Chef John's Lasagna

Chef John, I hope you read these sometimes. This is the absolute best lasagna I've ever had. Thank you for teaching me how to cook, I'm a total noob. After having a heart attack at age 47, I was diagnosed with depression. Doc said to find new hobby, I found you. I've made several of your recipes, all have been fantastic!!!! My hubs and step sons are having a blast being my lab rats :) Thank you for making cooking fun and easy, I never would have thought I could make restaurant quality food.

I have made Chef John's Lasagna two times in the last month and both times it was a huge hit! Don't skimp on the quality of ingredients, it makes all the difference in the world. I would follow this recipe as written the first time, it is fantastic as is, but I know we all like to tweak and make it our own, I do too. Even my 1 year old grandchild was given a little to taste, and he seemed to like it. Thank you Chef John for another incredible recipe!

I noticed that this recipe says 1/2 lb lean ground beef but the one on Chef John's website says 1 1/2 lbs which is what I've always used. 1/2 l/b is probably not enough!

Best lasagna ever- but sadly, fewer leftovers than with my previous recipe. I do add 1-1 1/2 cups red wine to the pot after I brown the meat/veggies and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid by about half, but I am a wino. I'm sure it's just as good without. I've thrown all my other lasagna recipes away.

Except for using Romano instead of Parmesan cheese, I followed this recipe to the letter and made it for the first time this past weekend. It came out perfectly and beautifully. After you have assembled it all and just before putting it in the oven, it may seem as if there is too much liquid in the pan. Don't worry. It cooks off. I used six lasagna noodles per layer, and that seemed to be plenty. After taking our portions, I let the tray sit overnight covered with foil in the fridge. Then I cut the lasagna in equal portions, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and put them (bagged) in the freezer. It's a lot of work up front, but well worth it; and now we have ten easy-to-heat meals left. (Oh, I did add a little red wine to the sauce.)

OK, I haven't made lasagna in years. The stuff I used to make was icky and the noodles were uncooked. Made this recipe last night and the family raved over it. My only question: where is the garlic??? Yes, I cheated and tossed in a couple cloves of minced garlic... anyhow, my aching hands from grating cheese were totally worth it and this will be my go to recipe! As always John, your recipe was phenomenal. I'm trying the maple-brined pork loin next! :)

Tried chef John's Lasagne tonight it is a really tasty dish, this will be the recipe for us from now on

I fixed this for the first time while I had family in town and it was a huge hit. I followed another recommendation and I did 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound sausage. Regarding the sausage, anyone that has a Wholefoods close by....I highly recommend using the store made mild chicken Italian sausage. It so unbelievablely tastey! Also, next time I will make extra sauce so that I can pour some on the individual slices. Just a preference. Great recipe, thank you Chef John!

OMG! This dish is absolutely fabulous. My picky kids give it 5 stars and have stated that I need to make it again. This delicious dish weighted 13 lbs when I finished assembly. It is tasty and very satisfying. My only regret is that I could not stuff more in my stomach. I would also recommend making your own marina sauce using Chef John's recipe. Don't cheat yourself by using a jar sauce. It will be well worth the extra effort and Chef John's sauce is pretty easy to make.

This is my go to lasagna recipe.. I make the actual meat sauce my own way but it's amazing. I let everyone know how amazing it is. We make ours in break

This was amazing.... I followed recipe but added a few of the suggestions... Added a 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg to the ricotta mixture, doubled the ricotta, omitted the sugar & salt and added 1/2 tsp cinnamon, added 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and soaked raw, hard noodles in a large bowl of very hot tap water for 20-30 min instead of boiling... AWESOME!!!!!! Husband asked for it a few times these past few weeks... so glad I froze half of it!

I love Chef John but sometimes I think he's not giving the whole story. 30 minutes at 375 covered and then 20 uncovered does not even come close to making this done. It needs at least 50 minutes covered (increase the temp to 425) and then another 30 minutes uncovered (at 375) for this to be complete. Chef .... dude .... be realistic with your timings ... come on man!!!

I have prepared lasagna following this recipe a couple of times now and I Love it! Leaving the noodles in ice cold water really makes a difference in the consistency of the noodle. I make my own marinara sauce most of the time but once in a while I buy it and when I do I buy the best because if you want your lasagna to be the best you gotta buy the best ingredients! Thanx Chef John ... there's a few recipes of yours that I've tried and they are all fantastic!

Used Jared marinara... Cooked sauce 2 hours... Soaked noodles in boiling water for 15 min... Made exactly as written. Came out pretty darn good... Not at all soupy... Held its shape beautifully.

Followed recipe almost to a T except I left out the mushrooms and I shredded some mozzarella to add in addition to the fresh. What can I say, we like cheese. I give this only 4-stars because it really needed additional seasoning. I added fresh and granulated garlic as well as way more Italian seasoning. Half a teaspoon for a whole lasagna is just ridiculous. I also added thawed and chopped frozen spinach to the ricotta layer. It was the perfect addition and I never leave it out. Both my parents AND my inlaws have deemed it the best they've ever had.

As usual, Chef John's recipe does not disappoint! Only two of us so plenty to freeze for another day. Made as written, wonderful! I have in the past used no-boil noodles (I like the flatness and they work) but this time I just put regular noodles in pan of hot faucet water to soften (think a previous reviewer gave me idea) and found this to be an excellent method. I've hated how boiling the pasta can leave some broken. Anyhow, only tweak for me was a bit more red pepper flakes for our taste. Thanks, Chef John! You are my "go to" chef!

I always thought my lasagna was great until I made this recipe. Absolutely awesome! I did check his blog to verify the meat amounts. I subbed chicken sausage for pork, cottage cheese for ricotta and cheated with canned parm. Rave reviews from the entire family. It freezes and reheats very well. Thanks Chef John!

AMAZING! I substituted the beef and sausage with 99% fat free lean turkey, kept everything else the same. Best lasagna I've ever had!

This came out delicious! I made this almost exactly but I used Tomato paste, sauce, and diced tomatoes instead of the complete prepared one. I added Italian seasoning also. My family really really enjoyed this dish. Plus its almost unheard of, of people making their own homemade Lasagna these days. Will DEFINITELY be making this many many times.

This lasagna is fantastic! Followed recipe exactly. What a beautiful site when pulled out of the oven! Will make again for another special occasion!

How delightful! This recipe easily displaced the one I had been using for years. It is more time consuming than most lasagna recipes because of cooking the noodles and simmering the meat for 2 hours. But that can be cut in into two parts if you cook the meat one day and prepare and bake the casserole the next day. As Chef John says, use fresh cheese. It really does make a difference.

I cannot imagine sullying this amazingly delicious recipe using sauce from a jar (despite the fact that I am a shameless and long-time fan of Chef John). I make my own marinara, and since I live in a country where Italian sausage is unavailable, I make my own using the recipe provided on this site by Vinnie Bag o' Donuts in feedback on another sausage recipe (look for Hot Italian Sausage by Jim Wyllie, Vinnie's feedback is the most helpful critical review - adjust according to the amount of meat you're using) . Thanks Chef John and Vinnie!

This lasagna is a lot of work but it is some of the best lasagna I have tasted. This is a nice meal to make on a rainy day at home. I didnt make any subs, just omitted mushrooms.

I followed the recipe exactly and my husband loved it!! The Italian sausage gives it a nice touch, this will be my go to recipe from now on.

Was very tasty. Also my first attempt at a lasagne and I did pretty well. I made more layers than the recipe called for, though. Also added garlic to the meat/sauce mixture. You can skip the cayenne if you don't want a little kick to the dish.

Another great recipe from Chef John! My family loved this one. I halved the recipe and baked it in a 9x11 pan. I used shredded mozzarella because I didn't notice that the recipe called for fresh mozzarella, but it still turned out great. I also drained the meat after cooking - I don't see any reason to leave that nasty fat in there. Every recipe I have made from Chef John has been 5 stars. Keep them coming!

Yay me dinner! I pretty much followed the recipe, I used hot Italian sausage so I lowered the red pepper. I also made the pasta noodles because I was off work and needed to smash some dough ;) I used all the fat and cheese because sometimes you just need that! I added Cabernet instead of water during the two hour simmer time when it started to thicken. I divided the recipe between 3 foil dishes, ( one for my man, one for my adult child's home, and one for my friend's house). The house smelt so good we were licking the cabinets! Salad and garlic bread to go with.... couldn't ask for anything better! Thank you, Chef!

Delicious !!!!...i followed the recipe exactly i just add spinash to the meat sauce for some extra nutrients it was delicious! !!

This was the best Lasagna I ever made! I was a bit confused about the mozzarella because it was listed twice on the ingredients list. I added one pack of mozzarella to the cheese mixture and added the rest of it on top and throughout the lasagna. I didn't use any added salt except in the boiling water, and I'm glad I didn't because it didn't need it. Next time I will make my sauce and meat mixture the day before, so it won't take up so much of my day.

Best lasagna I've ever made.

Super tasty! Will likely use less of the sausage next time - a tiny bit too spicy for my wimpy tastebuds. :)

I rarely give 5 stars but this is a winner and loved the video that went along with it, really helped and easy to follow. Husband couldn't stop raving about it. I served it with a salad. The only thing negative is the ingredients list is a bit confusing, ricotta amount, but I figured it out. Will use and make again.

Good, but recipe was hard for me to follow - two different 8oz Mozzarella pkgs in 2 different locations? Missed it when shopping. There seemed to be way too many noodles and too much meat and cheese for a normal 10x15 pan, I made an extra one and froze it - which is great, but for one pan, I'll reduce the ingredients next time. Cam e out great, and tasted good as well - the italian sausage really helps.

Superb!!! Always a hit when I make it!

Excellent! This is now my go to lasagna recipe. The only thing I do different is add a béchamel sauce and it totally makes it over the top delish .

I added about 1/4 tsp. of fennel, because I've always thought it makes lasagna "pop". Honestly, this recipe is so good I don't know whether or not it made a significant difference. If you want a fantastic dinner for 6-10 people, and you have the time to let things simmer, this is the only thing you should bother looking at. A word of caution: make sure your meat-sauce saucepan/saute pan is *really* spacious. Personally, I find it easier to make the meat sauce in a stock-pot, then soak the noodles in cold water for 20 minutes before par-boiling in a "large" saucepan. But if you know your way around a kitchen, you can solve logistical problems like that already. This is simply an excellent recipe. I used to make really good lasagna. But now that old recipe seems almost insipid. This is WAY better.

I use Allrecipes all the time, but this is my first review because it was so good. (Although I may be justifying the 3-1/2 hour prep, as my guests seemed to be underwhelmed.) But I write to let others know it can be great even with substitutions/omissions. I used one pound ground chicken instead of 1-1/2 pounds ground beef to save money on an expensive dish! I left out the mushrooms as everyone doesn’t like mushrooms. And I used no-boil lasagna noodles, which worked beautifully. My best lasagna yet.

I usually love Chef John's recipes; however, my mom was Italian so I have always followed her recipe with a few of my own additions. I found this recipe just too meaty for my liking; however, a good friend of mine preferred this recipe to my own regular recipe. I should say he is a meat lover and I am not! One takeaway I did get from this recipe is the use of fresh mozzarella cheese rather than the grating kinds or pre-sliced, I will from here on in use fresh so for that tip, I thank you Chef.

This is virtually the same recipe I’ve been using for years. This is almo Identical to the old Better Crocker cookbook recipe. I don’t use all fresh mozzarella though. But very rich and delicious for sure.

This is the best lasagna I've ever made taste wise and texture wise. It freezes beautifully as well. Thanks Chef John!

Excellent

I would definitely add more marinara sauce. Each layer seemed thin and the top layer suffered the most. This was my first attempt at lasagna and it turned out well. I would make it again.

Absolutely amazing, best lasagna I've ever had. Made it exactly as indicated except I didn't boil the noodles, just soaked them in hot tap water while prepping other items - and only let the sauce cook down for 30 minutes instead of the 2 hours advised. It probably worked out well because my noodles needed some of that excess liquid to finish cooking in the oven. I had 4 noodles left over after using 6 per layer. Used a high quality jarred sauce - Lidia's tomato basil.

Without a doubt an incredibly delicious lasagna. It made our Sunday dinner an unforgettable one that night. Didn't change a thing, perfect as is!

I made this the other day and believe me it was a mega hit!

This is a great recipe; the meat sauce is incredibly delicious. I used sweet pork Italian sausage from Trader Joe's and it was perfect! Changes: I used 1lb of beef and it turned out great. I opted for a little less tomato sauce (and possibly next time will use even less because it turned way too watery for me; although leftovers were VERY good). I will DEFINITELY make this lasagna again!

Totally weren't kidding about the min. requirements for pan size! My husband praised it though and he's not a red sauce lover. This will make a repeat performance in my kitchen :)

This recipe is perfection. We made this with a few jars of Francisco Rinaldo's marinara sauce. I've made several lasagna recipes before and this one is the best.

Chef John comes up trumps again, this is undoubtably the best lasagne I have made or tasted, bar none. Gone is the greasy cheesy bechamel gloop that I always associated with lasagne. Instead a much firmer dish and rich without being gloopy. It's my 'goto' lasagne from now.

my Lasagna never , EVER came out good, this was my last attempt in making lasagna, well, gotta tell ya, Chef John, this is my 2nd recipe from you, my first was slow cooker pot roast, and my 2nd is your lasagna, GREA!!!!!!T ...you are turning me into a little chef Thank you i don't mind cleaning up in the Kitchen NOW I am now your favorite Student....Sera

I loved this recipe, even though it took 4.5 hours start to finish. My customer (wife) agreed that it was excellent. We had it with our favorite Caesar salad, also from this site. Changes I made: 1. I had a leek that wanted a home so I chopped it up and sautéed it before adding the meat to brown. 2. I added a couple of cloves of chopped garlic to the leeks just before adding the meat. 3. I had some chives on hand so I added those to the cheese mix. 4. I added red wine rather than water when it got too thick. No big deal. 5. I cooked the noodles VERY al dente, i.e. for only 6 minutes, though the box instructions said 12. I knew it would be OK because they cook again in the oven and absorb all those delicious flavors. 6. I committed sacrilege: I did use whole mild ricotta, but I didn't have any fresh whole-milk mozzarella so I used a part skim-milk heresy. And it was pretty good. Go ahead, report me to the authorities :). I'll definitely make it again.

I make it all the time. My Family always asks me to make it at Christmas. It really is the end all be all lasagna in my opinion. 😎👍

I added peppers- red, green, yellow and orange. I transferred them to the meat fat in the skillet and cooked them with onions, garlic, and herbs before transferring them to the meat sauce. I also made it again with turkey and it's just as amazing. I love Chef John!

This is the best lasagna I have ever had! I could eat the meat sauce all by itself with a spoon. Yum. I followed the recipe exactly and would not change a thing.

Due to a very hectic schedule I had to make this in stages. Meat sauce after dinner last night. Cheese stage after lunch today. Made pasta and assembled the lasagna around 415. It was in the oven by 445. Cooked, rested and on the table at 615. I followed the directions (other than stages) as written, with the exception of using seasoned pepper as my family prefers spices that are finely ground. This was very good. My Granddaughter even said "good supper". Thanks for the recipe AND for videos that teach and entertain at the same time.

Excellent choice . I like to add a few onions to my sauce

Once again, Well Done Chef John. Made it with just a few tweaks to fit my family. no cayenne and Ground turkey instead of beef. Made marinara sauce in advance so I wouldn't have to use jarred. Extra sauce is always a plus. A definite hit. Thanks

Chef John is right, you NEED a lasagna pan. I didn't have enough room. It was delicious!!

I made this meal exactly as it was and it was wonderful. Please don't take shortcuts. Perfect the way it is.

Awesome. Didn't add the mushrooms because I didn't have them. Great taste, everyone loved it. My new go-to Lasagna recipe.

Followed recipe as written. Best lasagna I’ve made so far. Will definitely make it again.

This lasagna recipe brought out some really nice spice and heat from the sausage; I was really happy with the texture and flavor! No changes needed except that the wine recommendation I see in all the reviews was totally on the nose. I loved the flavor I got form adding about a cup of wine, and letting the sauce thicken up to a ruby red. The sauce can definitely withstand 2.5 hrs of simmering without a problem, just stir frequently. Also, I used the no-boil lasagna pasta from trader joe’s And this is not recommended- came out too hard and required more time cooking. Just use fresh or boiled pasta!!!

I followed the recipe exactly and Chef John doesn't disappoint me. I'll definitely make it again. I got it ready the night before and took it out of the refrigerator and baked it an hour with foil over it and baked another 30min. uncovered. Delicious!

This lasagna is delicious, I already can’t wait to have it again! I’m wondering if this recipe is freezer friendly - can I freeze it after assembly but before baking? Has anyone tried this? Thanks!

I made this. Everyone loved it. I added a chopped onion to the meat sauce and also a bit of fennel. Will use this recipe again

Fantastic Lasagna. I found the comment about cutting into squares wrapping in plastic wrap and then placing in freezer bags helpful. I had not made lasagna in a long time because it makes so much - so this is useful. I also added some onions and garlic.

Everyone loved it,... Best I've had in a very long time.....

Best ever

I'm making this for all my neighbors. They deserve the best and this is what it is!! Thank you again, Chef John!!

This dish is amazing, it is so delicious and I had many compliments on it, never changed a think, thank you, Chef John

This has to be one of the best recipes for Lasagna I have ever tried. My families new favorite.

I made this just as the directions say. Where is the cheese? Way too much tomato flavor. The Italian sausage was the second flavor that came out. No cheese flavor what so ever! Disappointing after putting the time and effort into this recipe.

easy and delicious, if a little time consuming but well worth it. Added some fresh garlic to meat sauce while simmering Family loved it with a nice merlot!

Followed the recipe as closely as I could. Used spicy Italian sausage so I left out the red pepper and cayenne. Everyone loved it! Making it again for the second time this month since I had so many requests for it. The prepared marinara sauce I use is a predominantly basil in flavor so I added a little oregano instead of the Italian herbs.

Loved it! Chef John your the best!

Thank you for the technical tips. I learnt a lot from this video. The end result was lovely.

No changes. Simply awesome. And it gets better on days 2-5 as leftovers.

I made it straight up! Everyone loved it!!!

A hint of heat makes this lasagna delightful! I doubled the recipe and made 2 pans - will definitely make again! Thanks, chef, for sharing!

This is my go to Lasagna recipe. The only thing I add is fresh Basil.

I make it just as written. The secret is simmering the sauce. Don't cheat on the time. It's worth it.

I used brown rice lasagna noodles and liked their silky texture. Also added a bit of chopped pepperoni. Great recipe!

Thank you, Chef John, for teaching me the correct way of making lasagne! I didn't grow up cooking Italian meals, so this simplified it. Love the sausage/ground beef combination. I did add garlic because one can never have too much garlic .....

Delicious for a traditional lasagna. I felt that it had a bit too much sauce, so next time I will probably cut out about a cup.

Tasted good, but I would give it 5 stars with more cheese and more sauce added. I liked the ricotta mix since it was smooth to spread. Be aware the recipe calls for a larger pan than normal, so I split mine between a 9 x 12 and a smaller pan for the remaining amounts. Would make again!

Excelent and easy recipe. Food is always a great hit at home with chef john's recipes. I wouldnt change a bit, we just added some fresh chopped basil at every layer

I made it with ground pork, ground turkey & ground beef. I also put in some fresh spinach. This was the best tasting lasagna ever. I truly believe it has to do with simmering the sauce for 2 hours. Wasn't the easiest recipe - there are a lot of steps and a lot of ingredients, however, I will definitely make it again for a crowd!

I made this recipe and it is amazing. I am not much of a fan of mushrooms so I skipped them but I did add one medium fire roasted diced red pepper, a couple of big pepperonis in the middle and 4 more on top. Can hardly wait for it cool and dig in.

I made this the second time for my cousin who had gotten out of the hospital. I assembled the lasagna without baking it and put it in the fridge. My cousin baked it the next day and she really liked it. Thanks again Chef John :)

This was a phenomenal meat sauce recipe. I did only use 1lb of beef, as that was all I had on hand, and it was still an incredibly flavorful lasagna. I served this with an eggplant spinach lasagna for a dinner party and it was a huge hit. I’m sure I will make this again.

Finally a lasagna recipe for us! This was time consuming, as is any lasagna, especially because I used Chef John's delicious homemade tomato sauce. An all day affair - would be easier if you make the sauce one day then make the lasagna the next day or just use good quality jarred sauce. Next time I will reduce the amount of meat, maybe by a third. It really absorbed the sauce and was a bit much for us, though meat lovers will love it. It's also a bit spicy for my tastes so I may reduce the red pepper flake or even omit it. Overall an excellent recipe. Once again, well done Chef John!!

Delicious!, Great recipe, I adjust 2lb of beef to turkey still very delicious. Also the final product was a little watery, why, I put to much water in the meat sauce. When the instructions ask to clean your marinara sauce jar/can and pour water into sauce, you only want to start with a cup. While cooking if you notice the sauce is too thick add more water accordingly. Regardless excellent delicious recipe. Thanks Chef John.

This is, hands down, the best recipe for lasagna! The only miscalculation I made was for the prep time. For me, it was more like 45 minutes including browning the meat and putting the cheeses together. Don't scrimp on the ingredients...they are SO worth the effort of using the best.

So easy to make & so delicious! My family & I really loved it! follow the exact recipe on his page

Amazing! I will be definitely be making this for company again! Everyone loved it. Like other people, I made the sauce the day before. Easier to prep that way! One question though. Why does the recipe call for 2 lb of mozzarella when you only use 1 1/2 lb?

The recipe is great as is!! It amazes me how some will completely change the recipe, and then thank chef john. It is not fair to the readers to rate a recipe after you have completely changed the ingredients.

I did a Veggie twist and added a ton vegetables instead of the meat and it was amazing

Made it as written, super yummy can’t wait to try the leftovers. ??

Question hopefully someone can answer. Can I make the meat sauce 1 day prior to making the lasagna or will the meat become less tender? I am making this for my boyfriends birthday but I wont have time to spend 3.5 hours on it.