The Family Recipe Box
Every family has The One. That legendary recipe. The one that shows up at every gathering, passed down through generations and known by heart. At some point, it becomes more than just food—it’s a plateful of memories, a bowlful of love, a recipe for connection.
In our Family Recipe Box series, we celebrate a different Allrecipes Allstar each month by sharing the story behind their treasured family dish—along with everything you need to bring it to your table, too. Because recipes this meaningful deserve to be passed on. And at Allrecipes, you’re part of the family.
Name: Stacey Freeman
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Family recipe: Italian Lasagna
Who developed the recipe: Stacey’s Grandma’s neighbor, who was from Italy
When it became a family tradition: The 1920s
For Allrecipes Allstar Stacey Freeman, Christmas Eve doesn’t taste like cookies, beef tenderloin, or the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Her paternal Grandma, and then Mom, made sure that there was another menu star: lasagna. But we’re not just talking about any ol’ layered pasta recipe. This is the world’s best, according to Freeman, and the recipe comes straight from Italy.
Freeman tells us that her grandma scored this saucy pasta casserole recipe from her neighbor, who moved to the U.S. from Italy. Grandma passed it down to Mom, who shared it with Stacey, so the lasagna can continue to be a centerpiece on the Christmas Eve table—and on the menu throughout the year.
Allrecipes / Stacey Freeman
“This lasagna was always a part of my childhood,” Freeman reminisces. “It’s so special because it brings my family together for a meal.”
In fact, this classic lasagna recipe might be even more meaningful because today, Freeman and her family members are scattered across the country. But when this baked pasta hits the table, it means they’re able to share the casserole and quality time.
Freeman let Grandma and Mom take the lead for decades, and only started making this lasagna herself in her 30s: “I began making it for my family on Christmas Eve to carry on the tradition and share it with my son Rocco, 13, and daughter Gigi, 11,” she says. “We stick to the recipe, but do change up the seasoning, sometimes adding in fresh and dried basil, and other times leaning into fresh and dried oregano.”
Freeman’s fellow Allrecipes members have made it clear that there are countless ways to remix this Italian-American classic. You’ve convinced us that we can cook lasagna in a slow cooker or skillet, should translate the flavors into a soup, and might even want to swap zucchini for the noodles to keep it low-carb and gluten-free. So we couldn’t resist asking Freeman what makes her family heirloom recipe stand out from the rest. She confirms that each slice is “very cheesy.” And instead of more traditional ricotta for the creamy element, this lasagna features one of the trendiest items in the dairy section: cottage cheese.
Freeman has tested this out with no-boil lasagna noodles and tells us it works well. Just keep in mind that this substitute “can make the lasagna a bit dry, so if you’re going to use no-boil noodles, add one more 6-ounce can of tomato paste and 3/4 cup more water to increase the quantity of sauce a bit.”
Allrecipes / Kim Shupe
Italian Lasagna Recipe
Yield: 8 generous servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Rest time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
1/2-pound (8 ounces) lasagna noodles2 tablespoons oil4 cloves garlic, chopped1 small onion, chopped1 pound ground beef2 1/2 teaspoons salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1/2 teaspoon dried basil2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste1 1/2 cup water (or 2 tomato paste cans full)2 eggs, beaten16 ounces cottage cheese1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Cook noodles in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a skillet. Cook garlic and onion until soft, about 1 minute. Add beef, salt, black pepper, and basil, and cook until the meat is brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and water, and cook for 5 minutes more. Set aside. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the eggs and cottage cheese.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a 9-x-13-inch pan, add a thin layer of the meat sauce (about one-third of the total amount). Top with half of the noodles, all the cottage cheese mixture, and half of the mozzarella cheese slices. Repeat with another layer of the sauce, the rest of the noodles, more sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella. Finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Dining and Cooking