This Pesto Lasagna showcases traditional lasagna layers, including tender noodles, meat sauce, and Italian cheeses, with a bonus layer of classic basil pesto. With the convenience of store-bought sauces, this dish is a cinch to assemble and expertly bake to perfection!
If you’re wondering if you can put pesto in lasagna, the answer is an astounding YES! In fact, when I initially crafted this recipe, I fused a meaty pesto recipe with a tomato lasagna recipe, and my family loved it!
In this lasagna-pesto hybrid, classic basil pesto is combined with ricotta and spread between layers of tender lasagna noodles and meaty marinara to create a fusion of Italian flavors that’s both comforting and innovative!
The truth is, we rarely repeat recipes, but this pesto lasagna with meat was so good it’s made several appearances on our dinner table. Naturally, I had to share it with you, so without further ado, here’s my beloved pesto lasagna recipe.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Perfect comfort food. This creative casserole is a fun way to switch up the dinner routine. Combining two culinary sensations, like ground beef lasagna and pesto, results in pure magic.
- Store-bought shortcuts. Regarding the marinara and pesto sauce, you can make them from scratch or use your favorite store-bought varieties to speed up the preparation time.
- Serving versatility. It’s great for weeknights, casual gatherings, potlucks, and dinner parties. You can even assemble the lasagna ahead and bake it when you’re ready!
Ingredients you'll need
- Lasagna noodles. We like whole-grain lasagne sheets, but you can use any type, including dry pasta sheets or fresh pasta sheets cooked according to the package instructions.
- Ground beef. Lean ground beef is a classic choice for lasagna with meat, but you can use other meats or combinations of ground meats. See variations for more options.
- Marinara sauce. Use your favorite jar of store-bought tomato sauce to speed up prep time. Or, make hearty marinara or San Marzano pizza sauce from scratch!
- Italian seasoning. Use a store-bought blend (like McCormick) or season with dried basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme to intensify the Italian-inspired flavor.
- Fresh basil. It gives the dish a pop of fresh, herbaceous flavor. If you use dry basil here, you’ll only need about half the amount.
- Ricotta cheese. You can use low-fat or regular ricotta cheese based on your dietary preferences.
- Egg. It gives the cheesy layers an extra creamy texture and helps hold the other ingredients together.
- Pesto sauce. You can’t go wrong making this lasagna with classic pesto sauce, but feel free to experiment with other versions, such as sun-dried tomato pesto sauce and roasted red pepper pesto.
- Mozzarella AND parmesan. You can use reduced-fat or regular cheese, preferably freshly shredded instead of pre-shredded, for the best consistency.
- Salt and pepper. Preferably sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
How To Make Pesto Lasagna
Step 1: Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil and cook the pasta “al dente” according to the package instructions. I like to pull it out a couple of minutes before the recommended al dente time for the best texture. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Make meat sauce. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and cooked through. Drain well, then stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil. Set aside.
Step 3: Make ricotta filling. Stir the ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, 1 cup of mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
Step 4: Assemble lasagna. Spread some of the sauce in an 11x7” baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, and more sauce. Add a second layer of noodles, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
Step 5: Bake, rest, and serve. Transfer the baking dish to a 350℉ preheated oven and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving, and enjoy!
Recipe tips
- When assembling the lasagna, do your best to evenly distribute the meat sauce, pesto, and cheese between each pasta layer.
- To prevent the noodles from becoming too soft and soggy during baking, do not boil them past al dente. If they’re slightly underdone (my preference- about 2 minutes short of al dente), they’ll continue cooking during baking and turn out perfect.
- You may need to cover the baking dish with foil for the first part of baking to prevent excessive browning, then remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes so the cheese gets golden and bubbly.
- Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the layers to settle, making it easier to slice and serve.
- If you prefer a creamier lasagna, layer a homemade béchamel sauce between the pasta and meat layers.
Variations
- Meat options – Use a combination of ground meats like beef, pork sausage, and veal for an extra rich and flavorful meat sauce. Alternatively, you can opt for even leaner meats like turkey, venison, or chicken.
- Seafood – Add cooked seafood such as shrimp, crab, or scallops into the lasagna layers.
- Gluten-free – Use gluten-free lasagna noodles or zucchini slices (like in this Zucchini Lasagna recipe) for a gluten-free version that's just as delicious.
- Vegetarian – Omit the meat and create a vegetarian version by bulking up the marinara sauce with roasted or sautéed vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, spinach, and mushrooms.
- Vegan – Make a plant-based version with vegan alternatives such as dairy-free pesto, tofu ricotta, and vegan parmesan.
Storing & freezing
Storing: Allow leftover pesto lasagna to cool to room temperature. Then, cover the entire dish with an airtight lid or aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: For longer storage, wrap the pesto lasagna tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Absolutely! To prep ahead, assemble the layers as usual, but don't bake them. Instead, let it cool, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, remove it from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, and then bake as instructed.
No. It’s best to mix the pesto with the ricotta for this lasagna in its raw form to help protect its vibrant flavors and fresh qualities. Not to mention, if pesto is overheated, it may turn an off-putting color.
First, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of your baking dish to prevent the noodles from sticking. Next, arrange a layer of cooked lasagna noodles to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Then, add a layer of the pesto-ricotta mixture and more sauce. Assemble a second layer in the same order with a final layer of cheese on top.
To keep ricotta cheese creamy in lasagna, it’s typically mixed with an egg and seasoned before layering. Using fresh, high-quality ricotta and avoiding spreading it too thinly between noodle layers also helps. Additionally, you can cover the lasagna with foil during the initial baking to retain moisture and uncover it toward the end for a golden, cheesy top.
More ways to use pesto
- Pesto Chicken Skillet
- Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken
- Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
- Avocado Pesto Grilled Pitas
If you love this lasagna recipe with pesto and tomato sauce, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Pesto Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8 oz lasagna noodles whole-grain or regular
- 48 oz marinara sauce your favorite store-bought (I love Rao's Homemade for a short-cut) or homemade
- 16 oz low-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 whole egg
- ½ cup pesto sauce store-bought or homemade
- 2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef *can also use ground bison
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil rinsed and chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend such as McCormick's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil.
- Add a little salt.
- Cook lasagna according to the package directions for al dente (I like to pull it out a couple of minutes short of al dente for the best texture). Drain and set aside.
- Brown ground beef over medium heat until meat crumbles and is cooked through and no longer pink. Drain any remaining grease.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil, remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir until mixed.
- In the bottom of an 11x8 baking dish, spread about a cup of the pasta sauce mixture.
- Top with 4 noodles.
- Spread with ½ the ricotta mixture and then more pasta sauce mixture.
- Add a second layer of noodles and repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Top with the extra cup of mozzarella and ½ cup parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- When assembling the lasagna, do your best to evenly distribute the meat sauce, pesto, and cheese between each pasta layer.
- To prevent the noodles from becoming too soft and soggy during baking, do not boil them past al dente. If they’re slightly underdone (my preference- about 2 minutes short of al dente), they’ll continue cooking during baking and turn out perfect.
- You may need to cover the baking dish with foil for the first part of baking to prevent excessive browning, then remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes so the cheese gets golden and bubbly.
- Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This allows the layers to settle, making it easier to slice and serve.
Nutrition
*If you loved the original version of this recipe that I posted in June 2011, you'll really love this update version with a few minor recipe enhancements. I've also provided more detailed recipe tips and recommendations, along with pretty new photos. 🙂
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Kara
It is great to see you cook with grass fed beef. I can’t wait to make your Lasagna. I am glad you wrote this one down! I know many people have a difficult time finding grass fed beef. If you ever need a place, check out the La Cense Beef website. I order all my grass fed beef online from their site and am always so happy I did. I have searched different sites as I can never find it locally and for me La Cense is the way to go.
Amee
Kara, I will check out La Cense's website. Thank you! I am a lucky girl because my neighbor is selling local, grassfed beef. I get it delivered to my door. Doesn't get much better than that! Thank you for visiting my blog. 🙂
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger)
I'm glad you blogged about this even though you didn't have loads of photos. Looks great.
The Harried Cook
That lasagna looks fabulous! I am exactly like you... my husband often says 'make the pasta like you did the other day', and I'm say 'I have no idea how I made that!'. One of the reasons my blog came to be 🙂 Love your lasagna recipe... 🙂
Lori
This looks amazing! Will have to give it a try.
Amee
Thank you, ladies;)
carolinaheartstrings
This looks delicious. I love Newman's sauces. Wonderful. This is a repeat recipe for sure. Come over and visit us. We have a wonderful grilled fruit recipe.
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals
Say WHAT! Pesto tomato lasagna! I must make this.I love making my own pesto and always have too much. This would be a great use of the left overs. Yummo recipe! Thank you so much for posting it at the Recipe of the Week! Everyone is going to love this!
Kel
Why egg? I make something similar but have never put an egg in the cheese mixture. Wondering why you did that. Thanks!
Amee Livingston
Hi Kel! Good question. The egg acts as a binder for the cheese and keeps the layers together. It also will make it easier to slice.