Indulge in a taste of Italy with this hearty and flavorful lasagna recipe.

Crafted with layers of rich, homemade tomato sauce, savory Italian sausage, creamy ricotta, and a generous mix of mozzarella and provolone, this dish is the epitome of comfort food.

Save This Recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send you this recipe so you can come back to it later! 😊

Name

Email

SAVE THIS RECIPE

Perfect for feeding a crowd or enjoying as leftovers, it’s a timeless classic that’s sure to impress at any family gathering or special occasion.

Ingredients

For the Sauce and Sausage:

• 9 thick slices of bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cans (28 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds Italian sausage links

For the Lasagna:

• 2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
• ⅓ cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 package (16 ounces) uncooked lasagna noodles
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Free

MINESTRONE COOKBOOK

Grab your FREE cookbook with our
10 Favorite Minestrone Soup Recipes

Send Me The Cookbook

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Sauce

• In a large pan, cook the bacon and onion over medium heat until the bacon is crispy and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 9 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, and oregano.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the sauce simmer until it thickens, which will take about 4 to 6 hours.

Step 2: Cook the Sausage

• While the sauce is cooking, brown the sausage links in a large skillet.
• Once browned, drain the sausage on paper towels and cut it into 1-inch pieces.

Step 3: Prepare the Ricotta Mixture

• In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, eggs, parsley, and dried oregano.

Step 4: Assemble the Lasagna

• Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Place 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
• Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the sausage pieces, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, 4 slices of provolone cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce.
• Repeat the layers once more, then top with the remaining noodles.
• Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step 5: Bake

• Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 1 ½ hours, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.

FAQs

Can I use different types of cheese for this lasagna?

Yes, you can substitute other cheeses like cheddar or fontina if you prefer, but the classic blend of mozzarella and provolone offers a great flavor and texture.

Can I prepare the lasagna ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can assemble the lasagna a day in advance, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bake it the next day as directed, adding a bit more time if needed since it will be cold from the fridge.

Easy Classic Italian Lasagna

This classic Italian lasagna features layers of rich homemade tomato sauce, savory sausage, creamy ricotta, and a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheeses, baked to perfection.

Print Pin Rate

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the Sauce and Sausage:

• ▢ 9 thick slices of bacon diced
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 2 cans (28 ounces each) tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 tsl fennel seed
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 2 pounds italian sausage links

For the Lasagna:

• ▢ 2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese
• ▢ ⅓ cup milk
• ▢ 2 large egg
• ▢ 2 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1 package (16 ounces) uncooked lasagna noodles
• ▢ 8 slices provolone cheese
• ▢ 6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Prepare the Sauce

1. In a large pan, cook the bacon and onion over medium heat until the bacon is crispy and the onion is translucent, about 7 to 9 minutes.

   Stir in the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, and oregano.

   Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the sauce simmer until it thickens, which will take about 4 to 6 hours.

Cook the Sausage

1. While the sauce is cooking, brown the sausage links in a large skillet.

   Once browned, drain the sausage on paper towels and cut it into 1-inch pieces.

Prepare the Ricotta Mixture

1. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, eggs, parsley, and dried oregano.

Assemble the Lasagna

1. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

   Place 1/3 of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.

   Layer with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the sausage pieces, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, 4 slices of provolone cheese, and 1/3 of the sauce.

   Repeat the layers once more, then top with the remaining noodles.

   Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake

1. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 1 ½ hours, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.

More Recipes You'll Love

Simple Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Risotto

Simple Horchata

Simple Lemon Chicken