Lasagna: Classic Layers, Best Ingredients, and Easy Recipes

When you think of lasagna, a layered Italian baked pasta dish made with flat noodles, meat or vegetable sauce, cheese, and often béchamel. Also known as lasagne, it’s one of those meals that feels like a hug on a plate. It’s not just food—it’s tradition. Whether you grew up with your grandma’s version or tried it for the first time at a potluck, lasagna sticks with you. The magic is in the layers: pasta, sauce, cheese, repeat. And while it might look fancy, it’s actually one of the easiest dishes to make when you’ve got a few pantry staples.

What makes a good lasagna? It’s not just about the noodles. The ricotta cheese, a mild, creamy Italian cheese often mixed with egg, parsley, and sometimes spinach needs to be well-seasoned, not watery. The marinara sauce, a simple tomato-based sauce with garlic, herbs, and slow-simmered flavor should taste like it’s been bubbling for hours—even if it wasn’t. And then there’s the mozzarella, the stretchy, melty cheese that turns golden on top. You can’t skip it. Some people add béchamel for creaminess, others stick to just ricotta and mozzarella. Both work. The real secret? Letting it rest after baking. That’s when the layers settle, the flavors lock in, and it stops being just a casserole and becomes something unforgettable.

You’ll find recipes here that use ground beef, turkey, lentils, or even no meat at all. Some call for no-boil noodles. Others use fresh pasta. There are versions that skip the cheese entirely for dairy-free diets, and ones packed with veggies so you don’t even miss the meat. The collection below covers all of it—quick weeknight lasagnas, slow-cooked family favorites, and even one or two that’ll surprise you. No fluff. No overcomplicated steps. Just real lasagna, made simple.