Lasagne Recipe | Authentic Italian Lasagne

Name: Classic Lasagne
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 200 g Beef Mince (15-20% fat); 100 g Pork Mince; 1 Medium Onion, finely diced; 1 Medium Carrot, finely diced; 2 Celery Sticks, finely diced; 3 Garlic Cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 150 ml Red Wine; 400 g Tin Chopped Tomatoes; 100 ml Whole Milk; 1 tsp Dried Oregano; 1 Bay Leaf; Salt & Black Pepper; 40 g Unsalted Butter; 40 g Plain Flour; 500 ml Whole Milk, warmed; 0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg; Salt & White Pepper; 8 Lasagne Sheets, no pre-cooking required - the moisture from the sauces cooks them in the oven; 40 g Parmesan; 20 g Mozzarella, grated or torn (optional - adds extra melt and pull to the top layer)

Lasagne is the great Italian baked pasta - layers of rich, slow-cooked meat ragù, silky béchamel, and tender pasta sheets baked together until golden and bubbling. It's a dish that takes time to make properly, but the result is so deeply satisfying and so much better than any shop-bought or takeaway version that it justifies every minute. It also freezes brilliantly, making it one of the finest batch cooks in this collection.

The authentic Bolognese-style lasagne uses a ragù of beef and pork mince, a proper soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery, and a generous béchamel rather than a simple white sauce - the combination of the two sauces in every layer is what gives great lasagne its characteristic richness and depth. No shortcuts, no jarred sauce, no dried herbs where fresh would be better - just a properly made ragù and béchamel layered with good pasta sheets and baked until a burnished, bubbling crust forms on top.

This recipe serves 2 generously but scales up easily - double the quantities for a 20x30cm dish that serves 4–6, ideal for a dinner party or a week of satisfying lunches from the fridge or freezer.

Ingredients

For the ragù

200 g Beef Mince (15-20% fat)
100 g Pork Mince
1 Medium Onion , finely diced
1 Medium Carrot , finely diced
2 Celery Sticks , finely diced
3 Garlic Cloves , minced
2 tbsp Olive Oil
150 ml Red Wine
400 g Tin Chopped Tomatoes
100 ml Whole Milk
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
Salt & Black Pepper

For the béchamel

40 g Unsalted Butter
40 g Plain Flour
500 ml Whole Milk , warmed
0.25 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Salt & White Pepper

For assembly

8 Lasagne Sheets , no pre-cooking required - the moisture from the sauces cooks them in the oven
40 g Parmesan
20 g Mozzarella , grated or torn (optional - adds extra melt and pull to the top layer) (optional)

Method

Make the ragù. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently for 12–15 mins, stirring occasionally, until completely soft, sweet, and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins more.

Tip: The soffritto is the flavour base of the entire dish - don't rush it. Properly softened vegetables give the ragù a sweetness and depth that a quickly cooked soffritto simply cannot match.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the beef and pork mince and cook, breaking it up thoroughly, for 8–10 mins until deeply browned with no pink remaining. Let the mince sit in contact with the pan between stirs to develop colour and flavour.
Pour in the red wine and bubble vigorously for 3–4 mins until almost completely reduced. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, oregano, bay leaf, and milk. Season generously with salt and pepper. Reduce to a low heat, partially cover, and simmer for 45 mins–1 hour, stirring every 15 mins, until the ragù is thick, dark, and rich with very little liquid remaining.

Tip: The ragù must be thick enough that it barely moves when the pan is tilted — a wet ragù will make the lasagne watery and the layers won't hold when served. If still too loose after an hour, remove the lid and cook for a further 10–15 mins uncovered.
While the ragù simmers, make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1–2 mins to cook out the raw flour taste. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the warm milk, a splash at a time, whisking out any lumps before adding more. Return to a medium heat and stir continuously until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6–8 mins. Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

Tip: A smooth béchamel requires patience - add the milk gradually and whisk continuously. If lumps appear, take the pan off the heat and whisk vigorously; they almost always smooth out. The finished béchamel should be thick but still pourable.
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / Gas Mark 6. Lightly butter or oil a deep 20x20cm baking dish (or similar).
Assemble the lasagne. Spread a thin layer of ragù across the base of the dish - this prevents the pasta from sticking. Lay 2–3 lasagne sheets over the ragù, breaking them to fit if needed. Spoon over a third of the remaining ragù, then a third of the béchamel, spreading each to the edges. Repeat the layers — pasta, ragù, béchamel - twice more, finishing with a final layer of béchamel on top. Scatter over the grated Parmesan and mozzarella if using.

Tip: Make sure the pasta sheets are fully covered by sauce at every layer - any exposed edges will dry out and become hard and brittle during baking rather than tender. Press the sheets down gently into the sauce as you layer.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil and bake for a further 20–25 mins until the top is deeply golden and bubbling at the edges.
Leave to rest for at least 15 mins before cutting and serving - this allows the layers to set so the lasagne holds its shape when portioned. Serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

Alternatives & Variations

Use extra-lean beef mince (5% fat) and omit the pork mince - reduces saturated fat noticeably; the long simmer with soffritto, wine, and milk compensates for the lower fat content in terms of flavour
Use semi-skimmed milk in both the ragù and the béchamel - cuts fat without significantly affecting either sauce
Reduce the béchamel quantity by a quarter and spread it thinner - you still get the characteristic richness with fewer calories per serving
Use wholewheat lasagne sheets if available - adds fibre with no impact on flavour

Replace the meat mince with a combination of finely diced mushrooms (300g) and green or brown lentils (200g cooked or tinned, drained). Cook the mushrooms in the soffritto until all their moisture has evaporated before adding the lentils and continuing with the recipe as written. The long simmer allows the lentils to absorb the wine and tomato beautifully, and the result is a genuinely excellent vegetarian lasagne that doesn't feel like a compromise.

Both the lasagne sheets and the plain flour in the béchamel contain gluten. Swap the lasagne sheets for gluten free lasagne sheets (available at Tesco and Sainsbury's - Barilla produce a reliable gluten free version) and the plain flour for a gluten free flour blend (Doves Farm works well in béchamel at the same quantities). All other ingredients are naturally gluten free. Check your stock, tomato tin, and tomato purée labels if you have a severe intolerance.

FAQs

Around 2 hrs 10 mins total - 40 mins of prep and 1 hr 30 mins of cooking. The ragù needs at least 45 mins of simmering for the best flavour, and the lasagne itself bakes for 50–55 mins. Most of the time is hands-off, but plan accordingly - this is not a weeknight dash dish.

Rated Intermediate. There are three components to manage - ragù, béchamel, and assembly - but none is technically demanding. The ragù needs time and the béchamel needs attention to avoid lumps, but both are straightforward with a little patience. The layering is satisfying rather than tricky.

Yes - lasagne is one of the best dishes for batch cooking and freezing. Cool completely, then freeze in portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat covered in foil at 170°C fan for 25–30 mins until piping hot throughout, removing the foil for the last 10 mins to re-crisp the top. The béchamel and ragù both hold up very well after freezing.

Absolutely - it's ideal for making ahead. Assemble fully, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10–15 mins to the covered baking time if cooking from cold. Many people argue lasagne tastes better the next day once the layers have had time to meld - it's also significantly easier to portion cleanly when reheated.

No - this recipe uses dried lasagne sheets that cook in the oven from the moisture of the ragù and béchamel. Make sure every sheet is well covered with sauce and that the sauces are not too dry, and the pasta will cook through perfectly during baking. Fresh lasagne sheets can also be used and give a more delicate result - they don't need pre-cooking either.

A simple green salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar is the classic accompaniment — the freshness cuts through the richness of the dish perfectly. Garlic bread is almost obligatory for mopping up the sauce. A glass of the same red wine used in the ragù rounds off the meal beautifully.