Cheesy Sausage Lasagna Recipe with Homemade Marinara

The BEST Classic Lasagna Starts with Really Good Marinara Sauce

Classic lasagna is simple at heart: meat sauce, a creamy ricotta layer, lots of cheese, and pasta sheets stacked and baked until bubbly. What elevates an everyday lasagna to something memorable is the marinara — flavorful, well-seasoned, and slow-simmered.

A good marinara takes only a short amount of hands-on work and then benefits from a long, gentle simmer. The result is a sauce that’s concentrated, balanced, and deeply aromatic—the foundation for every delicious slice.

When possible, make the marinara sauce in advance

Making the marinara a day or two ahead is a huge time-saver and improves flavor. I often make a large pot, serve some with pasta that night, and refrigerate the rest for lasagna and other meals throughout the week.

1. Saves time during assembly. Preparing the sauce ahead splits the work across two days. With the sauce already made, building the lasagna usually takes only about 20 minutes of active work.
2. Flavor improves with resting. When marinara sits for a day or two, the flavors meld and deepen. What tastes good fresh often tastes even better the next day.

If you prefer, you can also start the sauce in the morning and let it simmer several hours before assembling and baking later the same day.

What to do with leftover marinara sauce:

This marinara recipe yields a generous amount—enough that you’ll often have extra. Rather than seeing it as surplus, think of it as a shortcut that fuels several quick, delicious meals.

Freeze it. Stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, marinara keeps well for up to three months and is perfect for nights when you want a home-cooked meal without starting from scratch.

Other great uses for leftover marinara:

• Make meatballs and simmer them in sauce to serve over pasta.
• Use it as the base for saucy shrimp and rice dishes.
• Spoon it over pizza dough for quick homemade pizza.
• Coat eggplant or chicken cutlets for a classic parmesan bake.
• Build a pepper-and-tomato stew for a vegetarian main.
• Layer it with sausage and provolone for hearty sandwiches.

The BEST Lasagna Has Plenty of Cheese!

Lasagna is a celebration of layered textures and rich cheeses. Be generous: mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan all play different roles and together they define what lasagna should be—creamy, gooey and savory.

That said, balance is important. About 1 cup of grated mozzarella per layer, plus seasoned ricotta and a sprinkle of parmesan, gives plenty of cheesy indulgence without making the dish overwhelmingly heavy.

Season the ricotta. Unseasoned ricotta can be bland. Mix ricotta with grated parmesan, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and an egg to add richness, structure and flavor to every bite.

What are the Best Kind of Noodles to Use for Lasagna?

Options include homemade pasta, traditional dried lasagna noodles, and oven-ready no-boil noodles. My first choice is always fresh homemade pasta for its texture and flavor, but no-boil noodles are a convenient and time-saving substitute.

No-boil oven-ready noodles go straight into the pan—no pre-cooking needed. If you use regular dried noodles, follow package directions and be careful not to overcook them: aim for very al dente so they finish cooking in the oven without becoming mushy. Toss cooked noodles with a little olive oil to prevent sticking as they cool.

More Lasagna Recipes:

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📖 Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

The {BEST} Classic Lasagna with Sausage and Marinara

Start with a richly flavored marinara, fold in savory Italian sausage, and layer pasta with seasoned ricotta, plenty of mozzarella, and grated parmesan. Bake until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is golden.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild, spicy, or a mix)
• About 5 ½ cups perfect homemade marinara sauce
• 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 2 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles (or cooked dried noodles)
• 16 oz (about 4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until no pink remains, breaking it into small pieces. Stir the cooked sausage into the marinara and set aside.
3. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, 1½ cups grated parmesan, the egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
4. Spread about ¼ cup of marinara over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles across the sauce (they can overlap slightly). Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles. Spoon 1¾ cups of the marinara and sausage over the ricotta, then sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella on top.
5. Repeat the layers two more times: noodles, ricotta, 1¾ cups marinara with sausage, and 1 cup mozzarella. Gently press each layer down as you go to compact the lasagna.
6. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of grated parmesan over the final layer of mozzarella.
7. Cover the pan loosely with a sheet of foil sprayed with non-stick spray and place the pan on a baking sheet to catch drips. Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 20–30 minutes, until the top is melted, golden, and the edges are bubbly.
8. Remove from the oven and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Resting helps the layers set so portions hold together.

If you make this lasagna, consider leaving a rating or comment to share how it turned out.

Notes

If you use traditional dried noodles, toss them with a little olive oil after cooking to prevent sticking, and cook them just until very al dente—typically only a minute or two less than package instructions.

Fresh homemade pasta works beautifully here—roll it thin (about 1/16 inch) and cut sheets roughly 3 inches wide for layering.

If you assemble with hot marinara, baking time may be 10–15 minutes shorter than noted.

Leftovers reheat well; slice and warm gently to preserve texture and moisture.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 856 | Total Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 2341mg | Carbohydrates: 50g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Protein: 48g