How to Make the Best Clean Lasagna

Learn how to make the best clean lasagna from scratch. You can absolutely make a dinner everyone will love using clean, whole ingredients that are better for your whole family!

How do you like your lasagna? If you’re like me, it has to be just the right balance of meaty, cheesy, and tomato-y. Is that a word? Probably not, but I digress. Typically, if I order lasagna at a local restaurant, it tends to be too heavy on the tomato sauce, and frankly, I would just rather not eat it that way! I end up opting for something else nearly every time! With this recipe, you don’t need to hit up the Italian restaurant down the street, because I promise you that this recipe will beat them EVERY time!

We all know that nothing brings people together quite like great food. What a great feeling to be able to gather around the table with friends and family and share in all the good Lord’s blessings! Without doubt, nothing channels that feeling any better than a bubbly pan of delicious lasagna, paired with garlic bread, and a fresh salad. It is the simple things in life that are the greatest gifts, and some of the sweetest gifts are good friends and good food.

Frankly, this lasagna is hands down one of the best comfort foods out there. Not only is it a great special Sunday dinner or “company meal,” it is a great make-ahead option for busy nights. Need an easy meal to take a friend who has just had a baby, had surgery, or just needs a little extra support? Meet your new go-to! It can easily be put together and baked at the convenience of the person you’re dropping it off to, but also travels well if you want to deliver it piping hot and ready to go. In fact, more often than not, people end up wanting the recipe themselves.

Are you ready to try this recipe that will blow your mind with the perfect balance of savory meat, sauce, and appropriate cheesiness? Let’s get started! Oh, and did I already mention that I cracked the code for making this with cleaner ingredients without sacrificing taste? Yup, that’s right– I totally did, but I’ll say it again! You’re going to love it. It is absolutely the best clean lasagna recipe you will ever try.

First, let’s gather up everything you’ll need to get this party started!

• 9×13 Baking Dish
• Aluminum Foil
• Cooking Spray
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Mixer (optional)- Stand or a hand mixer would both work. You could also use a whisk.
• Large skillet
• Wooden Spoon
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

• 2 lbs. Italian sausage (or stay tuned for how to season plain sausage for a cleaner option)
• 2- 15 oz. Organic Ricotta Cheese
• 1 cup Grated Organic Parmesan Cheese
• 3 Eggs
• 2- 24 oz. Organic Bertolli Olive Oil, Basil, and Garlic Pasta Sauce (this is the best flavored clean pasta sauce our family has tried.)
• 16 oz. Organic Lasagna Noodles (uncooked)
• 5 cups Organic Shredded Mozzarella (maybe 1/2-1 cup more if you like super cheesy)
• 2 tsp. Organic Dried Parsley (for garnish)

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

STEP 2: Mix well in medium bowl: ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and eggs.

STEP 3: Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.

STEP 4: Layer ingredients in 9×13 pan in this order:

**NOTE: You will want to spread out each ingredient listed to cover the entire baking dish. In other words, within each layer, you will have several layers of ingredients.**

• First Layer: Pour 1 cup pasta sauce in pan, place lasagna noodles (you can break some if necessary to cover bottom of pan), spread approximately 1/3 of the total cheese mixture from step 2 (don’t stress too much about these “thirds”- eyeballing it is enough), sprinkle 1/3 of the total amount of sausage, add 2 cups pasta sauce, and 1/3 of total amount of shredded mozzarella.

• Second Layer: Lasagna Noodles, 1/3 of cheese mixture, 1/3 of sausage, 1 1/2 cups of pasta sauce, 1/3 of mozzarella.

• Third Layer: Lasagna Noodles, remaining cheese mixture, remaining sauce, remaining sausage, remaining mozzarella. Lastly, sprinkle the top with parsley for garnish.

STEP 5: Spray the bottom side of a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray (you don’t want all that yummy cheesiness to stick to the foil) and tightly cover. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking an additional 15 minutes.

STEP 6: Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to sit for around 15 minutes before serving.

1. If eating cleaner and more organic foods isn’t on your radar, you can easily substitute in your favorite brands and ingredients. I’m sure it will be absolutely delicious! Before our family began our journey to eating cleaner, we often made this with mainstream ingredients. In fact, it was trial and error to find clean options that still tasted good! I can neither confirm or deny that there were some failures in this pursuit.
2. Because this lasagna has three good sized layers, it will most likely come slightly above the top of the baking dish. I recommend using a deep baking dish if you have one. If you do not have one (and I do not), definitely add a cookie sheet under the dish to catch any spills in the event it would cook over.
3. This lasagna is also FANTASTIC heated up for leftovers. For our family of six, it is easily two full meals.
4. If you are taking this dish to a friend or neighbor, simple assemble the recipe in a disposable lasagna pan. Yes, they make these, and they are deeper than a regular disposable 9×13 pan- perfect for all those luscious layers. If you are baking the lasagna at home for them, just add the provided lid and go, but if your recipients will be baking it at their own convenience, cover with foil and write the baking directions directly on the foil. You are good to go, and I know your friends will be incredibly thankful for your kindness.

We already know that we are using whole ingredients in this recipe for the best clean lasagna, but if you’d like to try taking from-scratch cooking to the next level, why not try making your own sourdough pasta.

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a comment and let me know how your family enjoyed it, and leave a 5 star review if you loved it!