Our Best Lasagna Recipes

September 01, 2015
Leigh Beisch
For a hearty, make-ahead meal, you can’t go wrong with a classic lasagna dish! From light veggie lasagnas to rich and meaty lasagnas, you’re sure to find one your family will love in this collection of our best lasagna recipes!
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Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Claire Spollen    
Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce Recipe

This simple lasagna is perfect for when you're short on time, but craving a comforting meal. Ready in just over an hour, it requires only 50 minutes of cooking in the oven.

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Lean Lasagna

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Karin Olsen
Lean Lasagna Recipe

Our favorite recipe from the Cooking Light column, this lightened-up lasagna tastes every bit as flavorful as the traditional version.

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Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Béchamel

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen
Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Béchamel Recipe

Here's a sauce so good you'll want to eat it by the spoonful. Make a double batch, and stir into whole grains, drizzle over vegetables, or use as a sauce for lighter mac and cheese.

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Instant Pot Lasagna

Meredith Food Studios
Instant Pot Lasagna Recipe

Weeknight dinner doesn't get easier than this—we're talking cheesy, gooey, and ready in a flash. The next time the craving for hearty, comfort food strikes, just remember, Instant Pot Lasagna has your back.

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Lasagna Dip With Pasta Chips

Photo: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Robby Melvin
Lasagna Dip With Pasta Chips Recipe

Olive Garden got this one right, folks—lasagna in dip form is all kinds of wonderful, especially served with freshly fried, crisp pasta chips. Trust us, this meaty, cheesy appetizer will be a welcome addition to any party.

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Extra-Easy Lasagna

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro, Laura Martin
Extra-Easy Lasagna Recipe

When we say easy, we mean easy. You don't even have to cook the noodles for this speedy yet impressive lasagna that always gets rave reviews. Lasagna is a family favorite, but this version is extra-special because it only requires 5 quick ingredients: ground beef, pasta sauce, lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella (we don’t count the water!). It’s rated 5 stars for a reason. Pro tip: Make a double batch: Enjoy one now and freeze one for a quick meal on a busy weeknight.

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Roasted Butternut Squash-and-Spinach Lasagna

Time Inc. Video Studios
Roasted Butternut Squash-and-Spinach Lasagna Recipe

It's the perfect fall dinner. 

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Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Spinach Lasagna Recipe

Always a crowd-pleaser, this lasagna is full of hearty veggies.

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Zucchini Lasagna

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos
Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

Three cheeses and thin, woven strips of zucchini make this one-pan classic a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re cooking Sunday supper or planning for the family reunion. Use a mandoline slicer, not a vegetable peeler, to cut the thinnest zucchini strips. Once you’ve sliced the squash, the lasagna is a snap to put together—just layer the ingredients and bake.

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Nicole’s Best Lasagna

Time Inc. Video Stuido
Nicole’s Best Lasagna Recipe

Test kitchen chef and host of Mom vs. Nicole McLaughlin shares her personal recipe for the absolute best homemade lasagna. And trust us, she doesn’t throw the word “best” around lightly. 

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Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Photography: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Thom Driver.
Skillet Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

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Tomato-Basil Lasagna Rolls

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell
Tomato-Basil Lasagna Rolls Recipe

Canned artichokes give the rich filling its meaty heft. Feel free to sub sautéed 'shrooms or spinach.

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Pumpkin-and-Turnip Green Lasagna

Photo: Greg Dupree; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Pumpkin-and-Turnip Green Lasagna Recipe

TIP: Use no-boil lasagna noodles (we like Barilla brand), which will soak up moisture from the sauce and pumpkin.

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Lucie's Lasagna

Photo: Thomas J. Story
Lucie's Lasagna Recipe

Thomas McNaughton, the chef and co-owner of Flour + Water and several other restaurants in San Francisco, named this hearty, well-structured lasagna for its biggest fan--his baby daughter, Lucie. "Make this lasagna the way you like it and to fit the seasons," he says. "If you like aged Gouda, use that instead of parmesan. Or use thyme in the winter instead of basil." It's also an ideal make-ahead dish for a laid-back dinner party, since it tastes even better when assembled the day before. To keep track of ingredients as you layer the lasagna, cross each one off as you go--and don't be deterred by the longish prep time. It's worth it.

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Pizza Roll Lasagna Casserole 

Photos by Teresa Sabga
Pizza Roll Lasagna Casserole  Recipe
Take your pizza rolls and chip bag shake and turn it into an upsettingly delicious breakfast casserole
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Latina Lasagna

Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Leslie Siegel
Latina Lasagna Recipe
You can assemble and chill this up to two days ahead to bake before serving. Simply add 20 to 30 minutes to the baking time.

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Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower
Chicken, Spinach, and Mushroom Lasagna Recipe
Chicken thighs poach until tender in stock, which becomes the base for a creamy béchamel sauce. No-boil noodles absorb more liquid during baking for a sturdy slice after freezing and reheating.

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Speedy Lasagna

Speedy Lasagna Recipe
Using a microwave to prepare this lasagna makes it super speedy.
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Turkey Lasagna

Photo: Karry Hosford
Turkey Lasagna Recipe
"I began using turkey in lasagna after my husband and I developed health problems. The recipe is a big hit with my family." --CL Reader

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Weeknight Ravioli Lasagna

Weeknight Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
You just need 5 ingredients to prepare this quick and easy lasagna dish.

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Seafood Lasagna

Photography: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Seafood Lasagna Recipe
You can always splurge on fresh crabmeat, but we tested this dish with canned Chicken of the Sea lump crabmeat and liked the results. Shrimp shells render a quick stock to flavor the sauce. We used oven-ready lasagna noodles to save time.
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Mushroom and Fresh Herb Lasagna

Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon
Mushroom and Fresh Herb Lasagna Recipe
For this intensely mushroomy lasagna, brawny portabellas and shiitakes cook down until their flavors are concentrated. Then they're layered with a creamy, velvety sauce and sheets of no-boil pasta, which are thinner than regular dried pasta.

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Creamy Spinach Lasagna

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Creamy Spinach Lasagna Recipe
The mild flavor and creamy texture of this spinach lasagna will appeal to kids and adults alike. You may want to reduce or increase the pepper amounts according to your family's preferences.

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Easy Mexican Lasagna

Easy Mexican Lasagna Recipe
This "Mexican lasagna" is a cheesy chicken-and-tortilla casserole that's sure to be a family favorite in no time.
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Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna Recipe
Layers of thin-sliced eggplant replace the meat in this cheesy lasagna recipe. Use the eggplant within a day or two of purchase for the best flavor.

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Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Francine Degni, Jan Gautro
Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana Recipe
Named for the town from which it hails (Amatrice in central Italy), this sauce typically combines pancetta with tomatoes. Imported San Marzano tomatoes were used to test this recipe. Use cured bacon to allow the tomatoes and heat to star, or add a smoky note with smoked bacon. It's best to cook pasta sheets one at a time. Then build the individual lasagna portions, and bake them all together. Don't worry if the pasta tears as you build each dish—just patch it together and continue assembling.

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Grilled Summer Vegetable Lasagna

Randy Mayor
Grilled Summer Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
This recipe has a number of components, but all can be made ahead, particularly the tomato purée and the white sauce. You can substitute 3 (8-ounce) cans of tomato purée for the homemade tomato purée. You can also use a grill pan to prepare the vegetables indoors.
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Butternut-Kale Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Butternut-Kale Lasagna Recipe

Gruyère-spiked béchamel drapes over the noodles and squash to give Butternut-Kale Lasagna velvety richness. Hearty, earthy kale perfectly balances the sweet squash, and crunchy, toasted pecans crown the top of this luscious lasagna

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Slow Cooker Sausage and Squash Lasagna

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Cindy Barr    
Slow Cooker Sausage and Squash Lasagna Recipe

We were surprised and delighted by how well lasagna cooks up in the slow cooker. Be sure to use traditional noodles, and place them in the cooker uncooked. We tried the recipe with specially formulated no-bake noodles, and they didn't work as well.

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Lasagna Rolls

Oxmoor House
Lasagna Rolls Recipe
Double this casserole so you can have one to keep and one to either give away or freeze for holiday company...it freezes for up to one month.
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Lazy Lasagna Bolognese

James Carrier
Lazy Lasagna Bolognese Recipe
This recipe for lasagna, always a favorite Italian dish, can be made ahead. Assemble the lasagna (through step 4) up to 1 day in advance, cover, and chill. To save time, prepare the béchamel sauce while the meat simmers.

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Black Bean Lasagna Rolls

Photo: Oxmoor House
Black Bean Lasagna Rolls Recipe
These Mexican-style lasagna rolls are stuffed with black beans, green chiles, and cheese.

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Golden Lasagna

Golden Lasagna Recipe
Made with golden squash, curry powder, and ginger, this veggie lasagna has a hint of Indian flavor.
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Easy Skillet Lasagna

Easy Skillet Lasagna Recipe

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Pumpkin-Pecan Lasagna

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst
Pumpkin-Pecan Lasagna Recipe
The toasted pecans add crunchy texture and earthy flavor.

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Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Oxmoor House
Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna Recipe

We have yet to meet an American who doesn’t love lasagna. Unfortunately, the original is often served with a side of, “But I shouldn’t….” This recipe will change all that.

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

Photo: Antonis Achilleos, Food Styling: Gordon Sawyer and Tina Stamos, Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell
Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

The sweet squash contrasts beautifully with Smoky Marinara in this butternut squash lasagna. You can make the marinara in advance, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

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Tex-Mex Lasagna

Tex-Mex Lasagna
Serve an inspired Mexican meal perfect for a busy weeknight.

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Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms

Photo: Oxmoor House
Pesto Lasagna with Spinach and Mushrooms Recipe
No-boil lasagna noodles are perfect for this recipe, as they absorb all the juices that accumulate in the crockpot. Use 2 (10-ounce) packages of frozen chopped spinach in place of fresh, if you prefer. Also, any mushroom will work.
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Garden-Style Lasagna

Becky Luigart-Stayner
Garden-Style Lasagna Recipe
Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation.

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Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna Recipe
This vegetarian pasta dish is sure to please every palate at your dinner table.

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Spinach-Black Bean Lasagna

Spinach-Black Bean Lasagna Recipe

Go green with your lasagna by adding both spinach and cilantro, and add extra heartiness with a layer of black beans.  For more ideas for lasagna, see our collection of spinach lasagna recipes.

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Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Let your lasagna go Mexican by layering ground beef and sausage with corn tortillas, tomatoes, green chiles,  enchilada sauce, and cheese. It's a convenient weeknight dinner that the kids will love as much as the grownups.

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Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl
Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna Recipe

Spicy sausage gives Turkey Sausage and Spinach Lasagna some kick. And three cheeses--ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan--make this lasagna wonderfully indulgent.

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Mushroom Lasagna