Learn how to layer lasagna! Below, you’ll find my guide to layering a perfect lasagna, complete with pictures that show you every step. Lasagna was one of the first dinners that I learned how to make. After a few attempts, I was confident enough to cook the noodles and prep the filling without a recipe…but I could NEVER remember the right way to layer the ingredients in the baking dish. Is it noodles first and then sauce? Or sauce first and then cheese?
How to Layer Lasagna
If you’ve ever had the same struggle, you’ll love this guide to how to layer lasagna. In it, I break down the right way to layer lasagna and share my best lasagna-making tips. Check it out—in no time, you’ll be a lasagna pro!
Start with Sauce
Whether you’re making a vegetable lasagna with tomato sauce or a traditional lasagna with meat sauce, sauce should be the first ingredient that goes in your baking dish. It prevents the pasta from sticking to the pan so that the lasagna is easy to slice and serve. You only need a thin layer. I use 1 cup in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Add the Middle Layers in the Proper Order
After you add the sauce, add the other components in the following order: Repeat this sequence so that you have 2 layers of noodles, ricotta, etc. in the middle of the lasagna.
The Final Layer
Top the middle layers with a final layer of pasta. Spread it with more sauce, and sprinkle it evenly with shredded cheese. I like to use a mix of shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese here. Lasagna = layered!
How to Bake Lasagna
Lasagna bake time and temperature can vary based on the type of lasagna you’re making and the type of noodles you’re using (no-boil vs. fully cooked). Generally, you want to bake a lasagna until it’s heated through, any raw components are fully cooked, and the cheese on top is browned and bubbling.
When I make my vegetable lasagna with fully cooked lasagna noodles, I bake it uncovered for 30 minutes in a 400°F oven. When I make the same recipe with no-boil noodles, I cover it with foil and bake it for 40 to 50 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Then, I remove the foil and bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Refer to whatever lasagna recipe you’re using for specific bake time and temperature.
Ready to layer lasagna?
Test out your skills with this vegetable lasagna or this eggplant lasagna recipe!
