You’re Going to Love This Recipe For the World’s Best Lasagna

Would you like to know why lasagna is one of the best foods on the planet? Because there are hundreds - maybe thousands - of versions. No two are alike, and all of them are awesome. Who doesn’t like lasagna?

I found my favorite lasagna recipe on Allrecipes about 20 years ago. John Chandler submitted it to the site around 1994, and since then, it has garnered about 7 million views, making it one of their most popular recipes on Allrecipes.com. (You can read more about John Chandler here.)

If you’ve made and eaten John’s World’s Best Lasagna, you know what I'm talking about. It is to-die-for delicious. If you’ve never made it, I’m sharing the recipe so you can have your own slice of heaven. I promise that anyone who eats it will swoon!

PS - Don’t let the long ingredient list fool you. Gather all your ingredients before starting, and the cooking and assembly process will be easy!

World’s Best Lasagna 

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

¾ pound lean ground beef

½ cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6.5 ounce) cans of canned tomato sauce

2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste

½ cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

1-½ teaspoons dried basil leaves

1-½ teaspoons salt, divided or to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Gather all your ingredients.

2. Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

3. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer covered for about 1-½ hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.

6. Preheat the oven to 357 degrees G (190 degrees C).

7. To assemble, spread 1-½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with ⅓ of the mozzarella and sprinkle with ¼ cups of Parmesan cheese.

8. Repeat the layers and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. To prevent sticking, either spray the foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

10. Rest lasagna 15 minutes before serving.