I Finally Tried Ina Garten’s Famous Lasagna, and It’s Worth Every Layer

Though I’m a huge fan of all pasta, I have a soft spot for lasagna, especially in the winter. While it can feel a little too heavy for summer, once the cold air rolls in, I fluff my fresh mozzarella pillows, pull ricotta-smothered pasta sheets up to my neck, and tuck myself into a meat-sauce casserole until spring.

Right on cue, Ina Garten recently brought the best of the best into my kitchen with her famous turkey sausage lasagna recipe—and it's as easy as a nine-layer masterpiece can get. Thankfully, this isn't one of those viral 100-hour lasagnas from YouTube. Instead, it's a two-hour commitment (like a “Real Housewives” reunion), with gloriously comforting results. And by that, I mean the velvety filling.

Ina adds depth and richness to the ricotta with a bit of goat cheese. That extra tang puts a shining star on the fennel-heavy Italian turkey sausage, tomato sauce, and creamy mozzarella. I meant to split a slice with my boyfriend, but I treated myself to the whole thing. After he finished his own piece (sharing is overrated!), he asked how to make it, even though he hardly ever cooks.

“Why? Are you breaking up with me?” I hid the browser window with the recipe on my laptop. He can never know.

“Of course not. I just want to be able to cook amazing things like this lasagna.”

We seem to be on the same page about lasagna—us and more than 600 five-star reviewers.

How To Make Ina Garten's Famous Lasagna

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

For the meat sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Then add the turkey sausage, breaking it up and cooking until every bit is browned. Ina suggests breaking up the sausage with a fork, but I found it easier—and way more fun—to use my zigzag Kitchenado potato masher. It’s meat sauce, not the September cover of Vogue—mash it.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and meaty.

While the sauce cooks, fill a pot with the hottest tap water, add the pasta, and let it soak for 20 minutes, or until the noodles are soft. Then drain. No soggy lasagna here. Not boiling the pasta lends the yummiest chew. I ended up soaking the noodles for about 40 minutes total to soften them. When they refused to sink into a stockpot of hot water, I soaked them flat in my baking dish, under just enough salted water to cover.

For the ricotta filling: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, goat cheese, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper until combined.

To assemble: Spread one third of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, cutting them to fit if needed, followed by half the mozzarella and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layers: another third of the sauce, another layer of noodles, the remaining mozzarella, and the rest of the ricotta.

Top the casserole with the remaining sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly. For sturdier slices, let the lasagna rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fresh parsley and a little extra Parmesan.

I don’t always make lasagna, but when I do, it’s good enough to warm my soul and grow my heart three sizes while everyone I love enjoys it, too. This is especially true when it turns out as good as Ina’s.