Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Italian Christmas Lasagna with Sausage and Three Cheeses brings together rich sausage-tomato sauce, silky béchamel, tender pasta, and generous layers of mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan. It is a wonderfully comforting centerpiece for a holiday table.
Quick Ingredients
- Sausage sauce: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion (150 g), 1½ pounds (680 g) sweet Italian sausage, 4 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, two 28-ounce cans (1,588 g total) no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Béchamel: 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour, 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- Ricotta filling: 15 ounces (425 g) whole-milk ricotta, 1 large egg, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Pasta and cheese: 12 ounces (340 g) traditional dried lasagna noodles, 16 ounces (454 g; about 4 cups) shredded low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, and 3½ ounces (100 g; about 1 cup) finely grated Parmesan.
- For boiling and finishing: 4 quarts water, 1 tablespoon fine sea salt for the pasta water, 1 teaspoon olive oil for the baking dish, and 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil.
Do This
- 1. Cook the onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes. Add sausage and brown for 8 minutes; stir in garlic and tomato paste for 2 minutes.
- 2. Add crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, oregano, and the sauce salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes.
- 3. Make béchamel with butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Separately, mix ricotta with the egg and its salt and pepper.
- 4. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil the lasagna noodles for 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente time, then drain and lay flat.
- 5. In an oiled deep 9-by-13-inch dish, spread 1 cup sausage sauce. Add a pasta layer, one-quarter of the remaining sausage sauce, one-third of the ricotta, one-quarter of the béchamel, 1 cup mozzarella, and ¼ cup Parmesan. Repeat this filled layer twice.
- 6. Add a fourth pasta layer, the remaining sausage sauce and béchamel, the final 1 cup mozzarella, and the final ¼ cup Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes; uncover and bake for 20 minutes more, until golden and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
- 7. Rest for 20 minutes, scatter with basil, and cut into 12 portions.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made for a holiday table: A generous pan feeds 12 and feels special without requiring complicated techniques.
- Rich, balanced layers: Savory sausage sauce, creamy béchamel, and three cheeses give every forkful plenty of flavor.
- Easy to prepare ahead: Assemble it the day before Christmas and bake when you are ready.
- Beautiful slices: Slightly undercooked noodles and a proper resting period help the layers hold together.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 medium yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves, and fresh basil.
- Meat: 1½ pounds sweet Italian sausage, either bulk sausage or links with the casings removed.
- Dairy: Unsalted butter, whole milk, whole-milk ricotta, low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Eggs: 1 large egg.
- Pantry: Traditional dried lasagna noodles, two 28-ounce cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, all-purpose flour, olive oil, dried oregano, fine sea salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg.
Full Ingredients
For the Sausage-Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (150 g), finely diced
- 1½ pounds (680 g) sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed if necessary
- 4 garlic cloves (12 g), finely minced
- 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
- 2 cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces (794 g) each
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Silky Béchamel
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (720 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Ricotta Filling
- 15 ounces (425 g) whole-milk ricotta; pour off any separated liquid before measuring
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For Assembly and Serving
- 12 ounces (340 g) traditional dried lasagna noodles, enough for four complete pasta layers; do not use oven-ready noodles for these instructions
- 4 quarts (3.8 liters) water, for boiling the noodles
- 1 tablespoon fine sea salt, for the pasta water
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, for the baking dish
- 16 ounces (454 g; about 4 cups) low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, shredded and divided
- 3½ ounces (100 g; about 1 cup) Parmesan, finely grated and divided
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil, for serving
Equipment: Use a 9-by-13-inch baking dish at least 3 inches deep, a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, a medium saucepan, a pasta pot, a whisk, aluminum foil, and an instant-read thermometer. Place the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan to catch any drips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Build the sausage sauce base
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the sausage, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles with a sturdy spoon.
If a large pool of fat collects, spoon off the excess, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly and coats the sausage.
Step 2: Simmer the tomato sauce
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes and scraping along the bottom to prevent sticking.
The finished sauce should be thick and spoonable, with no watery ring around the edges. It should still spread easily over the noodles. While it simmers, prepare the béchamel, ricotta filling, and pasta.
Step 3: Make the béchamel and ricotta filling
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking continuously; keep the mixture pale rather than letting it brown. Gradually whisk in the milk, starting with about ½ cup to make a smooth paste, then slowly adding the rest.
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, whisking frequently, until the sauce gently bubbles and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and the nutmeg. You will have approximately 3 cups. Cover the surface with a piece of parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper until evenly combined.
Step 4: Prepare the oven, dish, and noodles
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), using a conventional oven setting, with a rack in the middle. Brush a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil and set it on a rimmed sheet pan.
Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the noodles for 2 minutes less than the package’s stated al dente time. They should bend easily but remain noticeably firm in the center. Drain carefully, rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking, and lay the noodles flat in a single layer on clean kitchen towels or parchment-lined trays.
Divide the noodles into four groups, each large enough to cover the dish. Trim or overlap the edges slightly as needed; avoid thick stacks of overlapping pasta.
Step 5: Assemble the first filled layer
Spread 1 cup of the sausage sauce across the bottom of the prepared dish. Divide the remaining sausage sauce into four equal portions. Divide the béchamel into four equal portions, approximately ¾ cup each, and divide the ricotta mixture into three equal portions.
Add the first layer of noodles. Spread with one portion of sausage sauce, then dot with one portion of ricotta and gently spread it across the sauce. Spoon over one portion of béchamel, then scatter with 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan. The sauces may mingle a little, which is perfectly fine.
Step 6: Repeat the layers and finish the top
Repeat the filled layer twice more: noodles, one portion sausage sauce, one portion ricotta, one portion béchamel, 1 cup mozzarella, and ¼ cup Parmesan. You should now have three filled pasta layers and have used all the ricotta.
Add the fourth and final layer of noodles. Cover with the remaining sausage sauce, then gently spread the remaining béchamel over it. Finish with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan. Make sure any exposed noodle corners are tucked under sauce so they do not dry out.
Step 7: Bake until bubbling and golden
Cover the dish tightly with foil, tenting it slightly so it does not press against the cheese. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges and the cheese has golden-brown patches.
Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; it should reach 165°F (74°C). If it needs more time, loosely cover the top and continue baking in 5-minute increments. The listed cooking time assumes freshly assembled lasagna with warm sauces, not a refrigerated pan.
Step 8: Rest, garnish, and serve
Transfer the dish to a heatproof surface and let the lasagna rest uncovered for 20 minutes. This gives the sauces and melted cheeses time to settle, making the portions much easier to lift.
Scatter the basil over the top just before serving. Cut into 12 portions with a sharp knife, then lift each portion with a wide spatula. Serve with a crisp green salad or simply dressed roasted vegetables.
Pro Tips
- Choose low-moisture mozzarella: It melts beautifully without releasing the extra liquid that fresh mozzarella can add.
- Grate the cheeses yourself: Freshly shredded mozzarella and finely grated Parmesan melt more smoothly than many pre-shredded varieties.
- Keep the noodles slightly underdone: They finish cooking in the sauces and are less likely to become soft or collapse.
- Watch the sauce texture: If the tomato sauce still looks watery after 35 minutes, simmer it for another 5 to 10 minutes before assembling; this will extend the total time slightly.
- Give it the full rest: Twenty minutes makes a noticeable difference to the texture and keeps the layers from sliding apart.
Variations
- A little heat: Replace ½ pound of the sweet sausage with ½ pound hot Italian sausage, keeping the total sausage weight at 1½ pounds.
- Spinach and ricotta: Thaw 10 ounces (283 g) frozen chopped spinach, squeeze it very dry, and stir it into the ricotta mixture.
- Turkey sausage: Substitute 1½ pounds Italian-style turkey sausage for the pork sausage. Cook the turkey sausage to 165°F (74°C) before adding the tomatoes.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Refrigerate leftovers: Divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of baking. Keep covered at 40°F (4°C) or below for up to 4 days. Reheat only the portions you plan to eat.
Prepare ahead: Make the sausage sauce up to 3 days ahead and the béchamel up to 1 day ahead; cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate separately. Assemble the lasagna with cooled components up to 24 hours before baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Bake directly from the refrigerator in a metal baking pan, allowing 50 to 55 minutes covered, followed by 20 minutes uncovered, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). For glass or ceramic dishes, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid thermal shock.
Freeze: Freeze the unbaked, assembled lasagna in a tightly wrapped, freezer-safe metal pan for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours, until completely thawed, then follow the refrigerated baking instructions. Baked individual portions can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Place thawed individual portions in a baking dish with 1 tablespoon water per portion, cover with foil, and heat at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 650 kcal | Carbs: 49g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Sodium: 1180mg | Cholesterol: 125mg
Nutrition is an estimate based on 12 equal servings and will vary with the sausage, cheese, and noodle brands used. Most of the pasta cooking water is discarded.
