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The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone

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Homemade lasagna is one of those dinners that everyone loves! I am sharing with you the best ever homemade lasagna with mascarpone which is creamy, full of tomato goodness, and incredibly versatile. It’s loaded with a meaty sauce and hidden vegetables and it definitely my go-to lasagna recipe. 

baked lasagna in a pan with a knife and spoon on a wooden board.

You can make the absolute best ever lasagna the traditional Italian way with a bechamel sauce, vegetarian, meat lovers, loaded with veggies, and even without noodles. Change up the sauces by using a variety of heirloom tomatoes or different cheeses. It is a crowd-pleaser for large groups and gatherings or just perfect for a quiet family dinner.  Any way you choose to layer this dinner it will be sure to please.

There are three main components to lasagna. In your lasagna pan, you will layer:

  1. Tomato hearty meat sauce.
  2. Creamy cheese sauce
  3. Lasagna noodles. 

Traditional Italian lasagna includes a slow-cooked tomato and meat sauce (Bolognese), egg lasagna noodles, and a rich and creamy bechamel sauce. For this recipe, I use a whole milk ricotta mixture.

What Is The History Of Lasagna

The history of lasagna is long and complicated. There are many different theories about where it originated, but the most popular belief is that it originated in Italy in the 14th century.

Lasagna was originally made with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese, and it was often served as a main course. Over time, lasagna has evolved and changed, and there are now many different variations of the dish. Today, lasagna is popular all over the world, and it is often served as a side dish or an appetizer.

Here are some of the most popular variations of lasagna:

  • Traditional lasagna: This is the original version of lasagna, and it is made with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese.
  • Vegetarian lasagna: This version of lasagna is made without meat, and it often includes vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms.
  • Chicken lasagna: This version of lasagna is made with layers of pasta, chicken, and cheese.
  • Seafood lasagna: This version of lasagna is made with layers of pasta, seafood, and cheese.
  • Lasagna roll-ups: This is a variation of lasagna that is made by rolling up individual lasagna noodles with a filling of meat, cheese, and vegetables.

No matter what your taste, there is sure to be a version of lasagna that you will enjoy.

Ingredient List For The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna (Step by Step)

  • 1 pound of cooked ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (fresh or frozen- water squeezed out)
  • 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
  • 1 quart jar of tomato sauce or 15 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 tsp of white sugar, to taste
  • 16 oz box of no-boil/oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese 
  • 1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Notes:

-As with a lot of cooking, experience and taste may vary. I hardly ever measure seasonings so I have written these amounts as a starting point. Feel free to experiment and really make the sauces your own by adding more or less.

-Add one cup of pumpkin puree to the tomato and meat sauce to really deepen the flavor. This adds so many vitamins and nutrients while being almost undetectable. (Hello picky eaters). You can swap pumpkin for the zucchini.


Choosing The Pasta For The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone

Lasagna noodles come in a couple of different styles either oven-ready (no boil) or regular lasagna noodles. Make sure to check the package directions to see if you need to boil lasagna noodles first. If you do boil them make sure to coat them in olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.

I’m here to say that after using the no-boil ones, I will never go back. They are so easy to assemble and without all the hassle! All you need to do is cover the noodles completely in sauce, and they will cook up perfectly. No boil noodles are a game changer and a time saver.

no boil lasagna noodles on a pretty cloth napkin

In addition, you can also make your own noodles which are especially easy with a pasta maker or the pasta roller attachment for your Kitchen Aid mixer. Making homemade pasta can be a great activity to get the kids involved. Other pasta shapes are also delicious in this recipe. Instead of layering long noodles, mix in some cooked penne or Mafalda. Mafalda pasta looks like little lasagna noodles and holds the sauces really well and would be great in lasagna soup.

As a low-carb option, try thinly sliced zucchini or summer squash – these make an excellent substitution for egg pasta and are great for Keto and diabetic diets.

Meat And Tomato Layer In The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna

The Meat

A good tomato-rich meat sauce is the key to a good lasagna recipe. Begin with lean ground beef (or for fun add some hot Italian sausage!) in a large skillet. Either use pre-cooked meat like I do or brown ground beef in the pan.

You could add a diced large onion if you like, but my kids wouldn’t eat it. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until warmed/cooked through – strain off any excess grease. 

cast iron with meat tomato sauce. and veggies

The Sauce

To the ground beef, add a jar of marinara and a can of diced tomatoes. Store-bought or home-canned chopped or whole tomatoes would be great. Trader Joe’s makes an excellent marinara sauce for only a couple of dollars that I have used and loved for years. 

cast iron with frozen pumpkin

The Seasonings

Did you know that marinara in Italian means seafaring or mariner style? It is not actually a seafood sauce at all, rather marinara was a favorite dish of the fishermen upon their arrival back to shore. I prefer using one jar of pre-made marinara sauce, adding a jar or two of my homemade tomato sauce, and ending with simple seasonings of salt, black pepper, basil, and oregano. (your basic Italian seasoning)

To the hearty tomato and meat sauce add some nutrients in the form of vegetables. In the summer there is an abundance of fresh zucchini and summer squash. You can grate them on a cheese grater, squeeze the water out, and freeze them in Ziploc storage bags then use them by the handful.

I also store homemade pumpkin puree in the freezer that makes takes any standard tomato sauce to the next level of richness. Cooking these vegetables directly in the sauce makes them almost disappear but all the vitamins are still there. 

cast iron pan with the tomato meat sauce for the lasagna

To season the sauce, keep it simple. A bit of salt to taste, fresh coarse ground pepper, some basil, oregano, (a couple of bay leaves if you like), and a teaspoon of sugar. Sugar balances out the acidity and gives the overall flavor just a hint of rich sweetness.

I usually double this recipe to make some meals for the freezer. If you’re going to make a mess why not make double the food?  I let this simmer for around half an hour and taste it to make sure the seasonings are just right. 

Creamy Layer In The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna

Awwww, the rich creamy layer. This stuff is good! It’s the layer that binds all the rest together. As noted above, traditional Italian lasagna uses a bechamel sauce for this layer. My simple homemade Mac & Cheese recipe also uses a bechamel sauce (white sauce) and I show you just how simple it is to make if you would prefer this sauce. 

whisking ricotta and other ingredients for The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna (Step by Step)

Cheese And Cream

For homemade lasagna, a ricotta filling with mascarpone is the perfect fusion of texture and flavor. Mix these two kinds of cheese together and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Add an egg and the seasonings and whisk well to combine. The egg adds just the right amount of richness to the light cheeses. And the mascarpone is nutty and slightly sweet, it adds so much goodness to this cheesy cream sauce.

tub of mascarpone cheese

Seasonings

Season it up with the same seasonings as the tomato meat sauce, salt and pepper, dried basil, and oregano. For variety, try a dash of cinnamon, some parsley flakes, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, or other fresh herbs. Lastly, add about one-half of a cup of shredded or grated parmesan cheese. Whisk all these together and set them aside. If you feel that the mixture is too thick, it can be thinned out with milk.

In addition to the ricotta mixture, I also add layers of freshly grated mozzarella cheese. Fresh mozzarella cheese slices can be used instead of grated. Mozzarella gets sprinkled on this layer and also on the very top.

grating mozzarella cheese

Grating The Mozzarella

Grating your own cheese is important when you want your cheese to be extra melty. Pre-shredded cheeses are tossed with cellulose to prevent clumping which makes them not melt as well. But use whatever you have on hand.

You can omit the mascarpone (I wouldn’t, it’s so creamy!) and combine cottage cheese with the ricotta instead. Did you know… if you love cottage cheese but don’t like the texture of it in lasagna – you can use a food processor to puree it?

Assembling The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna

Start by selecting your baking pan(s) and setting out the components for the layers – tomato meat sauce, creamy ricotta mixture, grated mozzarella, and lasagna noodles. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray if you need to and start building your layers. Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan, then layer in this order…

  • Lasagna Noodles (crisscross opposite layers)
  • Tomato and Meat Sauce
  • Ricotta Cheese Mixture
  • Grated Mozzarella
assembly line to make The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna (Step by Step)

Build up these layers two or three times and end with the grated mozzarella. Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese and you are ready to either bake, freeze, or cook the next day. Lasagna is very forgiving. The layers do not need to be perfect or even neat. If you mixed the whole thing together it would still taste great.

assembling The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone

The only thing you need to make sure of is that the noodles are submerged so they don’t get hard and they cook evenly. This recipe would fit in a 9×13 pan, sometimes I double it and make 2 9x7s and a large 9×9 square casserole dish.

Baking The Absolute Best Homemade Lasagna

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the lasagna for 30-40 minutes covered with aluminum foil or an oven-safe lid. After this time, uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown up the top just a bit. 

pan with The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone before baking

To bake frozen lasagna, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes covered. Uncover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Do not thaw before baking, this can create more liquid in the finished product. 

piece of The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone on a plate

After baking, allow the homemade lasagna to rest and cool slightly. Letting it sit before cutting will allow your pieces will come out nicely.

What To Serve With The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone

Wrapping Up The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone

The best ever homemade lasagna with mascarpone is a great recipe to make for dinner and one of our favorite recipes. The hearty and delicious tomato and meat sauce and the decadent ricotta mixture sandwiched between layers of noodles and mozzarella cheese is the ultimate in Italian cuisine. It is very easy to adapt the amount to include a couple of meals for your freezer. Lasagna can also be made a day in advance and then baked when you are ready.

pan of The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone with a piece cut

It is very easy to adapt the amount to include a couple of meals for your freezer. To cook frozen lasagna, bake covered at 350 for one hour and ten minutes or until the center is hot, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. It can be frozen for up to six months. Lasagna can also be made a day in advance and then baked when you are ready.

Buon Appetito!

The Best Ever Homemade Lasagna With Mascarpone Recipe Card

Yield: 6-8 servings

Homemade Lasagna

Homemade Lasagna

Hearty and delicious tomato and meat sauce and the decadent ricotta mixture sandwiched between layers of noodles and mozzarella cheese is the ultimate in Italian cuisine

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of cooked ground beef
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (fresh or frozen)
  • 24 oz jar of marinara sauce
  • 1 quart jar of tomato sauce or 15 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
  • 1-2 tsp of white sugar, to taste
  • 16 oz box of no-boil/oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 16 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp sugar

Instructions

  1. Start your Bolognese sauce. In a large skillet or pot combine cooked ground beef, tomato products, zucchini and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano. Add sugar. Mix together and bring to a low simmer for around 30 minutes.
  2. In a separate bowl mix up the ricotta and mascarpone and whisk until creamy. Add in the egg and the juice of 1 lemon. Add in most of the parmesan saving some for the top. Mix well. Add a dash of salt and pepper and 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano. Thin with milk if to thick. Set aside.
  3. Grate up 8 oz of mozzarella cheese.
  4. Choose your baking pan(s) Either a 9x13, 9x7, deep 9x9 square. Any dish will work.
  5. Line up your pan(s), sauces, noodles, and cheese.
  6. Assemble. Bolognese sauce on the bottom. Then layer noodles, Bolognese, ricotta mixture, and grated mozzarella. Do at least 3 layers and end with the mozzarella. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
  7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes covered. Remove cover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
  8. Let rest at least 10 minutes before cutting into.
  9. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Freezes really well before baking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

2. If baking from frozen, adjust the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Do not thaw before cooking.

3. I keep pre-cooked 1 pound freezer bags of ground beef in the freezer that make meal time so quick and easy. You can of course brown your meat when making this recipe.

4. Leftovers store in refrigerator up to 4 days.

5. Use any size or shape pan you like.

6. You can omit the zucchini if desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 601Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 1493mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 6gSugar: 14gProtein: 33g

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8 Comments

  1. This recipe looks delicious! I wish we had a Trader Joe’s in my town. I like that you don’t have to boil the noodles.

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