Lasagna Bolognese
You have to try this Italian old-school classic, lasagna bolognese! This version is made with meaty bolognese, a creamy shallot béchamel and two types of cheese for a melty, hearty main dish. It bakes beautifully in the oven and serves a crowd.
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
To make the Bolognese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 carrots peeled + diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground beef I used 90%/10%
- 1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon or preferred dry red wine
- 84 oz canned, peeled whole tomatoes 3 cans of 28 oz each
- ¾ cup water ¼ cup water in each opened tomato can; see recipe for instructions
- ⅔ cup milk see note below
- 100 grams Parmigiano Reggiano rinds about 2 rinds
- 4 large sprigs fresh basil
- salt to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
To make the Shallot Béchamel
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ stick
- 1 large shallot finely minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground white pepper or black pepper to taste
To assemble the lasagna
- 1 lb no-boil lasagna noodles dunked in water, see Top Tip below
- 1 ½ lb whole milk mozzarella freshly grated
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
To make the Bolognese
- In a large pot, sauté the carrots, celery and onions in the butter and extra virgin olive oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until soft. Add in the minced garlic, cooking for another 3 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and cook with the rest of the veggies for about 3 minutes or until the color of the paste changes from bright red to brick red.
- Add the ground pork and ground beef into the pot and cook for about 8 minutes. Then add in the red wine and cook down for about 4 minutes or until you don't smell alcohol anymore.
- Pour in the canned, whole tomatoes - including the juices in the can. Then add a bit of water (about ¼ cup) into the cans and swirl. This is a trick to "clean out" the cans and use up all of that tomato-y goodness! Pour out the water into the pot and stir everything together in the pot.
- Pour the milk into the pot and add the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds as well as the fresh basil. Stir everything well, cover and lower the temperature to low-medium low so the sauce simmers for two hours. Make sure to stir the sauce every 20 minutes or so, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. As you stir, try to squish the tomatoes to the side of the pot so the juices burst - they will be easier to burst as time goes on.
- After two hours, uncover the pot and let simmer for another hour - still stirring every 20 minutes. Once there are about 20 minutes left before the hour is up, taste for seasoning and add the salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Once the sauce is done, remove the parmesan rinds and, optionally, the basil stems. When using this sauce recipe for this lasagna, you will have leftover sauce.
To make the Shallot Béchamel
- In a medium sauce pan, gently warm up the milk.
- In another medium sauce pan, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes or until they're translucent. Add in the flour and whisk constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until it turns a pale, golden color. Whisking will prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the sauce pan.
- Add in the warmed milk very slowly while still whisking the butter + flour mixture. Once the sauce boils, lower the heat to a simmer and continue whisking until it thickens for about 5 minutes. At this point, you can test if the sauce is thickened by dipping a spoon in the sauce and tracing a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line remains visible, the sauce is thick enough; if it's not, then cook the béchamel a bit longer.
- Add in the nutmeg, salt and pepper and season to taste. If you're not using the béchamel immediately, store in a container and cover with plastic wrap - making sure to press the plastic wrap over the entire surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. You will use all of this béchamel for this lasagna recipe.
To assemble the Lasagna Bolognese
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spoon bolognese sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan. Then, assemble each layer in the following order: no-boil pasta sheet (dunked in water - see top tip below), bolognese sauce, béchamel, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese. Make sure to add enough sauces (both bolognese and béchamel) to each layer so the pasta cooks all the way. For a 9x13 inch pan, you'll likely have between 5-6 layers.
- Once you get to the top layer, use the same order of assembly but add more mozzarella and parmesan cheese than the rest of the layers so you get an extra cheesy crust. Cut a piece of aluminum foil to cover the pan so the steam helps cook the lasagna all the way through. Spray cooking oil on the foil so the cheese doesn't stick to it while baking.
- Cover the pan with the oiled aluminum foil and bake for about 40-45 minutes on the middle rack of your oven. Once the cooking time is up, uncover the pan and set the oven to broil on high for about 5-7 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on the pan so the cheese doesn't burn.
- Let the lasagna stand for at least 15-20 minutes! If you cut into the lasagna shortly after it comes out of the oven, it'll be soupy and will fall apart so make sure to give it time to rest before enjoying.
Notes
Top Tip: Dunk the no-boil lasagna sheets in a shallow dish with water before assembling each lasagna layer! This is a trick my mom has been doing with her lasagna recipe ever since I can remember. The water adds a tiny bit of moisture to the layers to ensure the noodles are cooked.
How to Store and Reheat Lasagna Bolognese:
This lasagna can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer prior to baking. In the fridge, store the prepped, uncooked lasagna bolognese for up to 2 days before baking according to the recipe instructions. If assembling to store in the freezer, make sure your container is freezer safe and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake the frozen lasagna bolognese in a preheated oven at 375°F for about an hour and a half or until warmed through- making sure to keep the foil cover on the lasagna as it cooks. Remove the foil once there are about 5-10 min left of cooking and set oven to broil so the cheese gets bubbly on top.
Cooked lasagna bolognese can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat cooked lasagna from the fridge, warm in the oven at 350°F for about 40 minutes or until warmed through. To reheat individual pieces of lasagna from the fridge, I like to cut the lasagna slice in lots of small pieces, top with a moist paper towel and warm in the microwave for about two minutes. Cutting the slice into smaller pieces assures the inside of the lasagna layers will be warmed throughout.
While cooked lasagna bolognese can also be frozen for up to three months, the texture may suffer once cooked again. It may be best to freeze the lasagna just after assembling.
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