Layer upon layer of slow-cooked meat ragù, silky béchamel and fresh pasta sheets — Italy's ultimate Sunday dish.
True Lasagna Bolognese from Emilia-Romagna uses fresh egg pasta, a meat ragù simmered for at least 3 hours, and a rich béchamel sauce. The result is a deeply satisfying, silky, layered masterpiece that rewards patience. It is the pinnacle of Italian comfort food and one of the most searched recipes in the world.
Serves 8
In a heavy casserole, render pancetta over medium heat until golden. Add onion, carrot and celery (soffritto) and cook 15 minutes until soft and sweet. Remove and set aside.
Increase heat to high. Add beef and pork in batches — never crowd the pan. Brown aggressively for deep colour and flavour. Return soffritto to the pan.
Add wine and scrape the bottom. Cook until evaporated. Add tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and stock. Season with salt. Simmer on very low heat for 2.5–3 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add milk in the last 30 minutes — it tenderises the meat and mellows the acidity.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in cold milk, a ladleful at a time. Cook 10 minutes, whisking constantly until thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
In a 30×20cm baking dish, spread a thin layer of ragù. Add pasta sheets, then ragù, then béchamel, then Parmigiano. Repeat 5–6 layers. Finish with béchamel and a heavy layer of Parmigiano.
Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 15 minutes before cutting.
Resting is non-negotiable — it lets the layers set so slices hold their shape.
The ragù must simmer low and slow — rushing kills the flavour. Use a heat diffuser if needed.
Fresh pasta sheets give the best result; if using dried, par-boil them first.
Make the ragù the day before — it gets dramatically better overnight.
Vegetarian: replace meat with lentils and mushrooms, use vegetable stock.
White lasagna (Lasagna Bianca): skip the tomato, add more béchamel and layer with sautéed mushrooms and spinach.
Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — freeze in individual portions.
Lasagna is one of the world's oldest pastas, with roots in ancient Rome. The Bolognese version (with meat ragù) is protected by the Italian Academy of Cuisine, which filed the official recipe with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce in 1982.
Yes, but add extra liquid to your ragù as the dried sheets absorb moisture during baking. Fresh pasta gives a silkier result.
Too much liquid in the ragù, or béchamel too thin. Ensure the ragù is thick before assembling, and let the lasagna rest after baking.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 8 servings total
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