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Traditional Lasagna Recipe

Traditional lasagna from Emilia Romagna often features a hearty meat sauce, béchamel (white sauce), pasta, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Here's a basic recipe for traditional Lasagna

Ingredients

For the Bolognese Ragout:

Ingredients for traditional ragout
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 500gr (1 lb) beef mince
  • 250gr (1/2 lb) pork mince
  • 125gr (1/4 lb) Italian fresh sausages
  • 1 glass of white or red wine
  • 2 cans (800g) crushed tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper

For the Béchamel Sauce:

Ingredients for Béchamel sauce
  • 50gr (6 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 50gr (6 1/3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 500ml (2.11 cups) whole milk
  • Salt
  • Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Other Ingredients:

Eggs, Lasagna sheets, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella cheese
  • Lasagna sheets (fresh or dried)
  • Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 300gr (about 3 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Bolognese Ragout:

  1. Chop onion, celery, and carrot in small dice (mirepoix)
  2. Pour the oil into a large pot over medium heat. Add the mirepoix and cook until softened
  3. Add beef mince, pork mince, and chopped Italian fresh sausages to the pot, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook until browned.
  4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
  5. Pour in the white or red wine and let it simmer until it reduces
  6. Add the crushed tomatoes
  7. Wash the cans with water and add it as well to the pot
  8. Season with salt and pepper
  9. Slow cook on low heat for at least 4-5 hours, stirring every 20-25 minutes
Pot with Bolognese ragout

Béchamel Sauce:

  1. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low-medium heat, in the meantime heat the milk in a separate pot
  2. Add half the flour and whisk until it gets incorporated
  3. Add the second half of the flour and keep whisking until it becomes a roux
  4. Add half of the milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Then add the second half and cook until the sauce thickens
  5. Season with salt and nutmeg
  6. Remove from heat and let it cool down
Pot with Béchamel Sauce

Assembly and cook the Lasagna:

  1. In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of Bolognese sauce. Place a layer of lasagna sheets on top
  2. Add a layer of Béchamel sauce, followed by a layer of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and shredded mozzarella
  3. Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of Béchamel and a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano
  4. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) in static mode
  5. Bake for about 25-30 minutes
  6. Turn on grill mode and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly
A Lasagna in a baking dish