Italian food is always a hit with my family and friends. This lasagna is one of the dishes I make when I want to impress! Other crowd-pleasing ones in my repertoire are my Braised Beef Ragu, Spaghetti alla Carbonara and my Zuppa Toscana. This lasagna recipe has a special place in my heart! It is the lasagna my aunt used to make for Christmas every year. I remember looking forward to that day all year long! That’s how much I love it. I don’t know why, but I grew up thinking that her Lasagna Bolognese was a secret recipe that she would never share with anyone. When I finally gathered the courage to ask her for the recipe, she gladly sent me her notes. In Italian! Apart from the fact that I had Italian classes during middle school, my Italian is really REALLY basic. So I had to ask my mom – who didn’t go to an Italian school, but is an opera singer, so speaks fairly good Italian – to translate some of it. She translated the ingredients list and I took it from there, tweaking the recipe to match ingredients I could find here in NY and to make it extra cheesy and saucy, because that’s how I like it! I must warn you, if you’re American, this Lasagna will taste nothing like the lasagna you are used to eating in Italian-American restaurants. It is oh-so-much-better!
Ingredients
To make Lasagna Bolognese, you will need:
Lasagna pasta – fresh or dry. Do not use the no-boil noodles, as they won’t cook properly in this lasagna.Bolognese sauce – This is my famous bolognese sauce, made with onion, garlic, carrot, celery, pancetta, ground beef, ground pork, white wine, milk, crushed tomatoes, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Béchamel sauce – A white sauce made from a white roux and milk.Cheese – I use both Mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano because I like my lasagna very cheesy!
How to Make Lasagna Bolognese
Here’s how I make Lasagna Bolognese. As always, you will find the printable (and more complete) version of the recipe at the end of this post!
Step 1: Make the bolognese sauce.
Heat oil and butter in a large pot. Sauté onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Reserve.Cook the pancetta until golden brown. Reserve.Working in batches, brown the beef and pork.Return the reserved soffritto and pancetta to the pot. Deglaze the pot with white wine.Stir in milk, crushed tomatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.Simmer for 3-4 hours or until very rich.Stir in heavy cream, parmesan and parsley.Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Step 2: Make the béchamel sauce.
Heat butter in a saucepan until melted.Stir in the flour and cook until golden.Slowly add cold milk, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency.Remove from heat and add heavy cream and parmesan cheese.Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Assemble the lasagna.
Coat a 13X9 lasagna dish with cooking spray.Spread a layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom.Start layering in the following order: noodles, béchamel sauce, bolognese sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat until you’ve used all the lasagna noodles.Finish with a layer of bolognese and the remaining cheese.
Step 4: Bake!
Place the lasagna dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips.Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.Garnish with parsley and serve.
What to Serve with Lasagna Bolognese
This lasagna is pretty satisfying on its own! That being said, you can pair it with a nice side salad and a batch of garlic bread (or dinner rolls) to complete the feast.
Pairing lasagna bolognese and wine
Since this lasagna is quite rich, it pairs great with medium-bodied, acidic reds. If you want to keep the Italian theme going, here are a few suggestions (from La Cucina Italiana):
Lambrusco di Sorbara, Rimosso 2018 Cantina della VoltaRomagna Sangiovese Superiore Crepe 2018 Ca’ di SopraBarbera d’Alba 2018 Cordero di MontezemoloValpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2017 Famiglia PasquaSicilia Nero d’Avola Lagnùsa 2017 Feudo Montoni
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Please comment and leave a 5-star rating below. You can also take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #oliviascuisine.
