The Best Cheese Lasagna
- PREP 20min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 50min
We love this easy cheese lasagna recipe! Its perfect blend of cheeses will make anyone weak at the knees. It’s rich, creamy, incredibly cheesy, and absolutely delicious. If you need cheese substitutions, you’ll find them in the article above. We’ve also included tips below for making this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
You Will Need
12 to 15 lasagna noodles, preferably no-boil noodles; see notes
8 ounces (226g) whole milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces (226g) mascarpone cheese
1 cup (2oz) grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
8 ounces (226g) mozzarella, shredded, 2 packed cups
5 ounces (142g) fontina cheese, thinly sliced or shredded
3 cups homemade red pasta sauce or use one 28-ounce jar of spaghetti sauce
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish, or use non-stick cooking spray.
Combine ricotta, mascarpone, parmesan, salt, pepper, and the beaten egg in a medium bowl. Mix well.
Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Place 3 to 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping slightly. Break noodles into smaller pieces to fill any large gaps.
Spread half of the cheese filling over the noodles, followed by half of the basil leaves. Add another layer of noodles, then spread 1 cup of sauce over them. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the fontina cheese. Repeat these steps: add noodles, the rest of the cheese filling, the remaining basil, noodles, and sauce. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the mozzarella and fontina cheese.
If your lasagna dish is very full, place it on a baking sheet to catch any sauce or cheese that might bubble over.
Bake the lasagna, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and the noodles are cooked through, about 30 minutes. For a golden-brown top, broil for 1 to 2 minutes.
Let your lasagna cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Leftover cheese lasagna lasts up to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze-baked cheese lasagna for up to 3 months. Wrap or store it in freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in a 350°F oven until heated through (30 to 60 minutes).
- Make ahead: To assemble the lasagna ahead of time, add a layer of parchment paper and cover it with foil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Noodles: For a faster option, use no-boil lasagna noodles. They’re a bit thinner than traditional noodles, which we like. This recipe calls for one 9-ounce box. If you prefer traditional lasagna noodles, that’s perfectly fine! Just remember to boil them before layering your lasagna.
- Vegetarian cheese lasagna: Most cheeses in our cheese lasagna recipe are vegetarian-friendly, but traditional parmesan cheese isn’t. It contains animal rennet, an enzyme that helps the cheese set. When buying cheeses, carefully read the labels to ensure they don’t contain animal rennet. If you cannot find vegetarian parmesan, leave it out. Add a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast to your ricotta and mascarpone mixture for a cheesy, salty flavor similar to parmesan.
- The nutritional information provided below is an estimate.