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).
This is so VERY close to a Lasagna that is a ‘family secret’ in my husbands Italian family! They originated in the Abruzzo area. We use our homemade pasta and I make mine see thru thin for additional layers. But when it’s taken out of the oven its golden, gooey, and puffy! If any one is on the fence…this is fabulous!
Oooooh!! I LOVE that Fiona! And YES to homemade pasta, I admire you, homemade lasagna with homemade pasta – INCREDIBLE!!!
Hi Nagi,
The lasagna looks absolutely delish! Good to see that the meat sauce doesn’t take half a day to cook either. You sure know how to make life easier for us 😉 Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words Tamara!!! N xx
Hi Nagi
I love lasagne and have always mine in a similar way to your recipe. I recently returned from Italy where I did a week long ‘school’ in Italian cooking run by a home chef from recipes from her family rather than chef technique. She said they always cook off the onion then garlic then meat before adding the carrot and celery as it gives a better fresher flavour. It was delicious but I’m not sure that it’s important, maybe an Italian v French thing. What do you think?
That’s interesting! I must look into that, I’ve definitely never done it that way. I just can’t see how the carrot and celery cooks to get that sweetness if the meat is already in the pot, they would almost braise instead??
Hi Nagi
The lasagna looks great
I’ll have to try it. I have 2 cats that sleep exactly like Dozer – one on the floor, one across the table. I can’t win.
They rule the house? 😉
I love this kind of lasagna Nagi, I frequently make the “Americanized” version with ricotta but this style is my favorite. The pictures and video look great and I bet the ones you took 12 months ago did too. I can’t count how many posts I have not done because I was not happy with the pictures
So. Many. Get. Binned. I hear you Dahn!! N xx
Hi Nagi! I’m not a professional, but rather a good home cook. I know that the 1st thing I look at when viewing a recipe is the picture. Second is the title. If either peaks my interest, I will check out the recipe; but pic is the most important. Now, my REAL reason for commenting – I’m disgusted with bloggers who take pictures that show their horrible, flaked, purple,black, or whatever, nail polish! It grosses me out! Your nails are always neutral and look clean. Ditto Food Network. I used to work in the food industry, and the rule was to either have clear nail polish or bare nails.
Gosh, goes without saying in my books!!! I don’t get the black nail polish trend. I find it really off-putting!!
Hi Nagi,
Now this is one recipe I will be making as soon as I have all the ingredients because we all just LOVE
Lasagne. Thank you so much for all the other wonderful recipes you have sent and I have made a lot
of them already. We also have a dog called Zac – 14 years old and he just sprawls out where-ever he drops
and doesn’t move for anyone, ha ha. Great drool worthy photography too.
And he has the RIGHT to sprawl anywhere he wants! Wow – 14 – gosh! He must be one healthy dog! 🙂 N xx
‘I think she’s got it! By George, she’s got it’, oh Professor Higgins talking naturally : and, if you don’t know’, look up! Ever heard of ‘My Fair Lady’! 🙂 !!! Not that I cook lasagne all that often these days but can’t think of a better recipe or photos !! Meaty, all meaty – and I like that. Surprised Dozer did not cotton on and just lay in the path in his contented ‘belongingness’ . . . OK wine? Agree with cab sauv rather than merlot – have actually used shiraz [friends up north call it syrah methinks] but yours probably adds the right undertones without depths unneeded . . .
OF COARSE!!! “The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain…!!!” Now I want to watch it again!!
If you are doing a boring job in kitchen, bring it up on YouTube: the concert version with Jeremy Irons and
Kiri te Kanawa . . . . best of any . . . oh, pay definite attention at about minute 6 when Irons wonders why only the English speak the language properly 🙂 ! Hilarious 🙂 ! As long as . . .
Your photos are gorgeous Nagi. And of course you’ve made me hungry for that all-time favourite comfort food….I’m known as a lasagna queen myself 😊 Right, I’m onto it, it’s off to the butchers for me….
Ooooh! I would love to know how you do yours!!!
All the obvious tastiness in your recipe- good cheesy bechamel, slow cooked meat sauce etc. For me, the 2 key tips are top shelf mince & fresh lasagne sheets…..mmmmm, mouth-watering goodness all round:)) xx
Oh Nagi! You totally nailed the shoot! Once I saw “Lasagna” I opened the post just to see how you shot it. And you didn’t disappoint! 👌👌
I love reading the behind the scenes of your food blogger life. Please don’t stop sharing.
Now I want some Lasagna.
You understand!!! It is sooo hard…. not in the dish, that part wasn’t too bad, but the slice was tough!!!
Looks good, must be yumi BUT JUST NOT ME. NEVER MADE ONE AND HONOSLY DO NOT KNOW WHEN DID I HAD TO EAT. WILL BE HARD AT WORK THIS W/ End My Dearest Friend Came with ALL the good extra Fresh Food from her garden- bagof lemons+ bag of parsly making lemonade with Ginger. Got me big Box of nettles have Blanched them and that is for quiche. Also got nice Sorrel and receipt for soup. Two large pomigranite, guava ALL home grown, Nagi Realy YOU should be in My place AM VERY LUCKY TO HAVE GOOD PEOPLE IN MY LIFE!! Week ago Neighbour took me to see her Mum and got home with protias about 05 vašem Full. Also lemon, komquat and basil . Am making Tomato Sauce, already roasted pepppers, yumi! Dozer looks so peacful for time begin. Have good w/ End!!
WOW you are lucky! I love how you get such interesting ingredients from your friends, keeps it interesting!! such variety! N xx
Wonderful photography! As one who does something similar creating great looking and tasting meals, you have to be concerned with both because people “eat with their eyes”… I look forward to tryin ghtis recipe. I don’t think I have ever made Lasagna the same way twice!
That’s exactly right Kevin! I learned food photography because of that exact reason – nowadays it’s not enough to know good recipes, you have to have decent photos too!
For American cooks how does your ground beef translate into our % FAT content?
Pretty sure the standard ground beef is the same fat % as our mince, I cooked with ground beef from Ralph’s and other mainstream stores when I was in the states and didn’t notice any difference. 🙂 N xx
Italian food is very regional and it depends on what part your family came from as to how the family recipe is made. I do not like the pasta from around Rome because it’s not what the grandmothers learned to make in Italy but when I got further north, I was a well fed happy camper. Most Americans think Italian food is what comes from Southern Italy. I learned to make Northern Italian from those two little old ladies who were born there.
I am intensely jealous that you learned from Italians! I WISH I had someone I could learn from 🙂 I just scour cookbooks and watch cooking shows and YouTube!! N xx
If I boil the dried lasagna noodles prior to layering do I need to be concerned about using extra sauce?
Nope! Thanks for the question, I added extra notes about using dried lasagna sheets i.e. instant vs pre boil lasagna dried lasagna sheets. 🙂 N xx
no. I however never cook the Lasagna Noodles before hand anymore. I lay them in place as you would when making the dish, with the other ingredients, and pour 1 Cup of boiling water over top. Dish will come out as it should and not be runny and the noodles will be done. This recipe is excellent!
Woah. I’ve never heard that!!! So you pour all the boiling water over the top layer?? I guess that would have to be done just before the cheese is put on the top.
This looks so good! lasagne is my absolute fav! I’m not sure if this is written anywhere, but can I make a suggestion?
I’m Australian and have been living in America for 18 months. The first time we made lasagne here was a bit of a disaster, because you have to pre cook some of the dried lasagne sheets here before you assemble the lasagne.
We didn’t do this the first time and made it the usual way, as you have done! It’s a family recipe that always worked in Australia, but didn’t in America because of the lasagne sheets we bought. It’s only some of the dried lasagne sheets but it may be worth mentioning for your American followers to check whether they need to precook their lasange sheets!!
I’d always prefer to use fresh anyway! hope you don’t mind the feedback! 🙂
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIP!!! I added a note about dried vs instant dried lasagna sheets. I truly appreciate it, thank you x 1 million! ❤️ PS What a pain to have to pre cook dried lasagna sheets!!!
Looks delicious. Food photography IS TOUGH (I once worked for a magazine and we avoided it as much as possible). But an authentic “Italian” Lasagna is going to involve “Italian” cheeses. There are good handmade mozzarellas that punch more flavor, but Try Asiago, Fontina (or Fontanella which is softer), or Burrata. Parmesana Reggiano, of course is staple. I would never use a cheddar or monterrey in lasagna — that would just make it Mexican.
I know I know! 🙂 I wrote in the notes of the recipe the differences between a strictly authentic one and mine. I don’t use Parmesan in the cheese sauce because I like how the other cheeses I use thicken the sauce, adds volume and a bit of stretch, but I should add that as another option.
Hi Nagi!
This looks great..but please (if possible) add nutritional info?
I noticed the previous recipe this week didnt have it either. Please dont stop 🙂
Best wishes!
Oops! I forgot, I was in a rush 🙂 Adding now! (And I added for chicken noodles soup too 🙂 )
Thanks so much!
U put pasta first hehe.we put mince then pasta then sauce and repeat..I wonder do others do it different.hav we been getting it wrong?!
There’s no rules!! I just put a smear of sauce to make the pasta stick 🙂 I always thought if I put a full layer of meat sauce first, it’s just a bit hard to get it all when you serve the slices 🙂
Hi Nagi. Who doesn’t love lasagna? The ragu I make is very similar to yours and it is well worth the effort to make a great lasagna. However, this is another thing that I won’t be making until it cools off a bit. One of my dogs like to sprawl out in the middle of the kitchen so I have to constantly walk around him (I learned the hard way not to step over him).
We are approaching that tough season again, when our seasons are the absolute opposite!!! I think you might like some hot weather recipes I have coming up 🙂 Your dog is smart. I would sprawl in your kitchen too. 😉