Worth the Wait Lasagna
- SERVES
- 6
- COOK TIME
- 1 Hr 20 Min
Homemade Italian-style lasagna takes a little extra effort, but one taste of our Worth the Wait Lasagna will prove that this one is definitely a main dish pasta bake worth waiting for.
What You'll Need
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
- 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (28-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
What to Do
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no pink remains, stirring to break up sausage as it cooks. Drain off excess liquid and set aside in a large bowl to cool slightly. Add 3 cups mozzarella cheese, the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, the egg, basil, and pepper; mix well.
- Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce evenly over bottom of baking dish. Place 3 noodles over sauce. Spread one-third of sausage mixture over noodles. Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce over sausage mixture. Place 3 more noodles over the top and press down lightly. Repeat with 2 more layers of sausage mixture, sauce, and noodles. Spoon remaining sauce over top and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over top; return to oven 5 more minutes, or until cheese has melted. Allow to sit 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tip
- Top this with some fresh basil before serving for an extra burst of fresh flavor.
- If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out our collection of 19 Easy Lasagna Recipes.
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Nutritional InformationShow More
Servings Per Recipe: 6
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Calories 852
- Calories from Fat 360
- Total Fat 40g 61 %
- Saturated Fat 22g 109 %
- Trans Fat 0.0g 0 %
- Protein 50g 100 %
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 162mg 54 %
- Sodium 2,461mg 103 %
- Total Carbohydrates 72g 24 %
- Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8 %
- Sugars 15g 0 %
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achumley0003 31706 34
Oct 31, 2017
This lasagna looks so good and based on the ingredients, I bet it is. I love Italian food and lasagna is definitely one of my favorites, but it usually takes some effort , so I don't make it often. But, this recipe definitely seems worth the trouble. Thanks for sharing.
jpdmom27 9004034
Apr 14, 2015
I don't usually use jarred sauce or sausage in lasagna but I tried this recipe and it was really outstanding. My family loved it and I will definitely make it again. A nice variation and very easy recipe. Tastes even better the next day!
tinker2232
Oct 15, 2014
This is basically OK, but was more WOW when I did the following: Added half again the required amount of Ricotta and drained it well; Used 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese instead of 4 because rather than top it off with shredded mozzarella, I used 6 slices of mozzarella on top which really melted nicely (the shredded doesn't melt into a nice smooth cheesy top; To the jars of spaghetti sauce, I mixed in about 3 tsp. Italian seasoning, 2 tsp. Oregano and 2 tsp. Basil leaves; After cooking the sausage, let it cool and soak up grease by massaging the sausage with paper towels; Instead of cooking it right away, I made it a day ahead of time and let the spices marinate with the sauce. RESULT: Lots of praise from my cheese and meat lovers!! The extra ricotta and the mozzarella slices on top made it soooo much better!
Kojak
Jan 25, 2015
You are ridiculous!!! You are supposed to be rating THIS recipe, as written!!! NOT making up your own recipe and then rating that!!!! YOU are NOT the star of the show here...... Mr. Food Test Kitchen is! It is their recipe!!!!
Phyllis 100
Feb 07, 2015
I have to agree with the other comment even though I mistakenly pressed unlike. Judge a recipe for the recipe. We all use different tomato sauce, meat, spices, cheeses.
Whitesweb4 2320099
Apr 09, 2014
Can this be a make ahead dish ? And at what point do I leave Ingreidents off to refrigerate ? Then cooking time and temp change ?
Evbear1 6320306
Dec 29, 2012
There are so many spaghetti sauces you can buy....I would think the recipe would give a few choices for the sauce that works best to create a five star dish....can you suggest a few? Thank you..
Vodika
Dec 29, 2012
The best one to use is the one you use the most, if I am not using one I make home made, I like to use the Hy Vee Store brand and fix it up with meat, bell peppers, onions, garlic.
gatorgrowl
Aug 25, 2012
Question: Do we have to cook noodles? With the sauce and ricotta cheese it seems not cooking the noodles would help with the mushiness.
frannyde
Dec 29, 2012
NO... you don't ever have to cook the noodles! If you use enough sauce, you are good to go! AND ......... basil, parsley..... whatever you like!
chito45bb 3621073
Jul 10, 2012
Can I use fresh basil, will the recipe change its flavor, and how much should I use?
Test Kitchen Team
Jul 11, 2012
Go ahead and use those fresh herbs! The rule of thumb for substituting fresh herbs for dried is for every 1 dried, use 3 fresh. In this recipe, we use 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, so you would want to use 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh basil. Thank you for your question and enjoy!
Raven Digital
Mar 05, 2012
Can you substitute the hot sausage with sweet Italian sausage instead without ruining the recipe? I don't like spicy foods, unfortunately.
frannyde
Dec 29, 2012
OMG.... where are you people from? Cooking is whatever you like in a recipe. If you can't handle heat, use mild .... use ground turkey or chicken, use what you like!!
Kojak
Jan 25, 2015
HAHAHA! Franny...... I totally get you!!! Some of these people act like they need instructions to boil water! LOL! Hey if you prefer sausage over beef, USE IT, and by all means... use WHATEVER kind of sauce YOU like!! OMG!!!!!!! I have never seen so many dumb questions!!! LOL!
jalexis3 2404243
Jun 02, 2015
Lighten up a little. Not everyone is an experienced cook, but wanting to learn. With no home economic classes in school now days, cooking for young people can be a real challenge and even for older gals like me that did not start cooking until later in life. Hang in there Raven and don't let nasty replies discourage you!!!!!
johnciu 8975116
Jan 07, 2012
when do you add the sausage
Test Kitchen Team
Jan 09, 2012
Hi johnciu 8975116! Thank you for your question! After you let the cooked sausage cool slightly, you are going to add the cheeses and several other ingredients to the sausage (as you will see in step 2). From this point on, it is referred to as the cheese mixture. Thank you again and happy cooking!
phyar57 5077984
Dec 13, 2011
I would like to try this recipe for christmas, my question is ....do you slice grind or chop the saussage first?
ROBMARU8 3981787
Dec 19, 2011
You need to remove the sausage, either hot or sweet from it's cassings before you attempt to cook it. Then you brown it in the pan as the recipe instructs. If you only have sweet sausage available, you can always add Italian Hot Red Pepper Flakes. Be careful as you don't want it too hot or too spicy. Thank you! Bon Appetite
Mommy that Cooks
Dec 30, 2011
Bulk sausage as the recipe calls for is not in casing but looks more like ground beef. All you have to do is brown it off and it will crumble.
Mommy that Cooks
Dec 13, 2011
I can't wait to try it for Christmas...I have the whole gang coming over and by reading the comments I can't go wrong. Thanks to you and your great Test Kitchen Thank
grapevinealerts 76 60744
Jun 09, 2011
Being Italian I can say this is an authentic recipe. I recommend draining the ricotta in a colander first to remove the excess liquid. This prevents the lasagna to set better and not become soupy. I usually make my own sauce but I have substituted some good jarred sauces. I like this site because the recipes are usually authentic. Thanks Mr. Food!
lanyb703 1291798
Dec 20, 2011
Thank you for this tip. I've always wondered why my lasagne would get runny.
SuzanneWhitlock 73 00919
Apr 13, 2011
I made this for my boyfriend this past weekend, and he can not stop talking about how wonderful it is. He is telling everyone what a great cook I am! Thanks for making me look good!
jenniferagordon 59 65803
Mar 06, 2011
I have never had lasagna as good as this one. This was the first time that I've ever made lasagna and was so impressed I'm making it again very soon. It even beats my mother-in-law's recipe and she is a fabulous cook! :)
joerus611 7072190
Feb 02, 2011
If it's as good as it looks in this picture,I can't wait to try it
varocketts 9212636
Feb 02, 2011
What are the nutritional values for this recipe? It looks great. Thanks Stan Rockett
Lisa Morelli
Jan 31, 2011
This was my first time making a sausage based lasagna and it turned out very good. Just the right amounts of cheese, sauce, meat and noodles. Will definately make again.
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