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Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce
Comforting and exquisitely delicious, this Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce will become a regular meal in your kitchen. The most tender and delectable layers of fresh pasta, saucy Bolognese, and creamy béchamel is an absolute match made in heaven and will leave your taste buds super happy!
Lasagna is always a loved meal around the world, and there are so many (equally) mouthwatering variations around the world. But you have to try this béchamel Bolognese lasagna. It is insanely good, and the leftovers are even better!
I used to make lasagna quite different before, but after this, I’ll never go back! It’s everything you want in lasagna, and more. It definitely checks all the boxes. So grab those ingredients and get to cooking!
Ingredients Needed
Here is a list of the main ingredients that you will need to make this mouthwatering Lasagna Bolognese Recipe.
Lasagna sheets/pasta: this recipe uses fresh lasagna sheets, which absorbs the Bolognese sauce beautifully and creates the most tender bite. If you prefer boxed/dried lasagna sheets, you can use those instead.
Onions/carrots/celery: these 3 ingredients make up the flavour base of the Bolognese sauce, and really add depth. I used to make lasagna without carrots and celery for years; I didn’t know what I was missing until I switched!
Ground beef: this is the main ingredient in the Bolognese sauce.
Tomato paste: adds more depth to the Bolognese sauce.
Beef broth: more flavour.
Passata/crushed tomatoes: you can use either. Passata is tomato puree that has been strained, while crushed tomatoes are just tomatoes that have been crushed.
Butter/flour/milk: these ingredients are used to make the béchamel sauce.
Parmigiano-Reggiano: you can also just use parmesan or any similar hard cheese.
How to Make Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce
Admittedly, this lasagna with Bolognese sauce does take time and effort in the kitchen. However, it is worth every single bit of your time, believe me. You’ll want to make it, and following these simple instructions will get you there.
Make the Bolognese Sauce
Dice onions, carrots, and celery. This is also known as sofrito in Italian cuisine. You might know it as mirepoix.
Heat a Dutch oven or something similar over medium high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. Next, add the onions, carrots, and celery and begin sautéing until soft and translucent. This can take anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes. If you find the vegetables are browning, lower the heat a bit.
Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is browned. It will take 5-10 minutes.
Next, add the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, oregano, and paprika and cook this down for 1-2 minutes, until the tomato paste has deepened in colour and aroma.
Add the beef stock and cook for 30 seconds, scraping the stuck-on bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the passata or crushed tomatoes, thyme sprigs, and brown sugar – mix until combined. Once this starts bubbling, add the milk, stir, and allow it to come back up to a boil.
Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 1-2 hours. Taste and adjust for salt. Add more brown sugar if the sauce is too sour. You should end up with beautifully thickened and super tasty Bolognese sauce. Set it aside until ready to use.
At this point, I suggest preparing your lasagna sheets (if using the boxed version) and get your Parmigiano-Reggiano or parmesan cheese grated. Set these aside until ready to layer the lasagna Bolognese with béchamel.
Make the Béchamel Sauce
Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt in the saucepan. Add the flour and whisk in with the butter for 1-2 minutes, or until you no longer smell raw flour. Next, add about 1 cup of the milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Add another cup and whisk until combined. Once there’s no more lumps, add the remaining milk and whisk.
Continue to whisk until the mixture has slightly thickened. Now add the salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg, and whisk together well. Continue to whisk until it has thickened up more and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and adjust for salt as needed. It should still be pourable. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
Assemble the Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375F and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Spread a ladleful of the Bolognese sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with high sides.
Cover the bottom with the fresh or prepared lasagna sheets, trying to completely cover the bottom as much as possible.
Now spread a little more than 1/3 of the Bolognese sauce over the last layer you just did. You will have to eyeball how much sauce you add in this layer. You will need to save enough Bolognese sauce for the second layer and to cover the top of the lasagna.
Spoon or pour over a little more than 1/3 of the béchamel sauce. Again, it doesn’t have to be exact, but there should be enough for the second layer and a little bit less for the final top layer.
Sprinkle over a little more than 1/3 of the grated cheese.
Repeat these layers one more time, with the same amounts listed in the steps above. The steps are: lasagna sheets, Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce, and grated cheese.
Next, complete the lasagna with the final layers. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, add the remaining Bolognese sauce and spread evenly, spoon over the remaining béchamel sauce, and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to rest for at least 20 minutes. If you skip this step, your lasagna will fall apart when you cut into it and plate it. If you don’t mind that, then go for it!
Sprinkle with your choice of finely chopped herb and enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce
- Allowing the Lasagna with béchamel sauce and Bolognese sauce to rest for at least 20 minutes will make it much easier to cut through and serve without it falling apart.
- If you have more time on your hands, you can let the Bolognese sauce simmer for longer than 2 hours. This will result in an even tastier sauce.
- To save yourself time, you can make the Bolognese sauce the day before, since it requires a long cook time. The next day, you can make the béchamel sauce and put the lasagna Bolognese recipe together.
- Take it even further and make the whole lasagna a day in advance. Store tightly covered in the fridge. The next day, bake in the oven following the recipe instructions. This is especially helpful if you’re cooking it for a crowd.
What to Serve with Lasagna
You can serve whatever tastes best to you alongside this mouthwatering Lasagna Bolognese with béchamel sauce. Here are some simple ideas:
- crusty bread
- garlic bread
- a simple salad
- a side of roasted veggies
- nothing, because lasagna can be very filling on its own!
Storage Tips
If you have leftovers, you can transfer the lasagna to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also just wrap the baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Make sure the lasagna is completely cool before storing. To reheat, you can use the oven or microwave after unwrapping the leftovers.
If you want to freeze the leftovers, you need to make sure you wrap it tightly and place in a freezer bag. It will be good for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can definitely used boxed lasagna sheets, which is more readily available than fresh. I love using fresh sheets, though, as I find it really soaks up the delicious sauce, amazingly.
I really want to say no to this, because cooking your own sauce using passata results in a sauce that is 10x more delicious. But yes, if you must, you can use store-bought sauce.
Other recipes that you might love: Creamy Shrimp Tomato Pasta, Chicken Tikka Sliders, Marry Me Chicken Meatballs, Roasted Cajun Chicken with Potatoes, Marry Me Chicken Pasta, Chili
Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel Sauce
Description
Layers of fresh pasta, homemade Bolognese, béchamel sauce, and Parmigiano-Reggiano - all baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
Béchamel Sauce
Assembly
Instructions
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Bolognese Sauce: heat a Dutch oven or heavy stainless steel pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat up. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables will become soft and translucent.
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Add the ground beef to the vegetables and allow it to brown, ensuring to break the beef up into smaller pieces while cooking.
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When beef has cooked, add the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, oregano, and paprika. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, until the tomato paste has deepened in colour and aroma.
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Add the beef broth, stirring and scraping any stuck-on bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the passata or crushed tomatoes, thyme sprigs, and brown sugar and stir. Once it starts bubbling, add the milk and stir well to combine.
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Allow the mixture to come back up to a boil, reduce to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer the better! Remember to give it a stir every 30 minutes.
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Once finished simmering for 1-2 hours, taste and adjust for salt. If you find the sauce too sour, add 1 tsp more of brown sugar and recheck. Once you've adjusted the Bolognese to your liking, remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
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Now would be a good time to cook the lasagna sheets (if using boxed pasta) as per the instructions on the package. Grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano and set aside.
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Béchamel sauce: heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the unsalted butter and allow to melt. Add the all-purpose flour and whisk together for 1-2 minutes, until the flour no longer has a raw flour smell to it.
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Gradually add the warmed/room temperature milk to the butter/flour mixture. Start with roughly 1 cup of milk and whisk thoroughly into the butter/flour. Add another cup and whisk to combine. Then, gradually add the remaining milk, whisking continuously. You should end up with a lump-free mixture.
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Continue to whisk to prevent the milk from burning at the bottom. The mixture will slowly begin to thicken. Once it slightly thickens, add the salt, white pepper, and grated nutmeg. Continue to whisk until it thickens up a bit more and can coat the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and add more salt, to taste (if needed). Remove from heat and set aside. Note: béchamel sauce thickens more as it cools.
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Assemble the lasagna: preheat the oven to 375F and get a 9x13 baking dish with high sides ready to go.
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Spread a ladleful of Bolognese sauce evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Next, cover the bottom with lasagna sheets, ensuring the bottom is completely covered. Next, pour a little more than 1/3 of the Bolognese sauce over the lasagna sheet layer - spread evenly. Next, pour a little more than 1/3 of the béchamel sauce over the Bolognese layer - spread evenly. Next, sprinkle a little more than 1/3 of the grated cheese over the béchamel layer.
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Repeat the steps: cover this layer with lasagna sheets. Evenly spread a little more than 1/3 of the Bolognese sauce over. Evenly spread a little more than 1/3 of the béchamel sauce over. Sprinkle a little more than 1/3 of the grated cheese over.
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Finish the layers: add the last layer of lasagna sheets. Spread the remaining Bolognese sauce over the lasagna sheets. Spread the remaining béchamel sauce over. Sprinkle the remaining grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over top.
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Cover the baking dish with foil, place in the preheated oven on the middle rack, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
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Remove from oven and allow the lasagna to stand for 20 minutes before cutting into it. Finish with a sprinkle of your favourite herb (parsley, chives, etc. this is optional) and enjoy.
Equipment
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