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.

A baked cheese lasagna in a white rectangular dish, topped with melted cheese, rich tomato sauce, and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

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.

Ingredients for making cheese lasagna arranged on a surface, including, bowls of ricotta, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheeses, marinara sauce, a cracked egg, and dry lasagna pasta.
  • 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

  • A fork beating an egg in a bowl with salt and pepper.
    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
  • Ricotta cheese, chopped parsley and whisked egg in a mixing bowl.
    2. Add ricotta cheese and parsley.
  • Two bowls on a surface, one filled with grated mozzarella cheese and the other with blended egg and ricotta cheese.
    3. Whisk until smooth and creamy. The mixture should be loose enough to spread easily, but not runny..
  • Marinara sauce spread with a spatula over the bottom of a baking dish.
    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.
  • Dried lasagna pasta in a baking dish, arranged on top of tomato sauce.
    5. Arrange 4 no-boil noodles slightly overlapping on top of the sauce — or 2 fresh pasta sheets..
  • Dried lasagna pasta with ricotta cheese on top, in a baking dish arranged over tomato sauce.
    6. Spoon about 1 cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles in even blobs.
  • A layer of ricotta cheese spread over lasagna noodles in sauce in a baking dish.
    7. Spread the mixture out to the edges of the pasta, using a spatula or back of a spoon.
  • A layer of cheese spread over lasagna noodles in sauce in a baking dish.
    8. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the ricotta.
  • Tomato sauce spread over lasagna noodles and cheese in a white baking dish.
    9. Arrange the next layer of noodles and spread with 1/2 cup marinara.
  • A layer of a lasagna in process, with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese on top of lasagna noodles.
    10. Sprinkle Parmesan over the sauce — it seasons the interior layers where mozzarella alone would just melt into the pasta.
  • The cheese layer of a lasagna in the middle of the assembly showing lasagna noodles spread with ricotta cheese and shredded mozzarella.
    11. Add another layer of pasta, the remaining ricotta, and more mozzarella.
  • Top layer of an unbaked lasagna, with marinara sauce, grated Parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella on the top.
    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.
  • A baked cheese lasagna in a baking dish.
    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.
  • A baking dish filled with sliced cheese lasagna topped with melted cheese and tomato sauce, with a serving spatula lifting one piece. Fresh herbs are sprinkled on top.
    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.
A baking dish filled with sliced cheese lasagna topped with melted cheese and tomato sauce, with a serving spatula lifting one piece. Fresh herbs are sprinkled on top.
5 from 18 ratings

Classic Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese

Karen Tedesco
A classic three-cheese lasagna layered with whole milk ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and marinara sauce. No-boil pasta sheets keep the assembly straightforward. The oven does the rest and it freezes beautifully.
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Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
 

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
  2. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, pepper and parsley and whisk until creamy and blended.

Assemble the first layer:

  1. 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:

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Cool the lasagna in the pan on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes to allow it to set. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

  • 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

Calories: 432kcal Carbohydrates: 30g Protein: 27g Fat: 23g Sodium: 785mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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