This is my famous, family-award winning, semi-classic, drop your fork delicious recipe for Lasagna Bolognese. Get excited about making this recipe! Your dinner guests will be swooning and begging you for the recipe. Chef be warned, however! this recipe is not for the time-constrained cook. Allow yourself a lovely Sunday afternoon, complete with a cozy cooking playlist, and a glass of wine or cup of tea.
Elana’s Lasagna Bolognese
This is my famous, family-award winning, semi-classic, drop your fork delicious recipe for Lasagna Bolognese. Get excited about making this recipe!
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: one 9x13 pan 1x
- Category: Dinner Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large carrot
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 4–5 sun-dried tomatoes (I used the ones packed in oil)
- 1/4 lb diced pancetta
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- small bunch (about 5-6 leaves) fresh basil
- 2 cups chicken stock (I used home made)
- 1 jar strained tomatoes (passata)
- 2 lbs ground beef (80%fat)
- 1/2 cup red wine (like a chianti)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
For the béchamel:
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmegiano reggiano cheese
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Lasagna:
- 1 package no-boil lasagna (I actually used homemade pasta in this recipe, but these work beautifully)
- 1 cup grated parmegiano reggiano cheese, divided
- 1 cup grated scamorza cheese (if you can’t find scamorza, you could use a smoked mozzarella)
Instructions
First make the sauce:
- Place the carrot, celery, onion and sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor and process until fine.
- Melt the butter and olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat.
- Add the carrot mixture and simmer, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t burn for 15 minutes.
- Add the pancetta to the pot and sauté until golden brown, another 10 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and sauté until cooked through, 10 minutes.
- Season the beef mixture with salt and pepper.
- Add the wine to the pot and simmer until most of the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, bay leaf and herbs, and mix thoroughly, so that all the meat is coated in the tomato paste.
- Add the two cups of chicken stock, the jar of strained tomatoes, and the balsamic vinegar.
- Immerse the bunch of fresh basil in the sauce.
- Bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover and let it simmer for up to 3 hours.
- Check on the sauce and stir it every 30 minutes, tasting for flavor. Add more salt if necessary.
- You can make the sauce up to three days ahead. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Make the Bechemel:
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat.
- Add the flour and stir until it is smooth and creamy and a dark golden color (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually add in the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens, about 5-7 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Turn the heat off and add the parmegiano reggiano cheese and the grated nutmeg, string to incorporate.
Assemble the lasagna:
- Heat your oven to 350°F.
- Spread a thin layer of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 oven safe casserole dish.
- Place one layer of the no-boil pasta on top of the béchamel.
- Add a layer of the bolognese sauce on top of the pasta, then the béchamel, and then sprinkle about 1/4 of the scamorza cheese. Repeat this process, finishing with the pasta as the top layer.
- Sprinkle the rest of the remaining cheeses on top of the top most layer.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove from the oven and heat up your oven’s broiler.
- Uncover the lasagna and place it under the broiler, for just a few minutes, until the cheese on top is a golden brown color and the edges of the lasagna are crispy.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
NOTE: You can pre-assemble the lasagna the night before and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake. Allow it to come to room temperature before placing it in the oven.
Keywords: lasagna, lasagna bolognese, bolognese sauce, best lasagna recipe, lasagna with meat sauce
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