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).
Karen says
I love the recipes you post. Hope I get to try this one. I keep the recipes in a recipe folder to use later. Thanks for the recipes. Karen
Kripa says
Hi Nagi,
This looks like such a scrummy recipe.I’m going to try this when my family visits from overseas next month. I was wondering if I can assemble it and leave it in the fridge 24 hours before baking it. I won’t have time to do it n the day as I have to go to work and also pick them
up from the airport that evening. What do you reckon I should do?
Ps: Your recipes are ah-may-zing!!
Love from Australia!
Gerry says
Nagi –
You should consider making the American version with ricotta, too – for a scientific comparison. =)
Jan says
Hi Nagi! This recipe is divine! We made it last night and we loved it. However my ragu came out oily and when its time for me to cut the lasagna it didn’t hold its shape and slipped with all the sauce. I wonder what could have gone wrong? Thanks Nagi ❤️❤️❤️
Brenda says
Hi Jan,
I just thought I would drop a few lines to comment as I have made Lasagna for over 20 years now.
You may have had too much fat in your beef if it was oily. I buy lean ground beef and even then sometimes I need to let it drain in a strainer to get the fat out after cooking it.
As for the Lasagna not holding together it might be that you did not let the Lasagna sit for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. It does need a sitting time for the pasta to absorb the excess sauce as it steams while baking under the cheese bechamel sauce.
Sonja Truesdale says
Without a doubt Nagi you are going to be forever my go to food guru.
That is the best Lasagne I’ve ever made. Thank you.
All other Lasagne recipes that I have followed faithfully do not have the depth, and richness of the ragu bolognese sauce that you provided.
All other Lasagne recipes that I have followed faithfully end up being boring, boring, boring because the longest they cook the sauce is an hour which includes the last 15 minutes of simmer.
I’ve not been a fan of Lasagne for the very reason that the time that I’ve put in making a Lasagne has proved disappointing.
However, you have changed all of that for me and my family, thank you 🙂 I have been singing your praises to my father and a friend of mine. To my comment “I’ve made the best Lasagne EVER!” She asked me what was different about it, and I said 1.5 – 2 hours of cooking, then 30 minutes simmering; thanks to Nagi.
Nagi says
My head was getting bigger and bigger as I read your message… 😂 I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this so much, this is one of my personal favourites so I’m extra happy you loved it!! N xx
Sonja says
Made this for my brother because lasagna is his favourite food and he had been feeling down lately.
He said it was one of the best lasagnas he’s ever had! A bit of work but so worth it and it freezes well too.
I only cooked the ragu for 1 hour cause of time constraint and I used 2 cups of Sauvignon Blanc instead of 1 cup red wine cause that was what I had in my fridge and my pot did not have a lid.
So far this has been my favourite recipe from your site and I will definitely make it again.
Nagi says
Glad to hear your brother enjoyed this Sonja!! You are a very good sister 🙂 I hope your brother feels better soon! N xx
Marnie says
Just made thin and best I’ve ever made…thanks!
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Marnie! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Jax says
Hi Nagi!
I can’t remember when I made this last, does 1pkt of fresh lasagne (375g) give 4 layers?!
Cheers!
Nagi says
Hi Jax! It most certainly should. I always end up with some leftovers 🙂 N x
Jax says
There WAS! Thanks! I didn’t have to do another shop run!
Jax says
Mine only come with 8, yours look massive!?
Karin says
This was amazing never made home made lasagna before. Love all of your recipes. This week is my recipe tin eats week and we are only making recipes from your site.
Chris says
Hi Nagi
I made this lasagne last night for dinner. WOW! Full of flavour. One thing though, I love all types of cheese and so I added Mozzarella to the top of the dish before placing in the oven. I do feel that this was a bit of an overkill as the Béchamel was so good the mozzarella took away from it. Just my opinion.
Given the ingredient quantities ( there is only 2 of us at home these days) it looks as though you could successfully halve and still end up with a wonderful meal as always from you. Do you agree or have any suggestions.
Regards
Nagi says
Hi Chris – so glad you enjoyed this!! Absolutely you can scale this down, just click on Servings and slide down to reduce the size 🙂 All the ingredients will change for you!
Andrew says
Hi Nagi,
I’m trying this recipe tomorrow but I don’t have beef cubes, could I use beef stock instead and would that make sauce too runny at all.
Thanks.
Nagi says
You’ll just need to cook it longer to reduce the liquid down 🙂 N x
Kathleen says
It was delicious.
Loved it xx
Nagi says
Love hearing that Kathleen! I’m so pleased you love this as much as I do! N x
Christa says
Hi, Nagi! This is the best lasagna ever. I do have a question. The second time I made this, it ended up too saucy. Taste so good still but there’s just too much sauce it went runny. What did I do wrong? First attempt to make this went out perfect.
Nagi says
Hi Christa – I’m sorry to hear that! Did you cook the sauce to the consistency shown in the video?? Sometimes even something like the strength of the oven or the type of pot you use can affect how quickly the liquid reduces 🙂 N x
Rachael says
Making this right now. The Ragu is bubbling away. Can’t wait to eat dinner tonight.
I’ve made 3 of your asian takeaway dishes so far.
Recipes are so easy to follow and taste amazing.
Thanks Nagi for your recipes
Nagi says
That’s wonderful to hear Rachael! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
Jasmine says
Hubby is a bbq steak man and tells me he’s always hated lasagne. Ive made this recipe for the third time now and he says “its the only lasagne he’ll ever eat” hahaha
Nagi says
Biggest Praise. EVER!!! 😂
Jasmine says
Oh and ive managed to get two dinners out of this recipe. I assembled in two smaller baking trays and froze one for another day. Feeds 3 people (2 adults and 1 very hungry toddler)
Sheila says
Nagi, made this recipe twice and it never failed us! thanks much 😊
Nagi says
That’s terrific! So pleased you enjoyed this Sheila – N x
Hannah says
Trying this recipe tonight! It’s smelling gorgeous! The video is so helpful!
Nagi says
I hope you love it Hannah!!
Annette says
Love this recipe. Will be the next one I make. Thanks Nagi.
Annette says
Forgot to say that I was really interested in your comments about tasty cheese and the “floury” taste in my Bechamel sauce!!! Hadn’t put it together! I have been using a blend of Colby and Parmesan in my bechamel sauces recently as I like the flavours but hadn’t twigged to the sauce not having a floury taste!! Thanks 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Carol says
That is a perfect lasagne recipe,I cannot bear the ricotta one,it has to be a nice cheesy bechamel sauce,your recipes are really fantastic Nagi 😊
Nagi says
I don’t get the ricotta version at all! 🙂 Glad we agree on that!
Barbara von Normann says
Hi Nagi,
We tried your lasagna recipe for the first time two nights ago. To be honest, it was the BEST lasagna we have ever eaten!!!!!!
I do have a question. I am not a big fan of carrots, so what would happen if we left out the carrot?
Big hugs to you and Dozer!
Barbara from Estonia
Nagi says
That will be fine to leave out carrot Barbara! I’m so glad you love this, I have a BIG soft spot for lasagna! N xx