One of the most loved foods in the world is finally here! This is a beautiful Italian Lasagna with layers of slow cooked Ragù Bolognese and Besciamella cheese sauce. Though patience is required, it is quite straight forward to make as you will see in the recipe video!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Traditional Italian lasagna
Lasagna, lasagna. How I love thee! It is possibly one of the most loved foods in the whole wide world, and understandably so. There is just something so sentimental about lasagna, so comforting. It evokes images of of gatherings with family and friends all around the world. It is the sort of food that is like a big warm hug, and so more-ish you want to keep digging in until you burst.
Lasagna just rocks. Full stop.
And if you’ve never tried a homemade one before, that needs to change! If you can make spaghetti bolognese, you can make lasagne. It just requires a wee bit more patience.
OK, bit more than a wee bit more patience. But it’s totally worth it. A real homemade Lasagna is epic.
Homemade Lasagna – three parts
There are 3 components to making lasagna:
The meat sauce;
The white sauce – creamy and thick, but no cream required!
Assembling and baking.
What goes in lasagna
The Meat Sauce is basically just like Bolognese. You need:
Onion, garlic, carrot and celery – for the flavour base, a soffrito;
Beef
Canned tomato and tomato paste
Red wine – for extra flavour!
Seasonings – beef bouillon cubes (stock cubes), bay leaves, thyme, oregano, Worcestershire sauce
For the white sauce, you need:
butter
flour
milk
cheese
For assembling, you need:
lasagna sheets – preferably fresh (from the fridge section of grocery stores) but dried works just fine too
cheese!
How to make lasagne
See? I told you the meat sauce is just like making Bolognese! Though here, we cook that meat sauce long and slow, to develop incredible rich flavours and make the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Layering up!
And here’s how you layer it up:
Smear a bit of meat sauce on the base first – stops the lasagna sheets from sliding around;
Layer 1 – top with meat sauce, bit of white sauce
Layer 2 – lay out more lasagna sheets, then top with more meat sauce and more white sauce
Layer 3 – repeat again, lasagna sheets, meat sauce then white sauce; and
Topping – cover with lasagna sheets, pour over remaining white sauce then sprinkle with cheese.
Pop it in the oven, and THIS is what comes out….
That moment when you cut into the golden bubbly cheesy top and you serve up a piping hot, oozy, meaty slice of lasagna….
That’s a little bit of food heaven, right there.
Lasagna first timers, the recipe video below will be super helpful. ❤️ Trust me, you got this. – Nagi xx
PS Also happens to be one of the nicest food gifts you can make for someone. Freezes 100% perfect, and is a huge step up from the usual simple casseroles. Right? 😉
Watch How To Make It
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Lasagna
Ingredients
Ragu Bolognese:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped (white, yellow or brown)
- 1 medium carrot , peeled and very finely diced
- 1 celery stick , very finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince (ground beef) (Note 1)
- 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup pinot noir red wine , or other dry red wine (Note 2)
- 3 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled
- 2 bay leaves , dried or fresh
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme and oregano
- 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 – 2 tsp sugar (if needed – Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
Cheese Sauce (Besciamella):
- 60g / 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups milk , preferably full fat but low fat ok
- 2 cups gruyere or Colby cheese , shred yourself (or cheddar, Monterey Jack, OR 1 cup / 100g shredded parmesan) (Note 4)
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
Lasagna:
- 350g/ 12 oz fresh lasagna sheets (or 250g/8oz dried) (Note 5)
- 1 1/2 cups (tightly packed) mozzarella cheese , shred yourself (Note 4)
- Finely chopped basil or parsley , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Ragu:
- Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes until softened and sweet – they should not brown (if they do, turn heat down).
- Add beef, turn heat up and cook the beef, breaking it up as you go.
- Once the beef has all turned brown, add the remaining Ragu ingredients EXCEPT the sugar.
- Stir then adjust the heat so it is bubbling very gently. Place the lid on and cook for 1.5 – 2 hours, stirring every now and then, then remove the lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- The ragu is ready when the meat is really tender and the sauce has thickened and is rich – see video for consistency (Note 6). Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and add sugar if required (Note 3)
Cheese Sauce:
- Warm milk up in a saucepan (optional – just makes sauce thicken faster).
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add flour and mix constantly for 1 minute.
- Pour about 1 cup of the milk in, mixing as you go to incorporate into the flour mixture. Once mostly lump free, add remaining milk. Use a whisk if needed to make it lump free.
- Turn heat up to medium high. Stir occasionally at first then regularly after a few minutes until sauce thickens – about 5 – 8 minutes. It should coat the back of the wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat, add cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until the cheese is melted. The Sauce should be thick but still easily pourable – the consistency of heavy cream (you need to be able to drizzle it over the Ragu when layering – see video). If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or milk.
Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Use a 33 x 22 x 7 cm / 13 x 9 x 2.5″ baking dish.
- Smear a bit of Ragu on the base, then cover with lasagna sheets. Tear sheets to fit.
- Spread over 2 1/2 cups of Ragu (enough to cover sheets), then drizzle over 1 cup of Cheese Sauce.
- Top with lasagna sheets (Note 7). Spread with another 2 1/2 cups of Ragu, then 1 cup of Cheese Sauce. Top with lasagna sheets then repeat 1 more time.
- Top with a 4th layer of lasagna sheets, then pour over the remaining Cheese Sauce.
- Sprinkle with Mozzarella, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
- Stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting and serving, garnished with basil or parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life Of Dozer
He just sprawls across the floor when he sleeps. No curling up cutely, chin on paw, like all those cute doggy pics you see all over the internet. Nope, this one just collapses and sprawls out right in my line of path (straight line from kitchen to table is over him – of course).
Had to leave out the wine because it’s the only thing I forgot in the grocery shop! Haven’t assembled yet but it already tastes delicious, thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Nagi.
I have just finished making your lasagna for the third time.
It is a family favourite and the taste is really sensational.
I always know with this meal that it will be widely received with plenty of yums.
Thank you for all your amazing recipes.
WOOT! That’s great to hear Julie!!! N x
Okay going to make this on Sunday and can’t wait. I need to know though, does it actually feed 10? like 10 hungry adults? its so hard to know…. I LOVE lasagna and would be sad if each person just got a tiny little square, but also don’t need enough to feed the neighborhood. haha. Thanks in advance. cant wait to try it.
Hi Amy, it does make 10 decent serves – you can always make extra and freeze the leftovers though – lasagna never goes to waste! N x
Forgot the 5 stars !!!
Thanks so much Kym!
Dinner tonight this is awesome Nagi another winner for my family..served it with a huge fresh salad with your honey Dijon dressing OMG
I made this tonight using your slow cooked ragu recipe (from our own grass fed beef) rather than mince. Oh … my … word!!
Oh that would be divine Margy!
I just make it yesterday for the first time, with my kid and its so yummy!!! Better than any restaurant.
And so much more satisfying when you know you’ve made it from scratch!
5 Stars forgot to add it
Oh, if your freezing don’t wrap them in glad wrap as some of the plastic wrap will stick to the layers when it’s frozen.
Thanks so much Eva!
Perfect only change I made was added passasta sauce as well.
I made a double batch, one to freeze which we had lastnight for dinner actually with salad and garlic bread.
Freezes well, reheats beautifully and still tastes absolutely delicious reheated from frozen.
100% my fav lasagna
This recipe is definitely a Hit!!! It’s so delicious and so easy to make. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Okay, this was epic! And delicious! I loved how the cream cheese just melted into the meat sauce. Family loved it too. Will definitely make this again. Thanks Nagi for another wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you loved it Anne!!! N x
I am not the most savvy cook but I loved this recipe and also plenty of your others. Thanks for making it so simple and the videos are really helpful too 👌 My toddler even enjoyed it!
You’re so welcome Christina!
I made this dish last week and my family went crazy over it. It is the best lasagna that I have ever made. I followed your instructions to the letter and the meat sauce was truly delicious. I cooked it for the whole time stated and it was so rich and flavoursome. I am making it again on Tuesday and my family cannot wait to gobble it all down again.
Thank you for a lovely, lovely meal Nagi.
Woah that’s such a great compliment, thanks so much Julie!!
Hi there! just wondering if i could just simmer the sauce for 30 mins on the stove as i am time poor today?
Hi Lauren, you can – you just wont get that rich depth of flavour you get from simmering a long time – N x
So yummy! My whole family loved it. I made the ragu in the slow cooker and didn’t need any sugar. I did leave the lid off for 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Next time I won’t use the dried pasta sheets.
Did you change anything on the recipe if you use slow cooker to make the ragu?
I’m so glad you loved it Jess!
Hi Nagi my sister makes this and it’s amazing! You don’t happen to have a TM version do you?
Hi Jess, no sorry I don’t! – N x
Can I mix the guyere, mozzarella and Parmesan?
Sure can Shelly, it will be super luxurious!
Hi Nagi, I can’t seem to find tins of crushed tomatoes over here (UK) so my choice is either tinned chopped tomatoes or a jar of passata. Any suggestions which you would use please
Many thanks
Caroline
Hi Caroline, chopped tomatoes will be fine 🙂
Made this last night and found the cheese sauce a bit too cheesy for me. Will reduce to 1 cup of cheddar next time. Other than that, turned out okay.
Hi Hannah, sorry you found it a little cheesy – this could be because of the type of cheese you are using, just reduce next time if it’s too much for you – N x
The most amazing Bolognese souse ever!The lasagna turned great!
Wahoo, thanks for letting me know Nedko!