Our Best Lasagna Recipes

Updated September 01, 2015
Credit: 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

Credit: 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.

Extra-lean ground beef (which sometimes cooks up dry) works well here because it's combined with marinara to keep it moist. For a quick and easy variation, feel free to use 9 whole lasagna noodles instead of 6 broken noodles, using 3 noodles per layer. You also can sub fresh basil leaves for the parsley sprinkled on at the end.   

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Lean Lasagna

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

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Roasted Butternut Squash-and-Spinach Lasagna Recipe

Talk about the perfect fall dinner. 

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Spinach Lasagna

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

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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

Credit: Photography: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Thom Driver.

Skillet Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

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Tomato-Basil Lasagna Rolls

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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 

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga

Pizza Roll Lasagna Casserole  Recipe

It's the morning after a big party, and you're surveying the landscape of your tattered apartment. Maybe there are some Solo cups half-filled with cheap beer scattered about, perhaps a bowl with the crumbs of tortilla chips dusting the bottom, maybe some half-eaten wings strewn about. Or maybe you're one of those people who cleans up the night of a party instead of the morning after, but you still half a lot of half-empty bags of snacks in your pantry and no real idea what to do with those rapidly-staling Cooler Ranch Doritos. Don't throw away that chip shake! Turn it into a suspiciously delicious casserole. 

The Pizza Roll Leftover Dirtbag Casserole uses, as you might suspect, pizza rolls as the base, but you could also use Bagel Bites, slices of takeout or frozen pizza cut into strips, or any other pizza-like substance in your home. The premise is simple: Make a kind of lasagna creations using the pizza rolls (or mini-bagels or biscuit dough) as the noodles, and salsa as the tomato sauce. Top it all off with a healthy shake from the bottom of the bag of Doritos, Cheetos, or your leftover party sized bag of choice. Seal it with some eggs and milk whipped together, throw it in the oven for a while, and voila: you've transformed your party leftovers into a pizza casserole good enough for breakfast, and leftover lunch too. Reduce, reuse, recycle, y'know?

Pizza Roll Lasagna Dirtbag Casserole

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Latina Lasagna

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

Credit: 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

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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

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Pumpkin-Pecan Lasagna Recipe

The toasted pecans add crunchy texture and earthy flavor.