Ingredients
Scale
For the lasagna:
- 12 sheets of pre-cooked lasagna
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the bolognese sauce:
- 500 g (18 oz) ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 800 g (28 oz) crushed tomato (you can use canned tomatoes)
- 1 cup of red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Bechamel sauce:
- 50 g (1.8 oz) butter
- 50 g (1.8 oz) flour
- 500 ml (16.9 fl oz) of milk
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Nutmeg to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the ground beef and cook until well browned.
- Pour in the red wine (if you decided to use) and let it reduce by half.
- Add the crushed tomato, tomato paste, bay leaf, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for approximately 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For the Bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.
- Once the butter is completely melted, add the flour and mix well with a whisk. Cook this mixture (roux) over medium heat for a few minutes to eliminate the raw flour flavor. Don’t let it take color.
- Gradually add the milk to the roux mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming.
- Cook the mixture over medium-low heat until thickened, making sure there are no lumps. This may take about 10-15 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Nutmeg is optional but gives a characteristic flavor to the Bechamel.
- Simmer for a few additional minutes so the flavors blend well and the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
- To assemble the lasagna in a baking dish, place a thin layer of Bolognese sauce on the bottom.
- Then, place a layer of lasagna sheets on top.
- Add a layer of Bechamel sauce, followed by another layer of bolognese sauce and a layer of grated mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the process until you end up with a layer of Bolognese sauce and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Let the lasagna rest for a few minutes before cutting into portions and serving.
- Prep Time: 60 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: lasagna, bolognese, bechamel, sauce