Best Cheese Lasagna Recipe with a blend of four cheeses

Here’s a delicious recipe for Cheese Lasagna that’s easy to make. It’s layered with tender noodles and a blend of four cheeses. Once baked, it transforms into the ultimate comfort food – rich, creamy, and cheesy. This meal is perfect for families and can be prepared quickly. It’s sure to become a household favorite in no time.

What kinds of cheeses to use for the best lasagna recipe?

When it comes to selecting cheeses for your lasagna, personal preference plays a big role. However, a classic and widely favored combination of cheeses for lasagna includes:

1. Mozzarella: This cheese is crucial for achieving that gooey, melted texture that is commonly associated with lasagna. It is typically layered between the pasta and other ingredients.
2. Ricotta: Ricotta cheese adds creaminess and a slightly grainy texture to the lasagna. It is often combined with eggs, Parmesan, and herbs to create a flavorful filling.
3. Parmesan: Parmesan cheese offers a sharp and salty taste that enhances the overall flavor of the lasagna. It is commonly sprinkled on top of the dish for a golden, crispy crust.

In my opinion, the key to crafting the ultimate homemade lasagna is using a variety of different cheeses. When preparing my Cheese Lasagna dish, I opt for a blend of all three types available. However, I don’t just stop there – I also mix them with a ricotta cheese concoction, and I prefer using dairy-free cheese options.

Reasons to Love This Cheese Lasagna

It is a simple recipe for a great meatless lasagna that is truly delicious, cheesy, and flavorful. You won’t believe you can make a classic cheese lasagna recipe so easily at home.

There is absolutely no need to make a white or Mornay Sauce.

You can absolutely serve this vegetarian lasagna up even for a romantic dinner or other special occasions because it will impress everyone.

You get clear instructions on how to make Cheese Lasagna with step-by-step pictures and you can tell the final result will be a keeper.

Do I need to precook lasagna noodles?

If you use no-boil noodles, you typically do not need to pre-boil them before assembling and baking a traditional lasagna dish. Such lasagna noodles are designed to absorb moisture from the other ingredients and the sauce as the dish cooks in the oven. Pre-boiling the noodles can make them too soft and mushy by the time the lasagna is finished baking.

Layer uncooked lasagna noodles directly into your dish with a layer of sauce on the bottom to prevent sticking. Use a relatively liquid sauce to soften the noodles and cover the dish with aluminum foil to trap moisture. Bake according to your recipe’s instructions, removing the foil towards the end to brown the cheese and sauce.

If you want to use traditional lasagna noodles (the kind that requires boiling) and precook them, here’s when and how to do it:

1. Boil a Large Pot of Water: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. You can add a pinch of salt to the water to season the noodles.
2. Add the Noodles: Carefully add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot, as the noodles may stick together.
3. Cook the Noodles: Follow the package instructions for cooking times, but typically, you’ll need to boil the noodles for about 8-10 minutes until they are al dente, which means they are tender but still have a slight bite to them.
4. Drain and Cool: Once the noodles are cooked to your liking, use a colander to drain them. Rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from sticking together.

What you need for this Cheese Lasagna recipe

Lasagna Noodles: I use precooked lasagna noodles because this will ensure you have a wonderful and tender texture. You can cook your lasagna noodles for 8 minutes and you are ready for the most amazing texture. No-boil noodles can be used, but they are not required. Keep in mind your water is boiling before you add lasagna sheets and keep stirring from time to time. This will prevent your lasagna noodles from sticking together. Let them cool down in a colander.

Lasagna is incomplete without onions, garlic, and olive oil. I add garlic to the ricotta mixture and tomato sauce so that every bite is packed with delicious flavor. Though any oil can be used, I highly recommend using olive oil for its rich and savory taste that adds depth to the dish.

Oregano and fresh parsley add another layer of flavor to the tomato sauce, which is a basic ingredient, very similar to a basic pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce.

And of course, the cheese blend: parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, and cottage cheese are here to make everything rich, full of flavor and so good.

How to make Cheese Lasagna

Set an 8×11-inch baking dish aside and preheat your oven to 425F.

If you haven’t already, cook your lasagna noodles for about 8 minutes until they are al dente. This really makes a wonderful texture.

To prepare the tomato sauce: Into a pan add olive oil and wait until it is hot. Give diced onions and 2 pressed cloves garlic to it and cook all for 2 minutes. Reduce to medium heat and stir in the tomato sauce, oregano, parsley and finally season it with a pinch of salt and pepper cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Now we turn to making the ricotta cheese mixture, combining the ricotta, cottage cheese, 3/4 of parmesan, and 3/4 of the mozzarella with the remaining garlic in a medium bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix and set aside.

To assemble the lasagna, start by adding a layer of tomato sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish. Follow this with a layer of noodles, then one from the ricotta filling. Repeat this until everything is used up, but make sure that you use the remaining sauce for the last layer. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan on top.

Bake for around 20 minutes until everything is bubbly, cheesy and amazing. After baking please allow 10 minutes before serving, because this will set the texture better. Serve and enjoy.

Storing and freezing

Leftovers are amazing for up to 5 days when you store them in an airtight container. You can reheat them in the oven at low temperature or use the microwave.

For freezing: let the Cheese Lasagna cool completely, then wrap it tightly with foil for meal prep. Alternatively, you can use freezer bags for individual portions.

In both cases, this lasagna is great frozen for 3 months. You can also use the uncooked lasagna, freeze it, and only bake it whenever you need it.

Tips and tricks

For the homemade marinara sauce, you can also use Spaghetti Sauce or Arrabbiata Sauce.

As I mentioned above when cooking lasagna sheets keep stirring from time to time so that the noodles can release their starches and won’t stick together.

You can use no-boil lasagna noodles, yet keep in mind the baking time will be a bit longer. Make also sure that all noodles are really generously covered with the sauce and filling.

Other Lasagna Recipes to try

• Easy Homemade Lasagna
• Ravioli Lasagna
• Spinach Lasagna
• Zucchini Parmesan
• Eggplant Lasagna

For any remakes of the Cheese Lasagna, leave a tag on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoy, Florian.