Take a rich and delicious bolognese and layer it with silky pasta sheets and a bechamel sauce. Lasagne bolognese might be labor intensive but when you sit down and cut into those glorious meat and cheese filled layers, all that work will melt away. It's comfort food at it's best and I hope you give it a try, would be very impressive for a dinner party.
Lasagne bolognese
Hello! I feel quite daunted writing this one up. It's a labor of love to make this lasagne bolognese but to me it's so worth it. Try and enjoy every step and I will outline how you can get ahead and make some shortcuts. This lasagne won't be something you make all the time so organise some lucky friends and family to come and enjoy it with you, you'll be the most popular person ever.
This was born out of creating my best bolognese sauce. It's a slow cooked flavour packed sauce, absolutely perfect for this lasagne bolognese. I also considered using my beef cheek ragu, which I will try at some stage. It would also be absolutely amazing using my white pork ragu as the meat layers, I have a lot of lasagne to make it seems! For now I wanted to keep it classic with this bolognese version.
Lasagne vs lasagna
There are two different spellings. I have used lasagne as it is the most traditional Italian spelling. Quite simply, lasagna is the singular 'noodle' and lasagne is plural. Lasagna with an a seems to be the American adopted spelling.
Ingredients/Components
Pasta
I have made my own fresh homemade pasta sheets using my easy homemade pasta dough, but this is completely optional. Store-bought lasagne sheets are absolutely fine, especially if this is your first time making it. You might not be able to get the tall sides that create the crunch but it will still be delicious.
Bolognese
I have used my best bolognese recipe because as the title suggests, it's the best. It is slow cooked on a very low heat for a few hours so this can be done a couple of days ahead if you wish. It's a mix of ground pork and ground beef and cooked with white wine and milk instead of tomatoes. It's actually the authentic way to make it. Tomato paste adds enough tomato flavour.
Bechamel Sauce
Lots of lasagne recipes have ricotta cheese but I just prefer a classic creamy white sauce made with butter, flour, milk and parmesan cheese. You can put some mozzarella cheese on the top layer if you wish.
Assembling the Lasagne
This is actually the part that is the most fun! You can't really go too wrong, just make sure your layers are nice and evenly spread out. For the pasta you can either have the sheets going up the sides of the dish to create really crispy edges or trimmed to fit the dish. I do a bit of both. This is how I assemble the lasagne.
- Grease your baking dish with butter. My dish is 35cm x 24cm.
- Spread 1 cup of bolognese into the bottom of the dish and spread out into an even layer
- Layer two of the fresh pasta sheets next to each other, to create one layer of pasta. They should overlap in the middle slightly but it doesn't matter if they don't. If you want the crispy bits at the sides then don't trim the sheets down to fit the dish.
- Layer 1 cup of bolognese over the sheet of pasta, followed by ½ cup of bechamel (or a touch more!) then a dusting of parmesan.
- Keep alternating pasta, ragu, bechamel and parm. You should end up with five layers of pasta. The first two layers of pasta I overlapped up the sides, the middle two I trimmed down to just fit within the dish then the top one I overlapped up the sides again. Do whatever you like depending how thick you want the crispy bits up the side.
- When you are up to the third layer of pasta grate a single layer of lemon zest on top of the ragu before adding the bechamel. Don't skip this I promise it adds such a lovely flavour note.
- After the 5th layer of pasta you will do a final layer of ragu (this should finish it off) then 1 cup of bechamel and the additional 100g of grated or crumbled parmesan evenly dusted over the top layer.
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- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 mins or until cooked through, the crispy edges have browned and the top is bubbly and golden brown.
- Open some red wine while you let the lasagne firm up for 15 - 20 mins before cutting and serving. With an extra dusting of parmesan!
The lasagne bolognese schedule!
Making a lasagne is relatively straight forward it just requires a bit of planning. Here is the order in which you should tackle it.
Make the bolognese - The bolognese a) needs to slow cook for hours and b) will improve overnight so make it the day before. This really is a must otherwise you'll literally spend a whole day in the kitchen. When you cook the bolognese you want to cook it long enough that it is really thick, there shouldn't be much liquid left.
In the fridge it will solidify slightly, so I suggest reheating it gently on the stove (with a tiny splash of water if it needs) and then leaving to cool to room temp while you prepare the pasta and béchamel. This is what the bolognese should look like.l;./
Make the pasta - keep in mind you can store the uncooked lasagne in the fridge so start making the pasta as early as you want. You'll make the dough, rest it and roll it as normal. If you are using store bought fresh sheets then just get onto the bechamel.
Make the bechamel - This is the last step so before you make it have everything else ready to go. Have the room temp bolognese in a pot, your pasta sheets layered up and the parmesan you need. Preheat the oven if you are going to cook it straight away and grease your dish. I like a really clear and clean bench top so have a good clean up if you need.
Assembly - This really is the fun part! You've done a lot of work so enjoy the layering! For the bolognese you'll need six equal lots to layer. I measured mine in cups and pretty much had bang on 6 cups. Measure it out into a big bowl if you want to be sure. If you have slightly more you could put a touch more in each layer. You'll have more bechamel than you need, so don't skimp. I did just over ½ cup for each layer and a full cup on the top.
The pasta
A little note on the pasta. Making your own pasta dough is obviously delicious but it's a lot of extra work. I encourage you to make the pasta sheets if you are used to it but there is no shame in buying them. Fresh sheets are what I recommend and are really easy to find in supermarkets. The crispy bits up the side add a bit of presentational drama and crunch so definitely do that if you want! If you don't want them just trim your sheets to fit into the dish.
I divided my dough into 6 pieces then rolled those out into long sheets and cut them in half width wise. That gave me 12 sheets that were roughly 26cm x 15cm (10 x 6 inches). I didn't use them all but I wanted to have some extras incase I tore them or something went wrong!
I rolled the pasta to setting 6 on my marcato roller. Pasta in a lasagne is supposed to melt in the mouth which this definitely did. Next time I think I might roll to 5 just to see what that is like texture wise. Definitely don't do the thinnest setting, it needs more bite than that.
Blanching the pasta sheets
I do think this is a necessary step if you are using home made pasta. Get a really large saucepan of well salted water boiling and blanch two sheets at a time (more if you're really brave) for 30 seconds. Have your phone with a timer/stopwatch going. They sheets will fold and ball up a bit in the water but don't panic they will flatten out perfectly out of the water.
I had a colander sitting in my sink and fished the sheets out of the boiling water with a spider strainer (you could use a sieve too). You can use tongs but just be careful you don't rip the sheets with them. Pop them in the colander then run cold water over them. Flatten them out on baking paper and pat dry with paper hand towels.
Repeat this process until all your sheets are layered up between baking paper on a baking sheet. Yes, this part is a bit of a mission but if you aren't in a rush, just try and enjoy it!
Can you make lasagne ahead of time?
Yes! You can get it completely assembled then store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. Wrap it up tightly and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. It's best to bring to room temperature before baking. You could also freeze it at this point for around a month.
How do you reheat lasagne?
I think any kind of reheated pasta is going to be compromised in some way, be it texture or the sauce drying up. Reheating lasagne in the oven is the best way. Cover it with foil and pop it in a preheated oven at 180c (350f) for about 30 mins until heated all the way through.
Want some other recipes to try?
If you loved my best bolognese sauce and haven't tried my white pork ragu, add it to the top of your list! Maybe you need something quick and easy after this one though?! Check out my favourite cacio e pepe with olives and basil or my very popular creamy tomato pasta sauce.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE it if you could leave me a review down below and let me know what you thought! I love to hear any changes or adaptions you have made too. Also if you put a photo on instagram, please tag me so I can see, it makes my day!
Recipe
The Best Lasagne Bolognese
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Ingredients
FOR THE BOLOGNESE
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g ground beef
- 500 g ground pork
- 200 g pancetta chopped into small pieces
- 2 small brown onions finely diced
- 2 carrots finely diced
- 2 stalks of celery finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped (about 4 big sprigs)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- ⅔ cup tomato paste
- 3 cups white wine I used a sauvignon blanc
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
FOR THE PASTA
- 450 g '00' flour
- 50 g semola rimacinata flour can use 500g of '00' if you can't find semola
- 280 g eggs this is the weight MINUS the shells
FOR THE BECHAMEL
- 70 g butter
- 70 g plain flour
- 800 ml milk
- 100 g parmesan finely grated or crumbled
- ¼ - ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
FOR ASSEMBLY
- 200 g parmesan divided in two finely grated or crumbled
- Zest of a lemon
Instructions
FOR THE BOLOGNESE
- This can, and should be done the day or two before. You could also do it a week or two (or more) before and freeze it until you need.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat and add half the ground meat. Don't worry too much about breaking it all up, I prefer to leave it alone to get some good colour on it. It doesn't need to be cooked all the way through.
- When it has some nice colour on it, but still some pink in the middle, set aside. Repeat with the other half. You can do the meat in two batches one after the other or get two pans going at the same time.
- Heat the other 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan/casserole dish over medium heat and fry the pancetta for 10 minutes until nicely browned. Lift out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
- Add the onion, celery, carrot mixture and a good pinch of salt and pepper and gently fry until soft, about 10 mins. Lower heat if it starts to brown and add more oil if it dries out too much.
- After 5 minutes add the garlic and herbs and continue cooking.
- Add the ground meat and pancetta and mix the tomato paste through.
- Cook the tomato paste off for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat really well with a wooden spoon.
- Add the wine and let it cook off, reducing for 8 - 10 mins. The meat should be completely broken up at this stage.
- Add the stock and milk and bring to a simmer.
- Taste the liquid for seasoning and add a good pinch of salt and pepper if it needs.
- Lower the heat right down and cook uncovered for 3 - 4 hours. It should barely be bubbling. Stir it occasionally.
- It's ready when the liquid has mostly reduced and it tastes rich and delicious!
- Add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. It's better on the slightly salty side as it's going with a lot of layers of pasta.
- Leave it to cool to room temp then cover and place in the fridge to use when you are ready.
- Give it a light reheat on the stove top before you use it to loosen it up and make it easier to spread. You should end up with about 6 cups of bolognese.
FOR THE PASTA
- As I mention in the notes above, please feel free to buy fresh lasagne sheets! Making the pasta adds a lot of work but it's pretty satisfying!
- If you aren't familiar with making pasta dough then head over to my recipe for easy homemade pasta dough for instructions keeping in mind the quantity is different here.
- Once you have made the dough and it is rested and ready to use, divide it into 6 pieces, keeping the others tightly wrapped. It's going to depend on the size of the pan you are using so this is what worked for my 35 x 24cm pan.
- Roll out the sheets as wide as you can on your roller which will more than likely be 15cm. I rolled to setting 6 on my macarto roller. Cut each sheet in half width ways. You should get two 15 x 26cm (ish) sheets out of each ball of dough.
- All up you'll have 12 of these sheets. You won't actually need them all but I wanted to have extra on hand incase they tore or something went wrong!
- As you go layer them up on a tray with baking paper in between.
- Once you have all the dough rolled out blanch them in well salted boiling water for 30 seconds. I did two at a time and ran them both under cold water straight away. Don't stress if they ball up in the water they unfold really easily. Once you have rinsed them pat them dry and start to re-layer them between baking paper.
- I'm not going to lie, this part is quite time consuming, a lot of people say they don't blanch the sheets first but I felt like it gave them so much more strength when assembling so I think it was worth it.
FOR THE BECHAMEL
- Over medium - high heat, melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan then add the flour and whisk into a paste for a minute to cook the flour off. You want to cook it so it starts to smell nutty.
- Turn the heat down and add the milk gradually whisking vigorously to incorporate, making sure you are getting the flour paste from the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Continue to cook over a medium heat, whisking until it thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Add 100g of parmesan in a few separate lots, whisking in between each addition until smooth.
- Add the salt and pepper and set aside. I keep a whisk in the pan and give it a stir every so often to prevent a skin forming. This should be the final step before assembling so you should be all ready to go.
ASSEMBLING
- Here is the fun part where all your hard work will pay off! I use a 35 x 24cm dish. On the bench you have your bolognese loosened but at room temp, your blanched pasta sheets all layered up between baking paper (or store bought ones ready to go), your bechamel in the pot and the crumbled or grated parmesan. 100g of the parm is going to go between the layers and 100g will go on top.
- Please refer to all my assembly shots above.
- Your oven should be preheated to 190 degrees (375f)
- Lightly grease your lasagne pan with butter.
- Spread 1 heaped cup of bolognese into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Top with ½ cup of the bechamel (I did slightly more than half a cup of bechamel in each layer)
- Layer two sheets of pasta side by side over top to create one layer of pasta, which will come up the edges if you are using the same size dish as me. They should slightly overlap in the middle.
- Spread another heaped cup of bolognese on top of the pasta followed by a ½ cup bechamel. Dust with some of the grated parmesan (ration it out for the layers).
- Keep alternating pasta, ragu, bechamel and parm. You should end up with five layers of pasta. The first two layers of pasta I overlapped up the sides, the middle two I trimmed down to just fit within the dish then the top one I overlapped up the sides again. Do whatever you like depending how thick you want the crispy bits up the side.
- When you are up to the third layer of pasta grate the zest of a lemon on top of the ragu before adding the bechamel. Don't skip this I promise it adds such a lovely flavour note.
- After the 5th layer of pasta you will do a final layer of ragu (this should finish it off) then 1 cup of bechamel and the additional 100g of grated or crumbled parmesan evenly dusted over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 mins. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 mins or until cooked through, the crispy edges have browned and the top is bubbly and golden.
- Let the lasagne firm up for 15 - 20 mins before cutting and serving. With an extra dusting of parmesan!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- PLEASE read all my notes above the recipe, I'm not telling you the history of a lasagne it is all really useful info and tips, I promise! Plus really handy photos of the assembly.
- If you want thicker meat layers do four layers of pasta instead of five.
- Put the lemon zest into any layer you want, it doesn't matter where it goes. Don't skip it.
- A note on seasoning. You want the bolognese to be on the salty side. Don't be afraid of seasoning. There is a lot of pasta in this dish which has no seasoning so you need to slightly over compensate with the other components.
- I like to crumble the parmesan for the layers, it makes it way easier to sprinkle evenly. I use a little mini food processor or smoothie maker. Finely grated is fine if you don't have either of those things.
- You can assemble the lasagne ahead and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake. No longer than 24 hours.
Cathy McCarthy says
I love this recipe. The white wine and milk in the sauce is less acidic without adding the usual tomato Passata and tinned tomatoes. My son in law has always loved my lasagne but this one was a winner. I use fresh lasagne sheets instead of making my own. Do you think it would work to replace rosemary with thyme? Or could you use a combination of both?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Cathy! Thank you so much for making it and so glad it was enjoyed! You could definitely do thyme or a combo, use whatever you love! 🙂
Trisha B says
Already sounds delicious and i have not tried making it. Planning to make this for Christmas this year!. For store bough pasta, do I cook it al dente or a bit more firm since it's going in the oven?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Trisha! You'll just need to check the package on the pasta you buy. Most store bought sheets probably won't need to be pre-boiled at all 🙂
Anna says
INCREDIBLE! I have been drooling over this recipe for so long and felt so intimidated. Today was the day and there is no going back. Taking the time to do this right is so worth it. My friends have never tasted a better lasagne. So so so satisfying and you don’t miss the ricotta at all. Also not hard if you prep and take your time. Heaven! Keep ‘em coming!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Anna, thank you so much for making this. It really is a big undertaking haha. Such a special thing to make for your friends, so glad they enjoyed! 🙂
Cindy says
This is an amazing recipe. The results were outstanding. I didn’t make the pasta (next challenge on my list) but followed everything else as written. Your pictures and step by step are so helpful. The flavors were incredible. Served at a dinner with friends last night and they all raved about it. Thank you for your gift and sharing it with us.
Alexander says
How much butter for the béchamel?
Emilie Pullar says
It says in recipe card, 70 grams.
Lindsey Watton says
This is the best recipe of all time, follow it to a T and you can’t go wrong. Making pasta sheets with these instructions is super easy, don’t be intimidated. I use her pasta recipe too. I make it almost every time I have a dinner party and one time when I was making the bolognese the day before, two different people stopped by, and they said how great my house smelled and it was so homey, so I may use the sauce as my signature scent in my kitchen lol
Emilie Pullar says
This has made my day Lindsey!! Thank you so so much 🙂
Sharon says
Thanks for this delicious recipe with easy to follow instructions supported by photos
Emilie Pullar says
Thank you for making it! It's such a big undertaking so always really appreciate it! 🙂
Selena Johnson says
As the recipe name implies, best Bolognese! Made it with beef and venison twice now and everyone loves it. Highly recommend giving it a day to mature and get even better if you can.
Emilie Pullar says
Ohh I need to try it with venison!! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Alyssa Edwards says
Definitely worth all the work! My fiancé and I cannot help but eat the Bolognese sauce right after it’s cooked. It’s so good!!
This is now the second time we have made the lasagna, we are big fans!
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much for making it! I am always so impressed as it is so much work! I always eat spoonfuls of the bolognese straight from the pan haha 🙂
Tara says
I’ve made this twice now! My fiancé and friends have all declared that it is the best lasange we’ve ever had. I cheated slightly with store-bought fresh lasange sheets but I will brave the full method one day!
Imy says
This recipe gave me a real sense of satisfaction at the end. The time investment was definitely worth it and the lasagne was delicious. The pasta was great and the structure held its shape so I got get a very satisfying slice out where you could see the layers in all their glory. I will definitely make this again once me freezer stash runs out!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Imy! I'm always so impressed when anyone tackles this recipe! So glad you enjoyed, I need to roll up my sleeves and make it again soon! 🙂
Lisa says
This was absolutely worth the effort, I was time poor so used store bought fresh pasta but next time I'm making that too!!
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Lisa, store bought pasta makes this so much more doable though! The sense of achievement is great with the homemade pasta though. A medal is deserved haha
Jenny Sherlock says
I made this for my family and it went down so well!!! I had never made homemade pasta before but it turned out delicious, no more shop bought pasta sheets! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes ?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Jenny! You were so brave to make the pasta! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Che says
I will never have lasagne that isn't home made now. The pasta is beyond delish and this is my go to 'get well' dish that I make for friends/ family (guttered I can't take the credit for it). I love making it, takes a bit of time but the end result is absolutely worth it and she is right about the lemon zest!!!! Have also made it with beef cheeks
Emilie Pullar says
Ohhh I've been meaning to make it with beef cheeks! It's on my list to do 🙂
Nia says
This was hands down the best lasagna I have ever made and have ever tasted. This was my first time making homemade lasagna sheets as well and like the recipe mentions the pasta was melt in your mouth perfection after marrying with the amazing bolognese. Every plate belonging to the 7 people we shared this with was wiped clean! Definitely easier to tackle broken down into 2-3 days (Day 1: Bolognese, Day 2: making of pasta sheets (evening before cooking - refrigerating overnight), Day 3: bake and savor!!!! I got so many compliments on the flavor and the crispy pieces of pasta that I allowed to hang out. Thank you for this recipe!!
Emilie Pullar says
This makes me so SO happy!! Such a great idea to break it up into more days. Really glad it was so enjoyed 🙂
Amanzi says
I’d already cooked the bolognese a number of times, but tackled making two of these babies for my birthday dinner with 16 people. I’ve had an outrageous amount of comments saying it was the best lasagna they’ve ever had and lots of requests for the recipe! There were just about enough leftovers for my husband and I the next day and oh my…the day after? Even MORE incredible. A labour of love but 110% worth it!
Emilie Pullar says
I can't believe you made two in one go you deserve a medal!! So so glad you enjoyed, thank you so much for making 🙂
Annie says
probably one of the best bolognese recipes I've ever used, SO flavourful I can eat it directly from the pot! Beautiful recipe all around. If I'm making for a big crowd, would it be ok to just double the recipe for the bechamel and for the bolognese?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Annie, so sorry for the slow reply! You could definitely double! So glad you like the bolognese so much! 🙂