Ah, Lasagna Bolognese — the king of Italian comfort food! 🍝 Layer upon layer of pasta, rich meat ragù, creamy béchamel, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Let’s go step by step, traditional-style.
Ingredients (for 6–8 servings)
For the Bolognese ragĂą:
- 500 g ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 60 g butter
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 400 g canned tomatoes or passata
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml beef or chicken stock (optional, to loosen sauce)
- Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg
For the béchamel sauce:
- 50 g butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 500 ml milk
- Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg
For assembling:
- 250 g fresh lasagna sheets (or dried, pre-cooked if needed)
- 100–150 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- Extra butter for greasing
Instructions
1. Make the Bolognese ragĂą
- Heat olive oil + butter in a large pan.
- Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté on low heat until soft (about 10 minutes).
- Add ground meat; brown slowly, breaking up clumps.
- Pour in white wine; let it evaporate.
- Stir in tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and a bit of stock if needed.
- Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer for at least 1–1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
2. Make the béchamel sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Stir in flour, cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Gradually add milk, whisking to prevent lumps.
- Cook until thickened, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
3. Assemble the lasagna
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease a baking dish with butter.
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom.
- Layer pasta sheets, ragù, béchamel, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
- Repeat layers until ingredients are used, finishing with béchamel and Parmigiano on top.
4. Bake
- Cover with foil and bake for 25–30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let it rest 10 minutes before serving (this helps it set beautifully).
Tips
- Patience is key: The ragĂą tastes far better if simmered slowly.
- Fresh pasta makes the texture luxurious, but dried pasta works fine.
- Make ahead: Lasagna often tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.
If you like, I can also give a “super authentic Bolognese trick” used by Italians: it’s all about a small touch of milk in the ragù to make the meat silky and tender.
Do you want me to share that trick too?
