Sunday Beef Lasagna
From our kitchen · November 9, 2026
I have made lasagna on a Tuesday, so the name isn’t a rule. Sunday is simply when I’m most likely to have time to leave a pot of sauce simmering while I do something else nearby.
It also gives me a reasonable answer when someone asks why there are so many bowls on the counter.
There’s the sauce, the ricotta mixture, the shredded cheese, and the noodles. I get them all ready before I start layering. Otherwise I’m halfway through and looking for the Parmesan with a sauce-covered spoon in my hand.
I use regular lasagna noodles and boil them just short of done. They finish in the oven. I lay them on an oiled baking sheet rather than stack them in a colander, where they seem to develop a lasting attachment to one another.
Daniel usually volunteers to help with the mozzarella. This involves distributing a little into the dish and checking a little for quality. I’ve started putting his portion in a separate bowl.
The sauce should be thick enough to spread, with no puddle of water around it. I let it simmer uncovered while I mix the ricotta. There’s no need to hurry that part.
Waiting after the lasagna comes out is harder. Fifteen minutes feels unnecessary until I try cutting it early and find the filling heading in every direction. A short rest makes serving much easier.
I don’t promise perfect squares. The first piece is often a little untidy, which gives me a reason to take it. I like the browned corner, and nobody needs to know whether I planned it that way.
Sunday Beef Lasagna
- Serves
- 8 servings
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 min
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 pound lean ground beef, 90% lean
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus salt for pasta water
½ teaspoon black pepper
12 regular dried lasagna noodles, about 12 ounces; not oven-ready
1 container (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta
1 large egg
½ cup grated Parmesan, divided
3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella, about 12 ounces
Nonstick spray or a little oil for dish and foil
Directions
- 1
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes. Add beef and brown 7–9 minutes, breaking it up, until it reaches 160°F; drain excess fat. Stir in garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute.
- 2
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Simmer uncovered 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread. If very thick, add water a tablespoon at a time.
- 3
Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Boil regular noodles in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package's full cooking time. Drain and lay separately on lightly oiled baking sheets.
- 4
Mix ricotta, egg, ¼ cup Parmesan, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Divide ricotta into three portions and mozzarella into four portions.
- 5
Spread about ¾ cup sauce in the dish. Layer four noodles, overlapping slightly, one portion ricotta, about 1 cup sauce, and one portion mozzarella. Repeat twice, using all noodles and ricotta. Spread any remaining sauce over the top and add the final portion mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
- 6
Cover with lightly greased foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15–20 minutes longer until bubbling and the center reaches 165°F. Rest 15 minutes before cutting.
Kitchen tip
Use the noodle type listed. Oven-ready sheets absorb liquid differently and are not a direct substitution in this version.
Got one your family asks for?
Send it in and we’ll run it in Riverpark West. Tell us how you’d like to be credited — or stay anonymous.
Share your family’s recipe