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This easy Lasagna recipe is completely irresistible. This genuine Italian recipe is made with a creamy bechamel sauce, a rich ragu and all the other elements that make lasagna too good to refuse.
Lasagna is the epitome of Italian comfort food! When it’s homemade it’s a million miles better than anything you would get from the shops. It takes a bit of work but the end result is so fantastic you’ll be making it over and over again.
A lasagna is comprised of a few critical elements; first and foremost, the pasta! The type of pasta used for lasagna is called ‘Lasagne‘ (pasta rolled into thin flat sheets). You can use both fresh and dried pasta but the cooking times may vary.
Secondly, you need a good bolognese sauce. The bolognese, also known as a ragu carries most of the flavour in this dish and adds a beautiful vibrant colour.
The third ingredient is a really rich and creamy bechamel sauce (also known as a white sauce). As the lasagna cooks in the oven, the bechamel melts and fusing everything together.
Last but not least – the cheeses. In this recipe, we have used mozzarella and parmesan. Each layer has generous sprinklings of both.
All these components come together to create one amazing lasagna, keep reading for the method!
Related recipes: Bolognese sauce (Ragu), Bechamel sauce
Finely chop onions, carrots and the celery.
Add the oil to a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat. Add the vegetables and fry until soft, stirring continuously.
Add the minced beef and stir until it has evenly browned.
Add the white wine and reduce.
Add the passata and the tomato puree, stir and leave to cook with the lid on.
Add the sugar and season with salt and then continue cooking with the lid on.
Set aside the ragù in a bowl and start making bechamel sauce.
In a saucepan melt the unsalted butter and then add the flour. Stirling constantly until it has formed a roux.
Gradually add the semi skimmed milk and cook until you have a thick and smooth sauce.
Season well with salt and nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 200˚C.
In a large rectangle tray start by spreading a fine layer of ragu on the bottom of the tray, then make a layer of the pasta sheets, making sure not to overlap them too much. Add a layer of ragù, add some mozzarella, a layer of bechamel sauce and in the end sprinkle a little bit of parmesan. Then add a layer of the pasta sheets and continue in this order until your tin is almost full.
For the last layer start with the pasta, some ragù, a little bit of bechamel, then cover generously with parmesan and some pieces of butter.
Cook for 30 minutes.
