She would make everything from scratch and it would take her a labor of love in hours.
Homemade noodles cut by hand, sauce, meatballs, sausage all from scratch!
Of course now in busier times, we have all the necessary ingredients to make a lasagna in record time and it is so much easier.
Back in Bari, Italy where mom came from, everything was made by hand special during a holiday.
You can use all store-bought ingredients and this lasagna will be a huge hit.
Mom made her lasagna with hard-boiled eggs in a layer, that was how her Region made it, you can skip that layer and just add more meat if you aren't a fan.
Here is an awesome recipe for mom's lasagna, we miss her every day and make it in her memory every year.
Easter and Christmas Day are our traditions to keep her memory alive in the kitchen making this recipe.
Scroll down to the bottom to print the recipe off.
Where Did it Start?
Lasagna has been claimed by many countries including Greece, England, and Italy and there are many written theories where it started.
Most of the books written show this pasta dish was invented in Napoli or was it just first recorded in Napoli? No one seems to know.
When the Romans turned up, it is theorized that they could have been influenced by the existing Greek food culture all before BC of course.
Both are layered pasta dishes, with different shaped kinds of pasta, and Roman way (which my grandmother and grandfather came from) made with tomato sauce much like a bolognese.
Wherever it started, it's one of the most popular Italian pasta dishes on the planet!
Lasagna is actually a layered pasta casserole.
It's full of seasoned meats such as sausage and meatball mixture, ricotta cheese and sauce.
One of the gourmet meals made in an Italian household during the holiday season.
It's a one-pan meal.
Usually served with delicious hard-crusted Italian garlic bread, a good Chianti wine and nice antipasto salad.
The Sauce
We always make a traditional homemade sauce (sugo in Italian) it's loaded with meatballs, sausage, and braciole which is a stuffed meat roll.
The sauce is usually made the day before or early Sunday morning after the meatballs are fried.
We always had and still have fried meatballs for a Sunday morning breakfast tradition, mom always made a double batch.
How Much To Make?
I always double the recipe and use 2 pounds of lasagna noodles using a Turkey-sized pan to fit it in.
You always want the room at the top in case the noodles swell or the juice will overflow, so make sure the casserole dish you choose is large enough and has at least 3 inches at the top for expansion room.
The lasagna above will feed around 18 to 24 people and has two pounds of pasta noodles.
If you have to double the recipe, always make sure you make extra sauce and other ingredients to accommodate this large amount of layers.
Suggestions:
- Substitute wheat noodles for diabetic versions
- Use ground turkey for lower fat meatballs
- For quicker versions of lasagna, use store-bought meatballs and sausage and bottled sauce
- Other cheese can be substituted if you like cottage cheese and grew up with those traditions ( as I have written in this recipe, this is our version, adapt it the way you like and use this recipe as a guideline)
Tips
- You can substitute ground chuck sauteed with all the meatball ingredients and add sauce to simmer for your meat
- Also, you can purchase loose sausage and mix in with the meatballs
- Always use whole milk cheeses
- Garnish with fresh herbs for best results IE parsley and basil
- If you use bottled sauce make sure its meat flavored
- For those who like spicy foods add red pepper flakes lightly over the meat layer
- Don't overcook the pasta it will finish cooking in the oven
Boiled Eggs
Some folks are wondering about this layer, it's a traditional way mom made hers from her Region.
We love it and they actually fight to get the egg as it's hidden throughout the lasagna and if you don't space it out evenly, you may not get one of the eggs in your slice.
It puts a smile on everyone's face at the tables when someone yells "I found the egg".
Just omit that layer if you don't care for eggs.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- Traditional Sunday Sauce Recipe or use your favorite store-bought
- whole milk ricotta
- hard-boiled eggs sliced thick and set aside ( Optional this is how mom made it from Bari, Italy)
- eggs
- grating cheese
- lasagna noodles
- Italian mild or hot sausage drained ( for homemade sausage recipe click here)
- meatballs
- garlic
- fresh chopped parsley
- shredded whole milk mozzarella
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh basil leaves
- Optional: red pepper flakes
The Layers And Very Important Step
One important step is to alternative the noodles to go different ways.
Start one row vertical, then next horizontal.
Repeat alternating the pasta noodles so when you cut this is will hold together perfectly!
Other Layer Suggestions:
- spinach and meatballs crushed
- sausage, peppers, and mushrooms
- shrimp, spinach, ricotta
- note: if you would rather have a non-Italian Mexican style you can add taco meat, cheddar, and pinto or black beans
- for all vegetarian use shredded blotted dry zucchini with spinach and ricotta cheese, pecorino romano, garlic, salt, pepper, and mixed Italian freshly chopped herbs
Pin for later
Try Some Of Our Other Favorite Recipes
Traditional Sunday Sauce
Mom's Tuna Casserole
Mom's Bake Italian Hamburgers
Mom's Baked Sausage and Peppers
Easy to Make
Don't be intimidated to try making lasagna, it truly is a simple all-in-one pan meal.
I know it seems time-consuming but so worth it!
Everyone will rave about it, and remember what I said, make it the way you like it.
Use the ingredients you prefer, just use a good sauce and lots of melted whole milk mozzarella for the win!!
Yield: 14
Mom's Lasagna Recipe
prep time: 25 Mcook time: 45 Mtotal time: 70 M
This is a version of homemade lasagna from the Region my mom was from. In Bari, Italy her mom taught her to make this lasagna using a layer of boiled egg. That will optional to those not familiar with this version. Lasagna was always made during any holiday.
ingredients:
- Traditional Sunday Sauce Recipe or use your favorite store-bought
- 2 lbs of whole milk ricotta or homemade
- 6 hard-boiled eggs sliced thick and set aside ( Optional this is how mom made it from Bari, Italy)
- 2 eggs beaten
- grating cheese
- 1 lb of lasagna noodles, cooked drained, and spread out on wax paper
- 1 lb of loose cooked Italian mild or hot sausage drained ( for homemade sausage recipe click here)
- 12 homemade meatballs in sauce crushed (click here for the recipe)
- 4 cloves finely minced garlic
- 1 cup fresh chopped parsley and fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 4 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella
- salt and pepper to taste
- 13x9 pan
- Preparation:
instructions:
- Cook lasagna noodles al dente, drain, and spread out on wax paper.
- In a medium bowl mix ricotta, 2 eggs beaten, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons grating cheese, mix until well blended.
- In a medium fry pan saute the sausage until cooked.
- Add to crushed meatballs, mix together. Add some sauce to this mixture around 1 cup) set aside.
- Put this lasagna together:
- Line the 13x9 pan with a layer of noodles, switch directions as you layer them.
- First layer place hard-boiled eggs on the bottom, spread with sauce on top, grating cheese, some parsley, another layer of noodles.
- Next add the meat, noodles more sauce some grating cheese, mozzarella.
- In the last layer spread the ricotta on top and sprinkle with mozzarella, no sauce and some grating cheese with parsley.
- Top the ricotta mixture with lasagna noodles adds sauce more mozzarella, grating cheese, rest of the garlic, any parsley left.
- Bake at 325 until nicely browned on top around 20 minutes or broil the top for a crispier cheese on top. Garnish with fresh basil.
Calories
425
425
Fat (grams)
22
22
Sat. Fat (grams)
9
9
Carbs (grams)
24
24
Mom's Lasagna Pin for later
Try Some Of My Other Favorites
Bourbon Pork Chops
Best Grilling Recipes
Guinness Marinade for Steak
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2013. It was edited and re-published in 2019
