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Traditional Lasagna Recipe

Traditional Lasagna Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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My family first tasted this rich, classic lasagna at a friend's home on Christmas Eve. We were so impressed that it became our own holiday tradition as well. I also prepare it other times of the year. It's requested often by my sister's Italian in-laws—I consider that the highest compliment! —Lorri Foockle, Granville, Illinois

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Traditional Lasagna Recipe

Prep: 30 min. plus simmering Bake: 70 min. + standing

Yield: 12 Servings

30 70 100

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
3/4 pound bulk pork sausage
3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 cups (24 ounces) 4% small-curd cottage cheese
1 carton (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
6 slices provolone cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
In a large bowl, combine eggs and parsley. Stir in the cottage cheese, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, three noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with the remaining noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella (dish will be full).
Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 1 serving equals 493 calories, 27 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 143 mg cholesterol, 1,144 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 35 g protein.

Originally published as Traditional Lasagna in Taste of Home April/May 2000, p25

Medium-Bodied Red Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine such as Chianti, Sangiovese, Malbec or Zinfandel.

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Reviews for Traditional Lasagna

Traditional Lasagna

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Reviewed on Apr. 08, 2013 by cmw1961

Excellent! I cut out the sausage and used all ground beef. This turned out perfect!

Reviewed on Mar. 25, 2013 by trocht7

Excellent recipe and easy to make. Shared it with 3 friends and they were amazed and said "This is what I call a real lasagna recipe". Of course I will continue making it. Thumbs up!

Reviewed on Mar. 08, 2013 by GBSailor

Great Lasagna! I used home made noodles for this dish. Super flavor and not difficult to prepare. Will definitely have again.

Reviewed on Feb. 14, 2013 by KKirkhart

I have not made this recipe but it sounds like a great way to make the cottage cheese mix in the lasagna. 5 stars for creativity. I can not wait to make it for my family.

Reviewed on Jan. 14, 2013 by lraccuia

It is everything I want in a lasagna. Everyone in my family loves it.

Reviewed on Jan. 08, 2013 by kcrihfield89

Sooo yummy... The sausage made for a wonderful flavor and I love how the sauce is simmered for an hour to get it nice and thick. A lot of lasagna turns out wet and runny. This one is perfect! Even my insanely picky husband liked it!

Reviewed on Jan. 04, 2013 by Politronics

I really enjoyed this recipe. I felt that that the combination of ingrediants were great, however, I was not happy with the sauce itself. I felt it was a little overwhelming and I am interested in other people's comments and suggestions about the sauce. I just felt it was a little too thick and too overpowering.

Reviewed on Dec. 29, 2012 by VictoriaElaine

I made this for Christmas dinner & got so many compliments! The only change I made was I used 1 pound of Italian sausage & 1/2 pound of ground beef. So yummy! The leftovers didn't last long! You can't fail with this recipe. I made it the day before & let the flavors mingle overnight. Then baked it the next day.

Reviewed on Dec. 28, 2012 by HungryQuilter

This was absolutely delicious! I added a touch of fine grated cheddar cheese with the mozzarella and used italian sausage. Served this dish for Christmas as everyone was tired of ham and turkey. My kids said this will be the new Christmas tradition at our house!!!

Reviewed on Dec. 09, 2012 by naenae3301

This is my go-to recipe. I've been making it for years, and it's even my in-law family's favorite (and they are Sicilian Italian!). I usually do the beef/sausage combo, but I prefer just beef. I always try to use all fresh ingredients, including fresh mozzerella! Sometimes I will make it with just ricotta, but it's great both ways!

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