World’s Best Lasagna Recipe (Made Easy with Sweet Italian sausage)

A delicious Italian lasagna recipe made with a Soulful twist you’ll love. My mother would frequently make Lasagna for my sister and I when we were young, and I’ve loved it ever since.

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As I’ve said many times before, I love pasta, sauce, and cheese, so it’s no surprise Lasagna is one of my favorite things to eat. My version of Lasagna is pretty unique because I add a few ingredients most people don’t use.

But this lasagna recipe is a keeper! Whether you know how to make lasagna and want to try something new or have never made it before, this recipe will definitely have you hooked!

This Lasagna recipe has been modified since 2014

I posted a “how to make lasagna” video on my YouTube channel back in 2014. Although I’ve made a few modifications, it’s still useful for visual learners, so check it out below!

World’s Best Lasagna Recipe Video

My mom made lasagna quite often when I was young, and this recipe is sort of a fancier version of the way she made it. When she made it, she used ground turkey because she’s sort of a healthy eater and doesn’t eat red meat often.

But I love red meat, and I like to use a combination of ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. The sweet Italian sausage is one of the ingredients that separates my lasagna from others. It just makes the dish pop, in my opinion!

Pam Miles-Hubbard’s Lasagna

My mom was introduced to Lasagna by a coworker of hers, Pam Miles/Hubbard, who became a longtime friend of hers and who is like a play auntie to me! My mom would chill at her house a lot, even before I was born.

Pam Miles/Hubbard would often cook for them both, and lasagna was one of the dishes she made that my mom fell in love with. My mom couldn’t cook at the time but learned how to cook later on after having me and my sister.

I remember being in the kitchen and hearing my nana, Alice Mae, instruct my mom on how to cook certain things. Eventually, my mom would master a couple dozen dishes and get a feel for cooking.

She became an experienced cook and became very comfortable and confident in the kitchen. That was when she finally decided to make lasagna, and boy, did she do an amazing job.

Childhood memories of Lasagna

As a kid, the one thing I remembered about my mom’s lasagna was the Ricotta. I would always refer to it as the “White stuff.” I didn’t really care for Ricotta at the time, but it has grown on me since.

I remember the lasagna noodles with ridges on the ends and how she would always buy a super long aluminum lasagna pan whenever she made it.

I was enthused by all the ingredients she used and the layering of the cheese noodles and sauce. It was fascinating to me, so much so that I asked to help her one time, and she obliged.

I was always excited when she made it because she had done such a good job with it. I remember my aunt DeeDee even asking her to make a pan of lasagna, and you know what’s funny????

Now, she asks my mom and I to make her a pan every year for her birthday. My mom just tells me to do it, or she’ll assist me because she loves my Lasagna. Haha!

But yeah, Lasagna was definitely something I grew up on and one of my favorite casserole dishes, so you know I had to show you how I make mine. And although I always make it the same, I never created a recipe for it til now.

Yall can thank my mom for that because she encouraged me to actually make a recipe for it so she could have actual instructions she can follow when she wants to make it for her husband.

Anyway, those are my childhood memories of Lasagna from when I was a kid in the 90s. Now it’s time for me to talk about the ingredients and how I make my Lasagna, which I know y’all will love.

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Cookware & utensils you’ll need:

• Large Skillet: A large non-stick skillet is needed to brown the meat and saute the veggies in.
• Knife: Use a large knife to chop up the vegetables.
• Large Pot: Make sure you have a large pot. You’re going to need one to boil the lasagna in.
• Colander: A colander, aka strainer, is needed to strain the lasagna after boiling it.
• 2 Spatulas: You will need a spatula to break the ground beef up and chop it into small pieces.
• Big Spoon: Have a big spoon on deck to scoop and stir the sauce. 
• Casserole Dish: You need a casserole dish, obviously, to bake the lasagna.

Ingredients you’ll need:

Here are the ingredients I use and that you’ll need for my Lasagna recipe. To simplify the preparation process, I’m not just listing the ingredients; I’m breaking them up into categories of what you need them for and when to use them.

For the Pasta

• Lasagna
• Water
• Oil
• Salt

For the meat

• Ground beef
• Sweet Italian sausage
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Seasoning salt
• Adobo seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Italian seasonings
• Black pepper

For the sauce

• Prego sauce
• Dice tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Sugar

Sour cream Ricotta mixture

• Spinach
• Sour cream
• Ricotta
• Mozzarella cheese
• Seasoning salt
• Adobo seasoning

Cheeses for layering and the very top

• Mozzarella cheese
• Cheddar cheese

Okay, so now I’m going to dive into each ingredient, explain why I use some, and offer suggestions for substitutions you can use for the ingredients that can be replaced.

Common questions about the Lasagna

• What brand of Lasagna do you use? A good name brand like Barilla, De Cecco or San Giorgio. Any name-brand pasta would be good. A good quality of pasta just enhances the integrity of the dish.
• Should you boil the Lasagna with oil? Most definitely. Lasagna has a tendency to stick, and if you don’t use oil, you will have to pull it apart, which will cause it to break. So yes, use a nice amount of oil.
• Why do you add salt to pasta water? I use a nice amount of salt because salt adds flavor to the lasagna. So yes, add salt because you want even the pasta to have taste; otherwise, it’ll be bland.
• When is Lasagna done enough? Whenever you’re boiling Lasagna, no matter which kind, you want to cook it until it’s al dente. Which means cooked til tender but firm. You don’t want it to be soggy, bloated, and limp!
• Should you rinse the Lasagna with cool water? You definitely want to remove it from the hot water and pot so it doesn’t continue cooking and become soggy, white, and bloated. Some say it can continue to cook in the colander as it sits.

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Ground beef and sweet Italian sausage

• Ground beef: When it comes to ground beef, make sure you purchase 80/20 ground beef. It’s the ideal choice of ground beef because this ratio of meat and fat provides the perfect amount of flavor and moisture.
• Sweet Italian sausage: This is an Italian dish, so it’s no surprise I’m using sweet Italian sausage here. Although it’s not commonly used for Lasagna, it takes the recipe up a notch, and I won’t make Lasagna without it.
• Meat ratio: I use a 50/50 ground beef sweet Italian sausage ratio. I’ve found that an equal amount of both meats works best. Using both provides depth of flavor and gives the dish balance.
• Ground Turkey is a good alternative: Ground turkey is a healthy substitute for ground beef and sweet Italian sausage in this recipe, and it tastes great in this dish as well. Just replace the ground beef and sausage with it if you want a healthier option.
• Spicy Italian sausage is another good alternative: Spicy or mild Italian sausage is a great replacement for sweet Italian sausage because it tastes similar; it’s just spicy and would be a good alternative if you like your lasagna slightly spicy.
• Breakfast sausage is a good alternative: Breakfast sausage, which is pretty much the same, would probably work and give you a taste similar to sweet Italian sausage. It’s perhaps the closest thing in taste.

The seasonings and alternatives

• Seasoning salt and Adobo seasoning – I used my favorite two seasonings to season my meat: seasoning salt and Adobo seasoning. If you don’t have either, here are some excellent alternatives. 
• Badia Sazon Complete seasoning: Badia Sazon complete seasoning is THE BOMB and easily my favorite, complete seasoning after seasoning salt and Adobo seasoning.
• Salt: You can’t go wrong with salt; it’s the original seasoning for taste. But if you use Salt, be mindful that it contains more sodium than seasoning salt and Adobo seasoning, so use about 75% of the amount.

Season everything

Speaking of seasonings, I like to season every layer of my Lasagna so that the Lasagna isn’t bland and well seasoned. I add sugar to the sauce, season the meat, and add seasonings to the sour cream/Ricotta mixture as well.

As I said earlier, I even add salt to the Lasagna to infuse it with flavor. We’re using a lot of ingredients and layering, so it’s vital that every part is seasoned.

The sauce

• Tomato paste: Tomato paste is necessary because it not only thickens the sauce, which is essential because you don’t want runny, soupy Lasagna, but it also darkens the sauce and gives it a rich, dark, traditional Lasagna sauce color.
• Diced Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes add a hint of sweetness to the sauce because they do have a hint of sweetness and add chunkiness to the sauce. If you don’t like chunks of tomatoes in the sauce, omit it.
• Traditional Sauce: Prego is the best brand of tomato sauce to me outside of Ragu. I use traditional sauce, but if I don’t have mushrooms, I’ll use Prego’s mushroom sauce, although there are barely any giant mushrooms in it.
• Sugar: I don’t just add sugar for flavor; I add it to balance the dish. It doesn’t make the lasagna sweet, but it reduces the acidity level of the sauce. I don’t like bitter tomato sauce, and the sugar neutralizes the bitterness of the sauce.

 Some folks don’t like to add sugar… I know Italians didn’t do so traditionally, but I like to; again, this is that soulful twist I was talking about. Lol!

The sour cream/ricotta mixture

Another ingredient I use that most people don’t is sour cream. Most folks use Ricotta, but I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF RICOTTA CHEESE, ALTHOUGH I’ve GROWN TO LIKE IT A LITTLE MORE AS I’ve gotten older!!

It’s bland to me, so I never use much of it. Some people love it, so if Riccotta’s your thing, feel free to add as much as you like. But because I’m not a fan of it, I combine it with sour cream.

Sour cream takes this recipe to another level. I replaced half of the Ricotta I used to use with sour cream. Now, I use a 3:1 ratio of sour cream/ricotta, and I always add a little cheese and a few seasonings to it to spice things up.

The sour cream mixture consists of sour cream, a small amount of ricotta, a pinch of seasonings, some mozzarella cheese, and spinach. Let me address a few things about the spinach.

Fresh vs Frozen Spinach

• Spinach: I use fresh spinach! My mom, aka Ms. Healthy Lady, suggested adding Spinach and I thought it was a good add-in so I did so. All I do is chop the spinach up. There’s no need to cook it; it cooks as it bakes along with the Lasagna.
• Frozen Spinach: If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach. Just make sure it’s not frozen! If it is, steam it a little bit and then add it to the mixture or make sure you dethaw it before starting the recipe.

The cheese

• Cheddar for sharpness: Cheddar is a famous cheese because of its sharp taste and intense flavor. You don’t need to add salt or anything to Cheddar. It’s perfect as it is and gives anything you use it for a strong punch of flavor.
• Cheddar for color: Lasagna is known for its red, white, and orange color, so use yellow cheddar cheese. The cheddar cheese adds to the traditional color of Lasagna.
• Mozzarella flavor is traditional: Lasagna isn’t Lasagna without Mozzarella cheese. It gives Lasagna its classic flavor. You can add any cheese to it you want, but you have to use some Mozzarella; that’s my motto.
• Mozzarella stretches: I also use Mozzarella because it’s stretchy and gives the Lasagna that stretchy cheese it’s supposed to have, like Pizza. Mozzarella cheese, like no other, is elastic and goey.
• Cheese on top: I use an extra cup of Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese so that the Lasagna is nice and cheesy, the way a traditional Lasagna looks.

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How I layer Lasagna

Okay, so let’s get into the specifics of layering because people are always asking me how to layer Lasagna. It’s crucial not to layer the same ingredients too closely. Layering lasagna the right way is essential for a balanced taste.

How to layer Lasagna the right way

1. Lightly coat the Lasagna dish with meat sauce.
2. Cover meat sauce with 4 Lasagna noodles slightly overlapping one another.
3. Fully coat the Lasagna with the sour cream-ricotta mixture.
4. Then add some of the cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.
5. Repeat these steps again, and add your meat sauce.
6. Followed by the 4 Lasagna noodles slightly overlapping one another.
7. Fully coat the Lasagna again with the sour cream-ricotta mixture.
8. Then top that with some cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.
   Ok, so this part is what I call the top layering process:
9. Cover the cheddar and Mozzarella with more meat sauce.
10. Cover with the last 4 Lasagna noodles slightly overlapping one another.
11. Followed by the remaining meat sauce.
12. Add the remaining cheddar and Mozzarella cheese plus the 2 cups of cheddar and Mozzarella.
13. Then garnish the top with Parsley.

How to make Lasagna

1. Boil the lasagna, then strain it with a colander once it’s done.
   Make sure not to lay the lasagna over one another, or else they’ll quickly stick together and be hard to separate.
   
   

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2. Combine the sour cream mixture in a medium size mixing bowl.
   
   

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3. Combine the cheddar and mozzarella for the very top of the lasagna.
4. Chop the onions and mushrooms into small pieces.
5. Cook the ground beef and sweet Italian sausage until it’s no longer pink.
   Use two spatulas to break the meat up until it’s nice and fine.
   You don’t want big, chunky pieces of meat in your lasagna, so break it up.
6. Stir in the onions and mushrooms, and once translucent, stir in the sauce ingredients and sugar.
   
   

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7. Preheat the oven 350 degrees.
8. Get a large lasagna dish and layer the ingredients.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the aluminum foil and continue cooking for 15 more minutes.
    
    

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Tips for best results:

• Reserve some of the fat for the sauce: After browning the meat, leave some of the fat in the skillet; don’t remove all of it. The fat adds flavor and gives the sauce a nice silky consistency.
• Don’t leave Lasagna exposed: Make sure the ends of the Lasagna noodles aren’t too close to the edge of the baking pan and that they’re fully covered with the ingredients. This prevents them from drying out, hardening, or burning as the lasagna bakes.
• Cover the top fully with cheese: For a cheesy, traditional-looking Lasagna, the top should be fully covered with cheese. This is why I use an additional cup of both cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.
• Covering with aluminum foil: Cover the Lasagna with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from burning and drying out. Dry burnt Lasagna is the worst and will make the lasagna look unappetizing.
• Don’t let aluminum touch the cheese: You don’t want the cheese to stick to the aluminum foil, so create a tint. Make sure you use a lot of aluminum foil and that there’s some space between it and the cheese.
• Let the Lasagna rest once done: Let the Lasagna rest a few minutes before digging in. Allow the ingredients to marry and come together while the juices settle and are absorbed by the pasta.
• Let it stiffen: Give it time to stiffen so it’s not soupy. This will make it easier to cut into, slice, and plate. The lasagna will be very runny and soupy when you take it straight out of the oven. So again, let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes first…

Serving suggestions:

• Garlic bread: Garlic bread is obvious and easily the most common side for Lasagna. It is to lasagna what peanut butter is to jelly. They go perfectly together, especially garlic bread with cheese on it.
• Tossed salad: Tossed salad is another common side dish people love to serve alongside Lasagna. It’s refreshing and tastes amazing with Italian dressing. Olive Garden even serves salad as a lasagna side dish. Lol!
• Fried Chicken: Now, it may sound crazy, but I’ve seen people serve Lasagna alongside some crispy fried chicken or even pork chops. It’s a bit of a Southern thing, but it works.

Storage and reheating

• How to store Lasagna: I either keep the lasagna in the casserole dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil, then set it in the coolest area of the refrigerator, or I’ll slice it up and set it in a glass Tupperware dish and make sure it’s covered tightly with a lid.
• How to freeze it: If I want to store it away for a few weeks or months, I wrap it in a ziploc bag and set it in the freezer.
• How to reheat it: To reheat lasagna, you can warm it in a microwave or tightly wrap it in aluminum foil and bake it at 350 until it’s hot. This may take some time if it’s frozen.

Frequently asked questions

• How long does Lasagna last? I try to finish it off within four days, but it can last for up to a week before it loses its integrity. In the freezer, it can last for up to 6 months as long as it’s sealed properly.

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Other recipes with ground beef and sweet Italian sausage

• The BEST Stuffed Peppers Recipe Ever
• Easy Dirty Rice Recipe
• Easy Spaghetti And Meat Sauce Recipe
• Grandma Vals Easy Classic Meatloaf Recipe

Okay, folks, enough ranting! Give this recipe a shot! One last thing: It can be a bit time-consuming, but it tastes delicious, which makes it worth it. You might want to have someone help you with it.

Anyway, leave a comment below if you enjoy it, and make sure you subscribe to receive notifications every time I post a new recipe. For updates on everything Philly Jay Cooking, follow me on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Enjoy later!
PBJ~

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World’s Best Lasagna Recipe (Made Easy with Sweet Italian sausage)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: PhillyboyJay
• Prep Time: 30 Mins
• Cook Time: 45 Mins
• Total Time: 1 Hr 15 Mins
• Yield: 10
• Category: Casserole
• Method: Soul Food
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

A delicious Italian lasagna recipe made with a Soulful twist you’ll love.

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Ingredients

Pasta

• 12 Lasagna
• 3 Qts Water
• 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbs Salt

Meat

• 1 Lb (80 Lean/20 Fat) Ground Beef
• 1 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tsp Seasoning Salt
• 2 Tsp Adobo seasoning
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

Sauce

• 2–1/2 (24oz) Jars of Prego Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 Cup Tomato Paste
• 1 Tbs Sugar

Sour Cream-Ricotta Mixture

• 2 Cups Spinach, chopped
• 2 Cups Sour Cream
• 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Tsp Seasoning salt
• 1 Tsp Adobo seasonings

Cheese for layering 

• 5 Cups Mozzarella cheese
• 4 Cups Cheddar cheese

Cheese for the top

• 1 Cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1 Cup Cheddar cheese
• Parsley (as much as needed)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1. Place a large pot of cool water over high heat and add in the salt and oil.
2. Meanwhile, to kill two birds with one stone, you can use this time to chop up the spinach. Add it to a medium-sized bowl along with the sour cream, ricotta, Mozzarella, and seasonings, stir well, and set aside.
3. You can also combine the 5 cups of Mozzarella and 4 cups of Cheddar in a big bowl and combine the 1 cup of Mozzarella and Cheddar for the top of the Lasagna in a small bowl.
4. Then, chop up the onions and mushrooms.
5. By this time, the water should have come to a boil. Add the lasagna and let it cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Once done, remove it and lay it separately on the sides of a colander.
6. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and sweet Italian sausage, and chop the meat up as finely as possible with two spatulas until it’s no longer pink.
7. Drain some of the fat but keep most. Add the onions, mushrooms, and seasonings and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.
8. Then add in the sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar, then stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10. Layer the ingredients in a large lasagna pan (A little meat sauce, lasagna, sour cream mixture, Mozzarella and Cheddar, meat sauce, lasagna, sour cream mixture, Mozzarella and Cheddar, meat sauce, lasagna, meat sauce, and then the 2 cups of Mozzarella and Cheddar for the top).
11. Garnish the lasagna with parsley flakes, and cover with aluminum foil.
12. Bake the Lasagna for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered then remove.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 10