Lasagna Recipe

Traditional Italian Lasagna

Lasagna, lasagna. Oh, how I love you! Undoubtedly, it is one of the world’s most popular foods. It is comforting and sentimental. It brings back memories of family gatherings and friendships from around the globe. This is the kind of food you can eat until you are bursting. It’s like a warm hug.

Lasagna is a great dish. Full stop.

If you haven’t tried making your own lasagna, it is time to do so! You can make lasagna if you know how to make pasta bolognese. You just need a little more patience.

It’s OK to have a little more than just a bit of patience. It’s worth the wait. It’s worth it.

Three parts of Homemade Lasagna

The ingredients for lasagna are:

1. The meat sauce
2. No cream needed for this creamy, thick sauce!
3. Assembling & baking

What goes into lasagna

Meat Sauce is similar to Bolognese. You will need:

• Soffrito – base flavours: onion, garlic, celery, and carrot.
• Beef
• Cans of tomato and tomato paste
• Red wine for added flavour!
• Seasonings: beef bouillon (stock cubes), thyme oregano bay leaves.

You will need the following to make white sauce :

• Butter
• Flour
• milk
• Cheese

For assembling, you need:

• Fresh lasagna sheets are best (from the refrigerator section of supermarkets), but dried ones will also work.
• cheese!

How To Make Lasagna

See? You know I said the meat sauce was just like making Bolognese? Here, the meat sauce is cooked long and slowly to create rich, luscious flavours, and to make the beef melt in your mouth.

Layering it up!

Here’s how to layer it:

• Spread some meat sauce over the base to stop the lasagna sheets sliding;
• Layer 1 – top, with white sauce and meat sauce
• Layer 2 – Lay out another lasagna sheet, and then cover with more meat sauce.
• Layer 3 – repeat the lasagna sheets with meat sauce, then finish off with white sauce.
• Topping – cover lasagna sheets with remaining white sauce, then sprinkle cheese.

Lasagna Recipe

The world's most popular food is finally available! This beautiful Italian Lasagna has layers of Ragu Bolognese with Besciamella Cheese Sauce.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

LASAGNA:

• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• basil or parsley (Finely chopped)
• 350g fresh lasagna sheets

RAGU BOLOGNESE

• 1 kg / 2 lb beef mince
• 3 beef bouillon cubes (crumbled)
• 1/4  cup tomato paste
• 1 medium carrot
• 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 celery stick (very finely diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 cup pinot noir red wine
• 2 bay leaves  (dried or fresh)
• 1 Onion
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme and oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
• 1-2 tsp tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp  olive oil

CHEESE SAUCE (BESCIAMELLA)

• 4  tbsp  butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups cups milk
• 2 cups gruyere or Colby cheese
• Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

 

RAGU:

• Heat oil in a heavy-based large pot on medium heat. Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Cook for 10 mins until sweet and softened - do not let them brown.
• Turn up the heat and add beef. Break it up while cooking.
• Add the remaining Ragu ingredients, EXCEPT for the sugar, once the beef is completely brown.
• Stir and adjust heat until it bubbles very gently. Cover the pot and let it cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. Stir every so often. Remove the lid, and let the mixture simmer for 30 mins.
• Note 6: The ragu will be ready when the meat has become tender and the sauce is thick and rich. Add sugar and salt to taste (Note 3).

CHEESE SAUCE:

• Heat milk in a pan (optional, but it will thicken the sauce faster).
• Melt butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add flour, and continue to mix for one minute.
• Mix the milk into the flour as you pour it in. Add remaining milk once the mixture is mostly lump-free. If necessary, use a whisk to get rid of any lumps.
• Heat to medium-high. Stir frequently at first, then more regularly after a couple of minutes. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens. This should take 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce should cover the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add cheese, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Mix until cheese melts. The Sauce should have the consistency of heavy whipping cream, but be easily pourable. (You need to be able drizzle it over the ragu when layering. See video). If the sauce is too thick, you can add some water or milk.

ASSEMBLE:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F
• Use a 33 x 22 x 7 cm / 13 x 9 x 2.5'' baking dish.
• Spread a little Ragu over the base and then cover it with sheets of lasagna. Tear the sheets to fit.
• Spread 2 1/2 cups Ragu over the sheets, then drizzle 1 cup of Cheese Sauce over it.
• Note 7: Top with the lasagna sheets. Spread another 2 1/2 cup Ragu and then 1 cup Cheese Sauce. Repeat the process of adding lasagna sheets and repeating it 1 more time.
• Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the fourth layer of sheets.
• Sprinkle with Mozzarella and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden.
• Serve garnished with parsley or basil if desired. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.