Sausage Lasagna
Homemade sausage lasagna is layered with Italian sausage meat sauce, creamy ricotta, mozzarella and oven-ready noodles for a hearty family dinner.
If I’m going to make homemade lasagna, I want it to be worth the effort. That means a meaty tomato sauce with plenty of flavor, lots of cheese, and layers that hold together when you cut into them.
This Italian sausage lasagna recipe checks all those boxes. The homemade sauce combines Italian sausage and ground beef with crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, mushrooms, herbs and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It simmers low and slow before being layered with creamy ricotta and two different Italian cheeses.
I’m warning you upfront, this is not a 30-minute dinner. But, most of the cook time is hands-off. It’s the kind of meal I like to make for Sunday dinner, when we’re having company, or anytime I want something hearty that will feed the whole family and provide plenty of leftovers.
Recipe at a glance
- No need to boil the noodles. I use oven-ready noodles, so there’s no large pot of salted water or waiting for traditional lasagna noodles to cook al dente.
- The sauce is made from scratch. Instead of relying on jarred marinara sauce or spaghetti sauce, we’re making a rich meat sauce with tomatoes, herbs and seasonings.
- Two kinds of meat add flavor. Sweet Italian sausage adds seasoning while lean ground sirloin gives the sauce plenty of hearty, beefy flavor.
- There is lots of cheese. Ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan create layers of creamy, gooey cheese throughout the lasagna.
- It’s great for feeding a crowd. One 9 x 13-inch pan makes 12 generous servings.
- The leftovers are delicious. Like many pasta dishes, leftover lasagna may taste even better the next day once all those flavors have had more time to mingle.
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Ingredients you will need
This hearty sausage lasagna is made with layers of a rich, slow-simmered meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, sliced mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. To make this recipe, you will need:
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Mild Italian sausage: Mild Italian sausage provides much of the flavor in the meat sauce. Despite the name, “sweet” doesn’t necessarily mean the sausage contains sugar. It generally means it’s mild rather than spicy.
- Ground sirloin: I combine one pound of ground beef with one pound of sausage. I prefer lean ground sirloin because it adds beef flavor without making the finished sauce overly greasy.
- Tomatoes: This homemade meat sauce uses three different tomato products: crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Each serves a purpose. The crushed tomatoes provide texture, the tomato sauce adds liquid, and the concentrated tomato paste gives the sauce a deeper tomato flavor and helps it thicken as it simmers.
- Balsamic vinegar: Half a cup of balsamic vinegar might sound unusual in a classic lasagna recipe, but it adds acidity and a subtle richness that complements the tomatoes and the meat.
- Mushrooms: Sliced mushrooms add another savory element to the sauce. As they cook with the onion, garlic, sausage and beef, they soften and absorb all those flavors.
- Herbs and seasonings: This sauce isn’t shy on seasoning. Basil, oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, parsley, garlic and bay leaves build layers of flavor during the long simmer.
- Ricotta cheese: The cheese filling is a simple combination of ricotta cheese, eggs, parsley and salt. The eggs help bind the cheese mixture so the layers stay together when the lasagna is sliced.
- Mozzarella cheese: I use sliced mozzarella cheese rather than shredded or fresh mozzarella. It’s convenient, budget friendly, and you get that amazing cheese pull. Plan on approximately 24 slices, or about 1½ pounds.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated Parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty flavor that complements the mild mozzarella and creamy ricotta.
Why I use oven-ready lasagna noodles
One of my favorite shortcuts for homemade lasagna is using oven-ready noodles. There’s no need to boil lasagna noodles, drain slippery sheets of pasta, or worry about them sticking together before you’re ready to assemble the casserole.
Oven-ready noodles are designed to absorb moisture from the sauce while the lasagna bakes. That’s why it’s important to make sure every layer of noodles has plenty of sauce around it.
If you’re using regular lasagna noodles or traditional lasagna noodles instead, I recommend cooking them according to the package directions first. Cook them just until al dente so they don’t become too soft during baking.
Substitutions and variations
- Make it spicy: Replace the sweet Italian sausage with hot Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage. You can also add red pepper flakes to the meat sauce.
- Use another ground beef: Ground chuck or another lean ground beef can be substituted for the ground sirloin. Drain any excess grease before adding the tomatoes.
- Substitute cottage cheese: Not a fan of ricotta? Cottage cheese can be substituted. Small-curd cottage cheese will give you the closest texture, though the finished cheese filling will be slightly looser than one made with ricotta.
- Change the types of cheese: There are several kinds of cheese that work well in Italian-American lasagna. Try provolone in place of some of the mozzarella, or use Romano in place of Parmesan.
How to make sausage lasagna
Step 1: Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage, ground sirloin, onion, mushrooms, and garlic until the meat is browned. Drain excess grease if needed.
Step 2: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaves.
Step 3: Combine the ricotta, eggs, parsley, and remaining salt in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with 3 oven-ready noodles, one-third of the ricotta mixture, 6 mozzarella slices, meat sauce, Parmesan, and Romano.
Step 5: Repeat the layers twice. Finish with the remaining 3 noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
Step 6: Cover with aluminum foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the foil and bake for another 25–30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving suggestions
Because this lasagna and sausage recipe is so hearty, I usually keep the sides simple.
- Bacon and cheese muffins – Skip the traditional garlic bread and serve these savory muffins instead. Loaded with bacon and cheese, they’re especially good for soaking up any extra tomato sauce left on your plate.
- Marinated asparagus – The tangy marinade cuts through the richness of the meat sauce and cheeses.
- Air fryer roasted carrots – An easy vegetable side that doesn’t require tying up the oven while the lasagna is baking.
- Creamy herb salad dressing – Toss a simple green salad with this cool, creamy homemade herb dressing for a fresh contrast to rich sausage lasagna. Its bright herb flavor helps balance all that hearty meat sauce and cheese.
If you’re serving this for a special dinner, a bottle of red wine such as a Chianti Classico or Zinfandel pairs beautifully with the rich tomato sauce, Italian sausage and cheeses.
Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions
Storage. Allow the leftover lasagna to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.You can also leave the lasagna in the casserole dish and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil before refrigerating.
Freezing. Lasagna is a great freezer meal. You can freeze individual portions of cooked or uncooked lasagna in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to three months. For larger portions, I like to store the lasagna in disposable pans so I’m not typing up my glass dishes. Wrap the lasagna tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil to help protect it from freezer burn. Thaw the frozen lasagna overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Tip: Write the baking instructions on the top with a sharpie so you don’t have to hunt for the recipe when you are ready to thaw and reheat.
Reheating. For individual portions, microwave the lasagna until heated through. For several servings, place the leftover lasagna in a baking dish, cover it with aluminum foil and reheat at 350°F until warmed through. Covering the lasagna helps prevent the cheese from drying out before the center gets hot. If the lasagna looks a little dry, spoon a small amount of tomato sauce around the edges before reheating.
Sausage lasagna FAQ’s
Yes. Assemble the lasagna, cover it tightly and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Since you’ll be starting with a cold casserole dish, you may need to add a little extra covered baking time.
Yes. Assemble the lasagna in a freezer-safe baking dish but don’t bake it. Cover the lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and freeze for up to three months.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking. Remove the plastic wrap, replace the foil and bake according to the recipe directions, allowing additional time as needed for the cold center to heat through.
Covering the pan traps steam, which is especially important when using oven-ready noodles. That moisture helps soften the noodles without having to boil them first. Removing the foil for the final portion of the cook time allows the mozzarella and other Italian cheeses on top to melt and brown.
Straight from the oven, the sauce and melted cheese are extremely hot and loose. A 15-minute rest gives the layers time to firm up, making the lasagna much easier to cut into neat portions.
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If you made Sausage Lasagna, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Your ratings and reviews help others find the recipe and give me great feedback too.
Sausage Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground sirloin
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, divided
- 12 oven ready lasagna noodles
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese, part-skim or whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 24 slices (about 1½ pounds) mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large stockpot with a lid over medium heat. Add the sausage, ground sirloin, onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain any excess grease if necessary.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar.
- Add the sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1½ teaspoons of the salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, remaining 4 tablespoons parsley, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Arrange 3 uncooked lasagna noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce.
- Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Arrange about 6 mozzarella slices over the ricotta. Spoon a layer of meat sauce over the mozzarella, then sprinkle ½ a cup of the Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the layers two more times using 3 noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, meat sauce, ½ cup Parmesan for each layer.
- Arrange the remaining 3 lasagna noodles over the top. Cover with the remaining meat sauce. Arrange the remaining 6 mozzarella slices over the sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray to prevent the cheese from sticking.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25–30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Mozzarella: I use sliced mozzarella rather than fresh mozzarella because it contains less moisture and is more affordable. About 24 slices should provide enough for all four layers.
- Lasagna noodles: If using regular uncooked lasagna noodles, make sure they are completely covered with sauce so they have enough moisture to soften while baking.
- Drain excess grease: Depending on the sausage and ground beef you use, you may need to drain excess grease before adding the tomato ingredients.
- Don’t rush the sauce: Simmering the meat sauce for 1½–2 hours allows it to thicken and gives the flavors time to develop.
- Prevent sticking: Spray the underside of the aluminum foil with cooking spray before covering the lasagna to keep the melted cheese from sticking.
- Let it rest: Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 15 minutes after baking. This gives the layers time to set and makes it much easier to slice.
- Make ahead: Assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Allow a little additional baking time if you’re putting it into the oven cold.
- Freezing: The assembled lasagna can be frozen before baking. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
Nutrition
Mmmmm…I’ll be maing lasagne for dinner tomorrow now!!
It’s early in the morning and you’re making me hungry. This looks fantastic! Jebbie would approve.
This sounds like the ultimate lasagna recipe. I will have to try this very soon 🙂
That is a great idea to use up leftover turkey! I usually make pans of tetrazinni, but even that gets old!
Usually, the only time of the year when I bake Lasagna is after Thanksgiving. I do a meat tomato sauce with the turkey scraps and then start baking. Otherwise, I guess I am just too lazy… but I admit this is so worth it!
Beautiful job with this recipe! The photos look terrific. I think with the weather cooling down I need to make a batch soon!