Hearty Italian Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese

We love comfort food of all kinds at our house. Whether it's chicken pot pie, meatloaf, or even pot roast, these soul warming meals are a staple during the cold winter months.

This Italian Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese is hearty, filling, and the perfect meal to share with a friend or with family. It would be delicious served with crusty Italian bread, arugula salad, or roasted artichokes.

If you love lasagna as much as we do, make sure you also try my white lasagna with spinach and mushrooms.

🍅 Ingredient notes

• Sauce - Both ground beef and pork are cooked and simmered with my Italian gravy marinara to make a rich and hearty homemade meat sauce. A store-bought sauce can be used as well or the meat can be omitted to make this vegetarian.
• Filling - Depending on where the recipe originated, some recipes use a bechamel or white sauce in place of ricotta cheese. My husband grew up with a ricotta cheese filling and so that is what we like to use. I recommend using a whole milk ricotta cheese to make sure you get the creamiest filling.
• Cheese - In addition to the ricotta cheese, I use both mozzarella and parmesan for layering. The mozzarella adds a creamy, melty texture, while the parmesan cheese adds a nice sharpness and saltiness. Provolone or Romano cheese are other Italian Cheeses that can also be added to the mix. I always recommend freshly grating your cheese for the best flavor and melt factor!
• Lasagna Noodles - I use oven-ready lasagna noodles, because honestly, it's one less step. I don't notice a huge difference in the end result, so it's a win-win. Regular lasagna noodles can be used if that's what you have on hand, but just make sure you boil them first. Sometimes I will use my Homemade Pasta Recipe to make fresh pasta sheets for this and it is to die for! It's obviously extra work, but well worth it!

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📋 Substitutions and variations

• Gluten-Free - All of the components of this lasagna are naturally gluten-free, minus the noodles. Grab your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles and you are good to go!
• Veggies - I like to sneak extra veggies into this lasagna sometimes. Kale or baby spinach can be sautéed along with the onions and garlic for the cheese filling.
• Sausage - You can substitute the ground pork with Italian sausage if you like, or do a mix. Some readers have used spicy Italian sausage and it turns out great!

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, cook the ground beef and pork together in a large skillet until browned, and then add the sauce. You can let this simmer on the stovetop while you make the filling.

For the filling, saute the diced onions and garlic with the olive oil and Italian seasoning. Then, add it to a large bowl, with the ricotta cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix it all together and then you are ready to assemble!

To assemble the lasagna, first, mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add a cup of sauce to the bottom of a deep casserole pan and add three of the noodles on top.

Next, dollop a third of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and spread it around the best you can. (This doesn't have to be perfect!) Top the ricotta mixture with a third of the shredded cheese mixture and then half of the remaining sauce.

Repeat the layering process two more times, with the last layer only consisting of noodles, ricotta, and shredded cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 375˚ for about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. You can also turn on the broiler for a few minutes if you really like those crispy edges!

⭐ Expert tips

• Use a deep-sided baking dish or casserole dish to ensure you have enough room for all of the layers without it boiling over. Place a sheet pan on the rack below the lasagna to catch any drips during cooking.
• To prevent your lasagna from falling apart, let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before attempting to cut and serve it. I know, I know, this is clearly the hardest part, but trust me, it will be worth it.

🍅 Order of lasagna layers

Even though I have made this lasagna 100 times, I still can't seem to remember the order of the layers! I made this quick graphic for you to reference during assembly to make it easy.