We took a couple shortcuts for this recipe by using store-bought marinara and boxed pasta sheets. It saves a ton of time without sacrificing any flavor. We think it’s absolutely perfect as-is, but also understand some people are looking to make sauce from scratch. Use our best homemade spaghetti sauce—it’ll NEVER let you down. Regardless of the route you go, make sure to follow these tips—we’ve reworked this recipe based on user comments to make it even better with more meat, more sauce, and more cheese!
Don’t overcook your noodles.
Lasagna noodles need structure—they have a lot of ingredients layered between them!—so they can’t be too mushy. Make sure to cook them until they’re very al dente; they’re ready typically two minutes before the amount of time on the box.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 lb. lasagna noodles
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 lb. ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-0z.) jars marinara
16 oz. whole milk ricotta
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 c. chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
2 lb. sliced mozzarella
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375º. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, less 2 minutes. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.
Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and drain fat. Return beef to skillet and add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add marinara and stir until warmed through.
Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley, and egg in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large casserole dish, evenly spread a quarter of the meat sauce across the bottom of the dish, then top with a single layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of ricotta mixture, a single layer of mozzarella, and a layer of meat sauce. Repeat layers, topping the last layer of noodles with meat sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then increase temperature to 400º and bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes.
Garnish with parsley before serving.