 1/2 cup marinara. 10. Sprinkle Parmesan over the sauce — it seasons the interior layers where mozzarella alone would just melt into the pasta. 11. Add another layer of pasta, the remaining ricotta, and more mozzarella.
12. Top with the final layer of noodles. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, spreading it to the edges, then finish with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. 13. Cover the dish with foil. Bake 30 minutes at 400F, then 15 minutes uncovered, until the edges of the pasta are crisp and the cheese is golden. 14. Rest the lasagna on a rack for 10-15 minutes before cutting. It needs time to set or the layers will slide when you slice it.
Classic Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups (567 g) whole milk ricotta cheese, (20 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 cups marinara sauce, or your favorite prepared tomato pasta sauce
- 16 no-boil lasagna noodles, or 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles, cut into (8) 12×7-inch pieces
- 1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 2½ cups (340 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, (12 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
- Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, pepper and parsley and whisk until creamy and blended.
Assemble the first layer:
- Spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles (or 2 fresh pasta sheets) over the sauce, slightly overlapping them and pressing down lightly. Spoon a generous cup of the ricotta mixture on top the noodles, spreading it to the edges of the pasta. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella over the ricotta.
Second layer:
- Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the ricotta. Spread ½ cup of the marinara sauce over the noodles and sprinkle 1 cup of the Parmesan evenly over the sauce.
Third layer
- Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over the tomato sauce and Parmesan. Spread with the remaining ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
Top layer
- Layer the last four lasagna noodles over the ricotta. Pour the remaining 1 cup sauce over the noodles, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining ½ cup each of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and lower the oven temperature to 375F (190C). Continue baking 15 more minutes, until the cheese is lightly golden and the edges of the lasagna are crisp.
- Cool the lasagna in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes to allow it to set. Cut into squares and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Make ahead: The assembled, unbaked lasagna can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking, or frozen for one month. To bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed, adding about ten minutes to the baking time if needed.
- You’ll need 1-1/4 pounds of ricotta, which means you’ll most likely need to buy 2 (15-ounce) containers. Use the remaining ricotta to make a lemon ricotta cake.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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A very good common base to whatever flavors you may want to add. I should have added chili flakes or hot sauce and msg to the ricotta. Sour cream on top will be great with it.
Can you use oven ready lasagne in this recipe if you are planning to make a day ahead
Yes, you can assemble a day ahead and bake when you’re ready.
So easy and delicious. We made it at my girlfriend’s house on my christmas visit to New York. first time using this recipe. I had to print one out so I could make it when I got back home. I love using the smaller noodles but we boiled the noodles in the usual way . will try some of her other recipes
So happy you included freezing instructions. Perfect for the food train for my sick friend…many thanks. Lois
Hi, can I add fresh spinach into this recipe and how should I do this? Love your other recipes I’ve tried out!! Thank you
Hi! Yes, you can layer in 4 cups of wilted spinach. To do that, steam it with a few drops of water in a medium skillet, covered, for a few minutes. Make sure to drain and squeeze it dry, then roughly chop and add on top of each ricotta layer.
Thank you for your quick response! Made your marinara sauce today, can’t wait to try the lasagna tomorrow!
Great! Just wanted to clarify that you can use a whole 5-ounce bag or box of spinach, which is about 5 cups. It will wilt down to a much smaller amount 🙂
My first lasagna and it was amazing!! Thank you! Bought your recommended lasagna pan, made your marinara sauce, added spinach, and made fresh pasta sheets! Time-consuming but so worth it!!
Wow, I’m so impressed!! Your first lasagna and you made FRESH pasta and homemade marinara! That’s amazing. Definitely a labor of love, but sounds like it was totally worth it. Thanks so much for making the recipe and for sharing!
I have used this cheese recipe for years. It always comes out perfect.
How could I add meat to this recipe?
Abigail, you can cook a pound of bulk Italian sausage separately in a skillet, then stir it into the marinara/pasta sauce.
Fantastic lasagna that is truly easy to prepare and everyone loved it! I highly recommend this recipe and I’m a pretty picky eater.
I baked this in a 9×9 pan just perfect for two people. I made very little changes to ingredients just used a few less lasagna noodles . Looks delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Rick! Your lasagna turned out beautifully 🤩
Can you make this in a 9×9 dish ?
Rick, Yes you can. You’ll need half the amount of dry lasagana noodles (8 instead of 16), using 2 sheets for each layer instead of 4, and slightly less cheese and sauce total.
My mouth is watering! I can’t wait to make this. XO