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A Classic Dutch Oven Lasagna—with a few shortcuts to make it the comforting family dinner you’ll want to cook on repeat. My simple Bolognese is made with spicy Italian sausage, ground beef, and Italian tomatoes in basil. And the creamy white sauce is a mix of ricotta and egg yolks that gives this lasagna the richest, silkiest layers without any of the fuss of a traditional béchamel.
It’s the coziest time of year. These late November days and long December nights are made for comfort foods. Don’t deny yourself! Slow-cooked roasts, soups, and baked pastas are my favorite recipes to share during the holiday season.
This Dutch oven lasagna is one I’ve been so excited to finally give to you all. It’s the lasagna I make most often for family and friends—classic, nostalgic, and so delicious—but with a few shortcuts that make it incredibly easy. No one needs to know!
Everything comes together in a single Dutch oven (plus one mixing bowl and a cutting board) with minimal effort. The Bolognese gets so much flavor from the spicy sausage, stewed Italian tomatoes, and my favorite Italian spices. And the cream sauce is mixed right in a bowl—just add egg yolks to the ricotta and you get the most luxurious, velvety sauce without any extra steps.
This is simple, comforting, winter lasagna at its very best.
Onto the details
Ingredients
- spicy Italian sausage
- ground beef
- onions
- carrots
- celery
- Italian seasoning
- red wine
- canned tomatoes
- whole milk ricotta cheese
- whole milk or cream
- fresh parmesan
- dry lasagna noodles
- mozzarella cheese
- provolone cheese
- fresh basil or parsley
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a Dutch oven or other large oven-safe pot. Plus, a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and cutting board.
The Steps
Step 1: the red sauce
Brown the spicy Italian sausage and ground beef with the onions, carrots, celery, and Italian seasoning. Nothing fancy here—just classic, cozy flavors.
Pour in your favorite bottle of red wine (I recommend something from our Season Reds (on sale, free shipping, and today is the last day to order for Thanksgiving delivery), then add a cup of water. Let the sauce simmer while you mix up the ricotta.
Step 2: the ricotta sauce
You can mix this in a food processor or a regular bowl—both work great!
Combine the whole milk ricotta with the egg yolks, cream, and Parmesan. Add a splash of extra milk or cream to help the pasta cook nicely into the sauce as everything bakes.
Step 3: put it together
Mix some water in to the red sauce, this will help the pasta cook.
Break the lasagna noodles into pieces, stir them into the red sauce with half the mozzarella cheese. Now, swirl in the ricotta mix, not fully mixing it in. Finish with mozzarella and provolone on top.
Step 5: bake
Cover and bake until the noodles are tender. Uncover during the last few minutes to brown the cheese beautifully.
Serving
Let the lasagna sit for a few minutes before serving so it can set up nicely. Then scoop big, cozy bowls using your favorite serving spoon.
Serve with a simple salad, warm bread, and a yummy bottle of wine. I love the Tuscan red from our Selection of the Seasons Reds.
Looking for more easy holiday dinners? Here are a few more to try!
Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce
Crockpot Thai Short Ribs with Coconut Rice
Crockpot Short Rib Bourguignon
Lastly, if you make this Dutch Oven Lasagna, be sure to leave a comment and/or rate this recipe! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Dutch Oven Lasagna
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 682 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef or chicken
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cans (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- salt, pepper, and chili flakes
- 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup whole milk or cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 box dry lasagna noodles, broken in 2-3
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil/ parsley
Instructions
- 1. In a Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the sausage, beef, onion, carrots, celery, and Italian seasoning. Brown all over, 10 minutes. Add the wine, deglazing the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup water. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. 2. Simmer 10 minutes, until thickened just slightly. 3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the ricotta, cream/milk, egg yolks, and parmesan. Preheat oven to 375 F. 4. To the sauce, add 1/2 cup water. Stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Remove from the heat and add 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Then, gently stir/swirl in the the ricotta sauce, not fully mixing. 5. Top with mozzarella, provolone cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Cover and bake 30 minutes or until the noodles are soft. Remove the lid and bake 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes. Top with fresh basil, and enjoy!
This post was originally published on November 21, 2025
Super yummy! My boys loved it.
Hi Lisa,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment!
Happy Sunday!
It would be really helpful if you could clarify the amount of noodles instead of “one box.” Additionally, this recipe had so much dairy & liquid that it turned out so soupy. The cheese felt very overdone.
Hi Chandler,
It’s a 16oz box of noodles. Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback.
Have a great weekend!
Way too much sauce & cheese, are the measurements correct? Was this tested more than once? The amounts seem so excessive.
Hi Riley,
Yes, the measurements are correct and the recipe was tested several times:) Sorry to hear it did not turn out for you!
Did not enjoy this one. It was so gloppy and there was way too much sauce. Way too much cheese too, literally just globs of cheese(and I am from Wisconsin so this is saying a lot) The flavors were just ok, nothing that I would want to make again.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Michelle. Very sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe.
Do we put basil on before or after we cook it? You said to top with fresh basil at the end, but yours is blackened so I wasn’t sure. Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
You can garnish with the fresh basil:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
This turned out very soupy, more like lasagna soup than anything. So much liquid & dairy, it feels very excessive.
Hi Lara,
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback!
This recipe was so bad in so many ways.
Hi Brad,
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
Have a great weekend!
This was incredibly dairy laden even for HBH. I really didn’t like the final result, it could use a lot of work to be a good recipe.
Hi Diane,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
The flavor is great, but I do agree with one of the other reviews. There’s way too much liquid, so it becomes extremely soupy and kind of sloppy.
Hi Ashley,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment! Sorry to hear this was on the soupy side for you. Next time, you could reduce the milk slightly.
Have a great weekend!
I got this all ready to make but you don’t have an oven temperature listed anywhere.
Would you consider having another person proofread your recipes before posting? It’s really frustrating to meal plan and then realize it’s missing a crucial detail.
Hi Lara,
So sorry about that, you will want to bake at 375F. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Have a great weekend!
What size Dutch oven?
Hi Maggie,
I like to use a 7 quart dutch oven.
Let me know if you give this recipe a try! Happy Friday!
56 ounces of tomatoes?! Is that correct?
Hi Anita,
Yes, that is correct:)
Please let me know if I can help in any other way! Happy Friday!
Hi
How many would you say this recipe feeds? Thanks
Hi Laurie,
This recipe serves 8.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I made this and it was way too heavy. The amount of cheese, cream, and meat made it borderline greasy & too thick, and adding extra water left the sauce thin and bland. The whole thing felt messy to assemble and didn’t really hold together. Definitely not a recipe I’d make again without major changes.
Hi Monica,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
what can I substitute for the wine?
Hi Brandi,
You can use broth in place of the wine:)
Please let me know if you have any other questions!