Homestyle Lasagna - A simple classic version of lasagna with layers of noodles, ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
This Classic Lasagna recipe was originally published on May 12, 2016 under the name Homestyle Lasagna.
My Italian Background
I've talked about my Nana Suppa here once or twice but not too much. A few weeks ago she celebrated a birthday. When I went to visit, I asked, what I thought was a simple question "So, Nana, how old are you today?". Simple enough, right?
Wrong.
She says to me "I'm either 88 or 92".
Uh, what?
No she's not totally nuts. Well, I mean, she is kind of but not in this instance. Apparently, when she came here to the United States (by boat), she was issued a new birth certificate. I don't really know the reason or the ins and outs of all of it but in the end she has two birth certificates; boasting different dates of birth and she has no idea which one is right! I don't know how she sleeps at night! I swear, I'd be doing everything in my power to know. At that age, I suppose what's a few years, but still! Right?
Anyway, when I was little we lived in a two family with my Nana living downstairs from us. I never though to ask her too much about her journey to this country with a small child in tow. As I've gotten older, of course I have a million questions. Unfortunately, as she ages she either doesn't remember or she isn't interested in discussing it. I have even tried searching on Ancestory.com for information. I found the original manifest of her journey here, with my mom on the boat The Andrea Doria (yes, it sank shortly after their trip) but that's about it. Although, it was pretty cool to see that. I just wish I could find more.
While we lived with her, we ate very well, I'll tell you that much. When she came here, she sold vegetables from her garden to get by. I honestly can't remember having vegetables or fruits from a grocery store as a small child. I only wish I had the smarts to have appreciated it back then.
While we lived with Nana we had peach trees, pear trees, blackberry trees and grapevines. She had over an acre of garden and we spent summers shucking corn, shelling peas and beans. Plus, she did all the gardening by hand, with a few tools that my grandfather made! Seriously, no fancy machinery. Did I mention we had chickens, pigs and other animals roaming around too? Sadly, I always thought they were pets...... until they weren't!
With all these memories that come and go about the amazing food of my childhood, the one most important thing is that the best foods are sometimes the most simple. Nothing fancy and no going overboard, just good, quality ingredients.
Related: My Favorite Marinara
With all that in mind, I decided to make a classic lasagna; no frills. It's not stuffed with all kinds of meats. I'm not replacing noodles with veggies. This classic lasagna is just a good sauce, pasta, fresh cheese and garden basil!
Serving Lasagna
I have always found lasagna to be better a few hours after baking, or even the next day. I don't know why or if it's just about the flavors melding or whatever but when time allows, I prepare my lasagna early in the day, and then just reheat at dinner time.
If you serve too hot, it will be messy and the cheese will just ooze out. I mean, that's not necessarily a bad thing, so as always, do as you prefer.
So, as Nana Suppa would say "Mangia, Mangia"!
Related: Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Classic Lasagna
Ingredients
- 32 ounce ricotta cheese I use part skim
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly cracked
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 tablespoon parsley freshly chopped
- 16 ounce lasagna noodles
- 16 ounce mozzarella cheese cut into slices or squares
- 48 ounce pasta sauce any variety
- Fresh basil for garnish.
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool slightly, just enough to be able to handle.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese and parsley to a bowl. Stir to combine well.
- Spread about 2 ladles full of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place 3 noodles, slightly overlapping. Spread an even layer of the ricotta mixture over noodles. Place a few pieces of the freshly cut mozzarella over the ricotta then add another 2 or so ladles full of sauce over that. Repeat layers two or three more times, depending on the depth of your pan. Your ending layer should be noodle, sauce and mozzarella; no ricotta.
- Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10 minutes more.
- Once out of the oven, allow to set up for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
- When serving, top each piece with either 1 leaf of basil or a few torn pieces.
Notes
I think I would enjoy Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce the most!
I love garlic so I'm sure I'd like that one too!
Hello!
I've read with so much interest, what you've written about your Nana, I think that's Nonna in Italian 😉 My great-grandma shipped over to the USA in the early 20! She left her child (my Nonna back in Italy). Sometimes I have to think about that and what became of her. So your post reminded me of that!
What your Nana did, so did my Nonna in Italy, too! And there is no better thing, then homemade tomato sauce! Maybe you try the next time to make your own ragú for the lasagna? 😉 It is really quite easy! I have a recipe for that coming up soon 😉
Thank you for this great post!
- Emmi
Oh, I'm so glad I could get you thinking about your Nonna too! I make my own sauce very often actually. It's just those darn week days that I just don't have the time for. I should have actually mentioned that in the post. I rarely post super personal stories so I'm really so touched that it resonated with you. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Christine! I Remeber that 2 family and your grandmother and I think even the garden. I love that you are asking questions about her history. I did that with my Nana (although it was her mother that came to Ellis Island) but she remembered so much and I asked her to fill out a book for me. I'm so glad that I did because I have some stories and history in her handwriting. As well as some fabulous family recipes.
Also, did you mean that your mom was born in Italy and moved here? I wasn't aware of that.
Thanks for sharing and the recipe looks yummy. I will have to try it.
Yes Michelle, my mom also came over by boat. She was really little. Apparently my grandfather came first and then my nana and mom came after. I just wish my nana would answer more questions!!!
What a wonderful lasagna recipe! Great job 🙂 PINNED!
Thanks so much!
I would love to try the Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic! This lasagna looks good!
I would like Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce.
What a fun story!!!! Thanks for joining us at 100 Happy Days!!!
I would love to try the Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic. I love all things garlic!
I would like Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce.
I would try the Homestyle Thicky & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce
I would most enjoy the Thick & Hearty Traditional sauce!
When my grandfather came over from Poland his name was changed. They did stuff like that back then and it is baffling why.
Your Homestyle lasagna looks so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. My favorite Ragu sauce is HOMESTYLE THICK & HEARTY MEAT SAUCE! Love Ragu sauces!
Thick and hearty flavored with meat sounds good.
I think the Home style thick and hearty meat sauce would be an instant hit with my family.
The roasted garlic for sure!
I would LOVE to try the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce - who doesn't love cheese in their sauce? I know I do!
good point. I'm a firm believer in cheese makes everything better 🙂
Thicky & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce
I love a beautiful traditional lasagna! Lovely.
I want to try the roasted garlic.
These look really good, I think my favorite would probably be either the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Mushroom Sauce or the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce
Four cheese!
I would try the thick and hearty roasted garlic.
I want to try the Thick and Hearty Four Cheese.
I would like Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce.
I would love to try the Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic sauce. You cannot go wrong with garlic!
Oh man, that looks delicious! I just wish making food was as easy as eating it..
As for the Homestyle Pasta Sauce, I'd really like to try the Four Cheese one.
This recipe is a pretty easy one. I tried to keep it as basic as I could, for beginners. Give it a try, you might surprise yourself!
I want to try the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce
I want to try the Thick & Heart Meat Sauce!!1
I would like the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce
I want to try the Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce
I like the Hearty Mushroom sauce.
The Thicky & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce would be great!
I would choose Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic.
Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic!YUM!
I'd enjoy the Chunky Mushroom.
Not knowing my age would drive me nuts too! 🙂 your grandma sounds wonderful- and so does your lasagna!
Also, I'd like to try the Thick and Hearty Four Cheese Sauce 🙂
Thank you!
I would like to try the Roasted Garlic flavor.
I would like Hearty Meat Sauce.
Thick and Hearty Traditional is what I would like to try.
Oh they all look so good! I think I would try the RAGÚ® Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce first!
I would like the Thick and Hearty Roasted Garlic
I would like a whole bunch of them. These are great to use especially during the week when you want a tasty and hearty dinner but don't have the time.
EXACTLY - I love to make my own sauce but I save that for the weekends!
The thick & hearty four cheese sauce sounds yummy 🙂
Looks like such a delicious lasagna, I would love to try the thick and hearty garlic sauce. Nettie
The Four cheese sounds great
I would love to try the Four cheese lagana
I would like to try the Homestyle Thicky & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce.
I'd like the Thick & Hearty Four Cheese
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
Sounds delicious!!!!! I love the new homestyle sauces!! Made stuffed shells the other night and they were a huge hit!!!
I would like to try Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce.
I am participating in this campaign too and i absolutely love how thick the sauces are! Looks like my new go-to pasta sauce frrom now on.
The thick and hearty meat sauce or 4 cheese sauce both sound yummy!
I am starving so this looks delicious! I'm not actually thought of putting a spaghetti sauce in the lasagna but what a good idea! I usually make my own sauce, but this would be a whole lot easier.
This looks SO good with the fresh mozzarella on top! Lasagna is one of my all time favourite comfort foods and always makes me think of cozy winter evenings at home with my family.
Nellwyn | http://www.thecardinalpress.com
Lasagna is definitely one of my favourite comfort foods and this one looks so good with the fresh mozzarella on top!
Nellwyn | http://www.thecardinalpress.com
My family would love the Homestyle Thicky & Hearty Four Cheese Sauce.
You have me at the easy sauce. Whenever I make a lasagna or something like that I use jarred sauce and I am italian.
I know, when I make plain pasta, I try to make my sauce from scratch but all the work that goes into layered dishes, who the heck has the time!
I am sad to say that out of ALL the family dinners I have made, I've never made lasagna. I truly need to try- and this recipe seems like a simple place to begin!
YES! You must learn to make a lasagna! It's right up there in my belief that everyone should know how to roast a chicken! I do hope you'll try and see how easy it is!
Omg this lasagna looks so yummy!!! Nothing better than a delicious Italian dinner!
I think not knowing how old I was would drive me up the wall as well!! This sounds like a great dinner Lasagna is one of my husbands favorites!
I'd like to try the Thick Homestyle Four Cheese Sauce
What an interesting story about your grandma! I would try the Roasted garlic!
Thanks -it's so interesting to me too!
I absolutely love a good lasagna! My mother-in-law recently treated us to homemade lasagna and I immediately asked myself why I wasn't making lasagna more often. It's such a delicious and filling meal, and yours looks great!
I'm all about the roasted garlic one!
Homemade lasagna is comfort food for me! I love learning about older generations! What a super special time to have lived with your grandmother. Sounds like she was a great influence!
The roasted garlic sounds delicious!
I like the thick and hearty mushroom sauce always. Can use it on so many diffent things.
We make lasagna soup a lot, but not real lasagna. This one looks pretty good. I usually use homemade sauce though instead of a jar. I like the fresh mozzarella on the top. that is a nice touch.
I also make homemade sauce alot, but this is a great option for those days when there just isn't time.
Great recipe! Ragu is my favorite! I'm looking forward to trying the roasted garlic.
Mushroom or garlic, since they both sound good
This might be a simple classic version, but sometimes that is the best in so many ways.
We would love to try Homestyle Thick & Hearty Mushroom Sauce first!
The Homestyle Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic Sauce sounds delicious.
This looks delicious!
I would love to try Thick and Hearty Roasted Garlic.
I would like to try the Homestyle Thick and Hearty Meat Sauce.
Even my grandmother had 2 birthdays. One was the day she thought she was born and one was the date that was the official date on her birth certificate. In those days, record keeping was as precise as it is today. Your nana Suppa sounds like a very funny and smart lady. Ragu's homestyle was definitely a surprise to me too. So hearty and thick, like the name says. This is a great lasagna recipe, Christine.
Thanks Rini. Yeah, she is something else alright!