Copycat Maggiano’s Lasagna Recipe
If you’re searching for a comforting, crowd-pleasing dinner idea, look no further than this Copycat Maggiano’s Lasagna recipe. It’s packed with flavor, easy to make ahead, and always a hit whether you’re feeding a big family or planning for leftovers.
This lasagna has been our go-to for holidays, Sunday dinners, and potlucks. It’s hearty, cheesy, and deeply satisfying. The blend of sausage and ground beef gives it a robust flavor, and that creamy ricotta filling? Perfection. It tastes just like your favorite dish from Maggiano’s, but even better when made at home.
If you’re loving this recipe, be sure to check out our Sheet Pan Lasagna, Easy Lasagna Soup, and Christmas Lasagna. They’re just as comforting and simple to make as this hearty dish.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ultimate comfort food: Layers of gooey cheese, rich meat sauce, and tender noodles make every bite a warm hug.
- Perfect for meal prep: Make it ahead and bake when you’re ready to serve.
- Feeds a crowd: This recipe is filling and serves plenty, with leftovers that taste even better the next day.
- Customizable: There are so many ways to tweak it to your taste or dietary needs.
Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This copycat Maggiano’s lasagna is made with three essential components: a flavorful meat sauce, a creamy ricotta filling, and a generous amount of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Oven-ready noodles save time and effort, and a touch of sugar and fennel in the sauce balances the acidity of the tomatoes while adding depth of flavor.
Variations
- Spicy twist: Use hot Italian sausage for a little extra kick.
- Vegetarian option: Skip the meat and bulk up the sauce with mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach.
- Cheese swap: Try using cottage cheese instead of ricotta for a lighter filling.
- Gluten-free version: Use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Brown the meat with onion and garlic.
- Stir in the tomatoes, water, sugar, and seasonings; let simmer.
- Mix together the ricotta, egg, and parsley.
- Preheat oven and layer meat sauce, noodles, ricotta filling, and cheeses.
- Repeat layers, ending with cheese and a sprinkle of parsley.
- Bake covered, then uncovered until bubbly and golden.
Expert Tips
- Let it rest before slicing so the layers set nicely.
- Use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan for the best cheesy topping.
- Add a splash more water if your sauce gets too thick while simmering.
- Cover with foil for the first half of baking to prevent dry edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes! You can assemble it a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
Nope! Just layer them in as-is, they’ll cook perfectly in the oven with the sauce.
Make sure your sauce simmers long enough to thicken and always let the lasagna rest before cutting.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Copycat Maggiano’s Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Large Skillet or saucepan
- mixing bowls
- Spoon or spatula
- Foil
Ingredients
THE LASAGNA
- 12 ounces oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon parsley optional
THE MEAT
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian sausage mild
- 1 white onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 56 ounces cans of crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 4 ounces water
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
THE FILLING
- 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large deep pan over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat has browned through and the onions are softened.
- Keeping the meat mixture on the heat, add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.
- Add the water, sugar, fennel seeds, basil, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to the meat and sauce mixture. Allow the mixture to simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes-1 hour uncovered.
- While the meat is simmering, mix your filling ingredients (ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper) together.
- After the meat mixture is ready, preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and spread out 1-2 cups of it in the bottom of a 9×9 or 9×13 pan. The larger the pan, the more cups of meat you will need.
- Follow the directions on the lasagna box and then add a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the meat mixture spread out in the pan.
- Add a layer of the filling on top of the noodles followed by ⅓ of the mozzarella cheese and some of the parmesan. Repeat until the noodles and meat mixture are all used, saving some of the mozzarella and parmesan for the top.
- Finishing with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan and a sprinkle of parsley (optional).
- Bake for 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees fahrenheit. You can bake uncovered but tin foil is recommended for half the baking time to prevent burnt edges.
- Cool for 20 minutes before serving. Top with fresh grated parmesan if desired and enjoy!
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
