Lasagne alla Bolognese (Authentic Baked Lasagne)

About This Recipe

Authentic lasagne alla Bolognese bears little resemblance to the heavy, overly tomato-sauced versions found outside Italy. The real Bolognese ragù is slow-cooked for at least 2–3 hours with a small amount of tomato paste (not crushed tomatoes), wine, milk or cream and a soffritto of carrot, celery and onion. The besciamella (béchamel) is light, just enough to bind and moisten. The pasta is ideally fresh egg pasta (the green spinach version, lasagne verdi, is traditional in Bologna). The result is a refined, harmonious dish where no single element dominates. The Bolognese term 'ragù' refers specifically to this slow-cooked meat sauce, not a generic tomato-meat sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 300 gdried lasagne sheets
• 500 gbeef mince (or half beef, half pork)
• 100 gpancetta, finely diced
• 1 mediumcarrot, finely diced
• 2celery stalks, finely diced
• 1onion, finely diced
• 150 mldry white or red wine
• 150 mlwhole milk
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 200 mlbeef stock
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 60 gbutter for béchamel
• 60 gplain flour for béchamel
• 800 mlwhole milk for béchamel
• pinchnutmeg
• 100 gParmesan, finely grated
• to tastesalt and black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the ragù

   Sauté pancetta in olive oil until it renders its fat. Add carrot, celery and onion, cook gently for 10 minutes until soft. Add mince and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Add wine and simmer until evaporated. Add tomato paste, stock and milk. Season, then simmer over the lowest heat, partially covered, for 2–3 hours, adding splashes of water if it dries out. It should be rich and barely moist.

2. 2

   Make béchamel

   Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring, until thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

3. 3

   Assemble

   Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the base of a baking dish. Layer: pasta sheets, ragù, béchamel, Parmesan. Repeat for 4–5 layers, finishing with béchamel and a generous layer of Parmesan.

4. 4

   Bake

   Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for a further 20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Let the lasagne rest for 10–15 minutes before cutting — this helps it hold its shape when served.

Variations

• •

  Lasagne verdi: use green spinach pasta sheets for the traditional Bolognese version.

• •

  Vegetarian lasagne: replace ragù with a rich mushroom and lentil sauce.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for 4 days. Freezes beautifully — slice into portions before freezing.

Frequently Asked Questions