Ultimate Traditional Lasagna Bolognese
120
Prep Time
240
Cook Time
8
Servings
There is nothing quite like the comforting, bubbling perfection of a truly authentic, from-scratch Lasagna Bolognese. Unlike quick weeknight versions heavily reliant on ricotta cheese and jarred sauces, this traditional northern Italian masterpiece is built on three fundamental pillars: a deeply simmered, meat-heavy Bolognese sauce (ragù), a velvety smooth, nutmeg-scented béchamel sauce, and delicate sheets of fresh, homemade egg pasta. Yes, it is a weekend project that requires patience, but the resulting harmony of rich flavors, meltingly tender pasta, and caramelized, crispy edges is a culinary revelation that will absolutely ruin you for all other lasagnas.
📖 The Recipe
🍅 Ingredients
- 🍅 For the Ragù Bolognese:
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 oz thick-cut pancetta, finely minced into a paste
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 lb ground beef chuck (80/20 blend for fat content)
- 1/2 lb ground pork shoulder
- 1 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp double-concentrated tomato paste
- 1 (28-oz) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium beef or veal stock, heated
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 🍅 For the Béchamel Sauce:
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk, gently warmed
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 🍅 For the Fresh Pasta (or use 1 lb dried lasagna sheets):
- 300g Italian Type '00' flour
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
🍳 Instructions
- 🍳 Step 1: Build the Ragù Base: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced pancetta and cook until the fat renders and it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto). Sauté slowly for 10-12 minutes until the vegetables are very soft, translucent, and deeply fragrant, but not browned.
- 🍳 Step 2: Brown the Meats: Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and ground pork to the pot. Break the meat apart constantly with a wooden spoon, cooking until all the moisture has evaporated and the meat is deeply browned and sizzling in its own fat. This takes about 15 minutes. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- 🍳 Step 3: Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce until completely evaporated. Next, stir in the milk and the grated nutmeg, letting it bubble gently until the milk disappears into the meat. This tenderizes the meat. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes to darken, then add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and 1 cup of the hot beef stock.
- 🍳 Step 4: The Long Braise: Reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting. Cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar so steam can escape. Gently simmer the ragù for a minimum of 3 hours (4 is better). Stir occasionally, adding splashes of the remaining beef stock if the sauce looks too dry. The final texture should be thick, rich, and more meat-heavy than liquid. Skim off any excess fat that pools at the surface.
- 🍳 Step 5: Make the Pasta Dough: Mound the '00' flour on a clean work surface and create a deep well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, add olive oil and salt. Using a fork, gently beat the eggs, gradually pulling in flour from the inner walls of the well. Once a shaggy dough forms, knead it by hand for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- 🍳 Step 6: Prepare the Béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to toast the flour (do not let it brown). Gradually whisk in the warm milk, about half a cup at a time, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, nutmeg, and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- 🍳 Step 7: Roll and Blanch the Pasta: Cut the rested dough into 4 pieces. Pass each piece through a pasta machine, decreasing the thickness setting each time, until the sheets are about 1/16-inch thick (usually the second-to-last setting). Cut the sheets into 10-inch rectangles. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch the pasta sheets 2 or 3 at a time for exactly 30 seconds. Instantly transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then lay them flat on clean kitchen towels to dry completely.
- 🍳 Step 8: Assemble the Layers: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Smear a thin, even layer of ragù and a drizzle of béchamel on the bottom. Top with a slightly overlapping layer of boiled pasta sheets. Spread an even layer of ragù over the pasta, followed by a generous ladling of béchamel, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering process (Pasta, Ragù, Béchamel, Cheese) until you have 5 or 6 layers of pasta. The final top layer should be only pasta, totally blanketed in the remaining béchamel sauce and completely dusted with a thick layer of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- 🍳 Step 9: Bake to Perfection: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, ensuring the foil doesn't touch the cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes. You are looking for a vigorously bubbling sauce around the edges and a top that is deeply golden brown and beautifully blistered. If the top isn't dark enough, broil for 1-2 minutes, watching closely.
- 🍳 Step 10: The Crucial Rest: Remove the lasagna from the oven. Do not slice it immediately! Let it rest uncovered for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This allows the molten layers to settle, the pasta to absorb excess moisture, and ensures that you can cut beautiful, clean, structurally sound square slices without the whole thing collapsing into a soup. Slice and serve hot.
💪 Nutrition:
Calories: 650 kcal | Protein: 35g | Carbs: 45g | Fat: 38g
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