In this post, I am going to give directions for each step in the process of making a completely from scratch lasagna. We’ll make the sauce together, blend together a mixture of cheeses, and even make our own whole wheat pasta. I’ll show you how you can subtly add a variety of veggies into the lasagna and increase it’s nutritional value without your family even knowing.

While this post will be long, I hope you can be encouraged that each of these steps is fairly straight-forward and easy to follow! While a time consuming process to make this meal all at once, each step can be completed ahead of time and stored. I will leave details on storage in each section.

Breaking it down

I’ll inspire you with an example of how you can efficiently break down this process! The day before you are planning to eat your from scratch lasagna, make your meat sauce and serve a couple of cups from this sauce with some spaghetti for an easy dinner that night. At the same time, combine the ingredients for the homemade pasta. Wrap the pasta dough tightly in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge, and refrigerate the bulk of the meat sauce right in the dutch oven, as well. *Ensure the dutch oven has cooled before placing it in the fridge as the heat can cause cold glass to crack.*

The following day, remove the pasta dough, and allow it to set on the counter to warm to room temperature, and then roll it out and cut it to shape. Next, boil the pasta, and allow it to cool in a strainer. While the pasta is cooling, mix your cheeses. Finally, all that is left is to layer the lasagna, and bake it. When broken down, this multistep meal becomes a no fuss dinner that feels like a special treat, and you can know you put more heart and soul into it than just layering basic oven ready ingredients!

Consider this your one stop shop for a homemade, healthy, and completely from scratch lasagna!

Navigate below for directions for each part of this simple and delicious meal, or jump to a more condensed version of the recipe including every step!

The Sauce

The sauce is very simple to make, and this is where I often like to include a variety of veggies to deepen the nutritional value of this meal for my family. The recipe below will make enough sauce for 2 lasagnas or for 1 lasagna and a pot of goulash. This is a great recipe to follow for batch cooking to lighten the dinner load on a later day!

Begin by browning the hamburg with a medium onion in a very large sauce pan, skillet, or dutch oven- stirring occasionally so it does not burn.

Once it is browned, add in 1 cup of finely chopped carrots, 1 cup of uncooked and chopped spinach, and 1 finely chopped pepper. Sautee the vegetables and meat for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is cooked through. Add a splash of water, a quarter cup at a time if it appears the food is sticking to the bottom or burning.

Then, add 2- 28 ounce cans of tomato sauce and 1- 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Finally, add your italian seasonings, which I list in the recipe below, and simmer the sauce for 10-15 minutes.

Storage:

You can store your completed sauce in the fridge for up to 1 week. Alternatively, you can transfer the sauce to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months. I like to make a double batch of sauce like this, and refrigerate half of it for a pot of goulash later in the week.

The Cheese Blend

I use a blend of ricotta cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, and parmesan for the cheese layer within the lasagna.

Mix 2 cups of ricotta cheese with half a cup of parmesan and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Add two eggs to the mixture, and blend together well. The eggs will help the cheeses to bind together.

Storage:

Once completed, you can refrigerate this mixture in an airtight container for one day or maybe two.

Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles

I am not sure why, but for some reason, whole wheat lasagna noodles are difficult to source. I like to feed my family whole wheat pastas for the deeper nutritional value. Therefore, I started to do some learning to find out how to make my own…and guess what! it’s super easy.

The process for making pasta is very simple, but I will admit, I struggled with it quite a bit before having success in this area. I found that I did not roll the pasta out thin enough the first few times I attempted it, and this negatively affected how it cooked. Another thing that is important to remember when making your own noodles is that it is not oven-ready. This means that the pasta must be boiled for 2-3 minutes prior to layering.

However, even if you have no equipment for making pasta, do not shy away from this section! I have yet to invest into pasta rollers, and I have still been able to use simply a table and a rolling pin to make delicious pasta tasting just like store bought.

Mix ingredients and rest:

In a mixing bowl, pour 2 cups of of whole wheat flour. Form a well in the center, crack 2 eggs into it, and pour in 2 tabelspoons of oil. Dust the eggs and oil with 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt.

With a fork, or by hand wisk the eggs and combine the liquid with the flour. Knead the mixture until it forms a stiff dough much like dense playdough. Wrap the doughball tighly in plastic wrap, and allow it to sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

The resting time helps the dough to be more pliable, so that it will roll out easier.

Roll out the pasta:

After the dough has rested, roll it out on a flat and lightly foured surface with a heavy rolling pin. Make the pasta as thin as possible without tearing. It should be about 1/16 of an inch thick. This will give you a forearm workout! Use a bench scraper to cut it to the desired length and shape. You can make it pretty if you want, but I just shape it into long rectangles that will fit well inside my pan.

Boil the pasta for 2-3 minutes, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes in a strainer to make the pasta easier to handle prior to layering.

Storage:

The first option is you can leave the unrolled pasta dough on the counter for up to 4 hours on the day of prepping this lasagna. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough ball for up to 4 days. Then thirdly, if you want to roll the pasta out ahead of time, and you have the ability to hang the pasta to dry, you can do so. Allow the past to dry completely until it snaps when you break it, and then store in an airtight container in a cool and dry location for a couple of weeks or up to a couple of months. When ready to use, simply boil as you would regular pasta.

Put it all together

Once the pasta has cooled, spray a 9X13 pan with oil, and lay your first layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom. Next, you will cover the noodles with a layer of meat sauce, and put a layer of the cheese blend on top of that. Use a spoon to scoop and smooth the cheese out so that it is as evenly spread as possible. Continue layering the lasagna in this way until you have filled your pan or used all of your ingredients.

I usually always place a thin layer of meat sauce atop the last layer of pasta to allow the pasta to have some moisture to absorb. Additionally, you can use half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese to sprinkle over the top of the completed lasagna before baking. With all that completed, viola, you have prepped your very own from scratch lasagna!

Storage:

At this point, you can bake the lasagna at 375 degrees for about 50 – 60 minutes. However, if you made this ahead, you can cover the casserole dish well with tin foil and save it for later. You can either store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to a couple of months. You can then later enjoy the fruit of your labor and have a completely from scratch lasagna ready to go for one of those busy nights! Just pull the casserole dish out of the freezer on the morning that you want it, so it has time to thaw. In the evening, pop it in the oven at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

Complete From Scratch Lasagna Recipe

If your family enjoyed this recipe, leave a comment and share it with a friend! This is one of our favorite meals, often being requested for special occasions. If you want more family friendly recipes, follow along on facebook and pinterest to stay up to date!