Homemade Bolognese Lasagna – The Authentic Recipe
Generous, melt-in-your-mouth, and perfectly browned bolognese lasagna, featuring a slow-simmered meat sauce and a velvety homemade béchamel. The ultimate family comfort food that warms the heart and feeds a crowd.
🛒 Ingredients
6 servings
- 12 dry lasagna noodles
- 17.5 oz ground beef (15% fat)
- 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup tomato purée (coulis)
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- ⅔ cup dry red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the béchamel:
- 3.5 tbsp butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper
- For the topping:
- 7 oz shredded mozzarella
- 1.75 oz grated parmesan
Watch the original video
Watch on TikTokDirections
- 1
Peel and finely mince the onion, garlic cloves, carrot, and celery. This aromatic base, called soffritto, is the secret to an authentic bolognese.
- 2
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Sauté the onion, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- 3
Increase the heat to high and add the ground beef. Brown the meat, breaking it up with a spatula for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink.
- 4
Deglaze with the red wine and let it reduce over high heat for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.
- 5
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato purée, tomato paste, oregano, and basil. Season with salt and pepper, and stir. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring regularly.
- 6
Prepare the béchamel: melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the flour all at once and whisk vigorously for 1 minute to form a blond roux.
- 7
Pour the cold milk in a thin stream into the hot roux while whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat, continuing to whisk until thickened (about 5 minutes). Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- 8
Preheat the oven to 350°F (convection). Lightly butter a baking dish approximately 12x8 inches.
- 9
Assemble the lasagna: spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom of the dish. Arrange a first layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with bolognese, then béchamel. Repeat the process, alternating pasta, bolognese, and béchamel for 3 to 4 layers.
- 10
Finish with a generous layer of béchamel. Evenly distribute the shredded mozzarella and parmesan over the entire surface.
- 11
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 additional minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- 12
Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting into portions. This rest is essential for the layers to hold together when serving.
💡 Chef's Tip
The secret to a chef-quality bolognese: simmer the sauce over very low heat for as long as possible—ideally 1 to 1.5 hours. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors concentrate and the meat becomes tender. If you can prepare it the day before, even better: reheated the next day, it will be even more flavorful. To ensure the dry lasagna noodles don't stay hard, make sure each layer is generously coated with sauce.
