This absolute family favourite is too good not to share!
The kind you make once and memorize forever. There are meals that feel impressive, and then there are meals that feel like home. This easy classic lasagna is both, emphasis on the ‘easy’.
It’s the dish I make when I want something cozy but dependable. When I want leftovers. When I want to feed people well without hovering over the stove all evening. It’s simple, layered, comforting — and honestly much easier than it looks.
No complicated béchamel. No twenty-step process. Just good ingredients layered together and baked until bubbling and golden.
Why You’ll Love This Lasagna
- Straightforward, classic flavors
- Freezer-friendly
- Perfect for making ahead
- Feeds a crowd (or gives you the best leftovers)
- Kid-approved and husband-approved
Make Ahead + Freezer Instructions
- Assemble up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate before baking
- Freeze fully assembled (unbaked or baked) for up to 3 months
- Bake from frozen at 375°F, covered, for about 60–75 minutes
Lasagna is one of those meals that actually tastes better the next day.
Tips for the Best Classic Lasagna
- Let it rest before cutting
- Grate your own mozzarella if possible (melts better)
- Don’t over sauce, layers should be balanced, not soupy
- If using regular noodles, cook just until al dente
What to Serve With It
- Grilled asparagus
- Simple green salad with vinaigrette
- Garlic bread
- Roasted vegetables
Lasagna feels like effort.
But really, it’s just layering simple things well.
And sometimes that’s exactly the kind of cooking I want: familiar, unfussy, reliable.
If you make this, let me know in the comments.
It’s one of those recipes you’ll keep in your back pocket forever. 🤍
Simple Classic Lasagna
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1-2 lbs ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 cans whole tomatoes with juices
- 1 can tomato paste
- ½-1 cup beef broth or better than bouillon
Lasagna
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 250 g mozzarella cheese high fat, low moisture – a pizza mozzarella works great!
Instructions
Prep
- Make my simple meat sauce and let it simmer for 30min or more (the longer the better!).
- Boil pasta according to directions, just until al dente.
- Shred mozzarella (or slice it, if short on time).
Assemble
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large pyrex/casserole dish start to assemble to lasagna layers. Start with a thin layer of sauce (this helps prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, I try to get sauce without meat/veggie pieces in it for this part). Place one layer of lasagna noodles, enough to cover the base of the dish, with slight overlap of each piece (for my favourite dish, this is usually four noodles, 3 lengthwise and one across the short edge).
- Top with a layer of meat sauce and then a layer of shredded cheese. Repeat with two or three more layers
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40min, remove foil and bake for an additional 10min, or broil on low for 5min until top layer of cheese is golden and melted.
Notes
- Meat: this is best made with a true Bolognese sauce, so substituting in half pork or sausage mince will add a great depth of flavour.
- Tomato sauce: if you don’t have much time to simmer the sauce, use a pair of scissors to chop up the tomatoes while still in the can, so that you don’t need to wait for them to break down while cooking.
- Sauce: feel free to sub 1 jar of marinara/pasta sauce in place of the canned tomatoes and tomato paste to make this even more simple.
- Cheese:
-do not use pre-shredded cheese (it will not melt nicely, not as flavourful and more expensive)
-substitute cottage cheese for the second layer of mozzarella for a creamier ricotta-esque result. - Additional Nutrition: add 1 cup finely chopped spinach into the sauce (at the very end of cooking).
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