Description
A classic recipe for homemade Lasagne al Forno made entirely from scratch. There is truly nothing more comforting than a hot bubbling baked lasagna made with hearty beef ragu, creamy bechamel sauce, silky pasta, and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. This traditional comfort food favorite is perfect for a special Sunday dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup carrot, finely chopped
- 1 cup stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 2 lbs ground beef (mince)
- 2.5 cups passata (tomato puree)
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable stock (as a flavor-neutral substitute)
- 6 cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups full fat milk
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup parmesan, freshly grated
- 1 lb fresh lasagna pasta sheets
- 2 balls mozzarella, torn
Instructions
- Step: Finely chop the carrot, onion, and celery and saute the vegetables gently in a large frying pan with the olive oil.
- Step: Once the vegetables are soft, add the ground beef and cook until browned, spooning out any excess fat if necessary.
- Step: Add the vegetable stock to deglaze the pan and reduce by half.
- Step: Once reduced, add the passata, tomato paste, bay leaves, 4 cups of beef stock, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Step: Stir everything together and leave to simmer on a low heat for 2.5-3 hours uncovered, adding the remaining beef stock halfway through.
- Step: To make the white sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour to form a paste, and cook for 1 minute.
- Step: Slowly whisk in half of the milk until smooth, then add the rest of the milk, nutmeg, parmesan, and salt/pepper, cooking until thickened.
- Step: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Step: Assemble by spooning a small amount of ragu on the bottom of a baking dish, followed by a layer of pasta, then ragu and white sauce.
- Step: Repeat the layers (aiming for 4-5 layers) and finish with the remaining white sauce and torn mozzarella.
- Step: Bake for 45 minutes until bubbling and golden, then let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
The ragu requires at least 3 hours of uncovered simmering to develop its signature depth of flavor. You can prepare the ragu a day in advance to save time. If the sauce becomes too thick during simmering, add a little water, 1/2 cup at a time. The final dish should be allowed to rest briefly after baking to prevent it from collapsing when sliced.
- Prep Time: PT15M
- Cook Time: PT240M
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 753 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
Keywords: lasagne, beef lasagna, italian, comfort food, main course, pasta, homemade