The Lasagne of your dreams!

This Lasagne is made with an easy Homemade Bechamél Sauce, a rich and tender Beef Ragù and Cheese as far as the eye can see. What’s not to love?

As one of my most loved and most popular recipes, I had to include this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’!

Homemade Lasagne

For some, the thought of making a lasagne might be a little daunting. But here I’ll share with you some tips and tricks to making lasagne an absolute breeze. PLUS, this just happens to be one of the most delicious lasagne recipes in the world.

First of all, let me just get my food snobbery out the way – I have never found a store bought lasagne that comes even close to a homemade lasagne. There, I said it.

The main thing to note about homemade lasagne is that whilst the steps are fairly straight forward, it takes time. There is no such thing as a quick lasagne, not one worth eating anyway! (sorry, the snobbery stops there). In terms of what are the layers of lasagne, here’s what we’re working with:

Lasagne Layers

• Beef Ragu
• Pasta (lasagne sheets)
• Bechamel Sauce
• Cheese

Also, just one more elephant to address before we sink our teeth in:

Lasagne vs Lasagna

Unlike the American style version (Lasagna with an ‘a’ at the end), this version uses a homemade bechamel sauce, in contrast to a ricotta based layer. Before we get to that, let’s talk Ragu. Follow me…

Beef Ragu Sauce for Lasagne

A beef ragu in Italian cuisine, just simply means a meat based sauce (often served with pasta). This truly is the heart and soul of every lasagne. On the flip side, this is the part that really takes time.

My number one tip for the best lasagne is to slow cook your ragu.

It makes the world of difference in terms of developing the flavour of the meat sauce AND allows the sauce to reduce. This is important so your lasagne doesn’t end up too watery and sloppy at the end.

How to make Ragu sauce for Lasagne (quick summary)

1. Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat with ground beef.
2. Brown beef, then remove from pot.
3. Add pancetta and fry until it begins to brown.
4. Add carrot, celery and onion, and continue to fry.
5. Add tomato puree, then deglaze the pot with red wine.
6. Add beef back in and coat.
7. Pour in beef stock, passata and seasoning.
8. Simmer for 1 hour 30mins with the lid on, then 30mins with the lid off.

Lasagne with Bechamel Sauce

For those of you who aren’t sure, Bechamel sauce (otherwise known as ‘white sauce’) is a roux made of butter, flour and milk. It adds a nice creamy layer to the lasagne. For a Bechamel sauce in a lasagne I add a hefty amount of parmesan and nutmeg, just for extra flavour.

When it comes to making the Bechamel sauce, you’ll want to make it whilst the ragu is simmering.

How to make Bechamel Sauce (quick summary)

1. Melt butter into a suitably sized pot.
2. Stir in flour to form a paste.
3. Gradually whisk in milk until thick.
4. Stir in parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning.

Tips for the Best Lasagne

Ragu:

• Add Pancetta for extra richness (can sub bacon).
• Grate your carrot on a box grater. This will allow the carrot to disintegrate into the sauce and add gorgeous sweetness to the Ragu.
• Simmer the Ragu for a good length of time, this will develop the flavours and make the beef really tender.
• Make sure you reduce the sauce so most of the water disappears. Too watery and the lasagne will come out sloppy.

Bechamel Sauce:

• Simmer the sauce until it thickens enough to comfortably coat the back of a spoon. Any less and the lasagne will come out watery.
• A heavy seasoning of salt, black pepper and nutmeg will really help the sauce stand out in the lasagne.

Lasagne:

• Finish with a layer of cheese, just so it goes beautifully golden and crispy in the oven.
• Let it rest! As frustrating as it is to spend all that time making a lasagne and then have to wait, the lasagne will need to rest and reform shape after it’s taken out the oven. Plus, you won’t burn the roof of your mouth off, which is also a plus.

Can I make Lasagne in advance?

Absolutely! Just ensure the ragu and bechamel sauce cool before layering the lasagne (or the sheets will start to cook). Cover and store in the fridge up to 24hours before cooking. You might need to add 5-10mins mins onto baking time or allow to come back up to room temp. You can also store in the freezer, then thaw in the fridge overnight and bake accordingly (make sure centre is piping hot!)

Fresh vs Dried Lasagne Sheets

I always go fresh. I prefer the texture and the lasagne stays intact better. If you’ve got dried then check the packet to see if you need to cook before hand. If you don’t then don’t reduce the ragu so much (the dried sheets will suck up more liquid than fresh).

What to serve with Lasagne?

• Roasted Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Caprese Pull Apart Bread
• Garlic Butter Potato Skins
• Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Feta Bruschetta

And breathe. We made it and I’ve officially leaked all my lasagne knowledge out 🤣 Time for you to take the reins!

Okay, let’s tuck into the full homemade lasagne recipe shall we?

How to make Lasagne (Full Recipe and Video)

4.92 from 37 votes

Simply The BEST Homemade Lasagne Recipe

By: Chris Collins

This Lasagne is made with an easy Homemade Bechamel Sauce, a rich & tender Beef Ragu and Cheese as far as the eye can see. What's not to love?!

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

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Equipment

• 20cm x 30cm/8 x 12" Baking Dish
• Large Pot or Dutch Oven with Heavy Lid (for Ragu)
• Medium Pot & Wooden Spoon (for Bechamel)
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Box Grater (for carrot and cheese)
• Serving Spoon (to spread layers)

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Ragu

• ▢ 2.2lb / 1kg Ground/Minced Beef (see notes)
• ▢ 3.5oz / 100g Pancetta, finely diced
• ▢ 2 cups / 500ml Tomato Passata (Pureed Tomatoes in US)
• ▢ 2 cups / 500ml Beef Stock
• ▢ 1 cup / 250ml Red Wine
• ▢ 2 ribs of Celery, finely diced
• ▢ 2 medium Carrots, grated on a box grater
• ▢ 1 large White Onion, finely diced
• ▢ 3 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
• ▢ 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
• ▢ 2 Bay Leaves
• ▢ 1 small bunch EACH: Fresh Basil, Fresh Parsley finely diced (approx 1oz/30g
• ▢ 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• ▢ 1.5 tsp Sugar, or to taste
• ▢ Salt & Pepper, to taste
• ▢ Olive Oil, as needed

Bechamel Sauce

• ▢ 4 cups / 1 litre Milk, at room temp
• ▢ 5 tbsp Plain Flour (60g)
• ▢ 4 tbsp Butter (60g)
• ▢ 1/2 small Nutmeg, finely grated
• ▢ 1 cup / 80g freshly grated Parmesan
• ▢ Salt & Pepper, to taste

Lasagne

• ▢ 12oz / 350g Fresh Lasagne Sheets (see notes)
• ▢ 2 cups / 200g Mozzarella, shredded
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan

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Instructions 

Ragu

• Drizzle around 1 tbsp olive oil into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef, break it up with a wooden spoon and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to fry until fully browned, then scoop into your lasagne dish (discarding any excess fat).
• Lower heat to medium and add pancetta to the pan. Fry until it begins to brown and release its fat. Add onion, celery and carrot, and continue frying until they soften and just begin to brown. Add garlic and fry for another minute, then add the tomato puree (tomato paste).
• Fry the tomato puree for a few mins, then deglaze the pan with the wine. Allow the wine to reduce for a few mins, then add the beef back in. Stir to coat the beef.
• Add in the beef stock, tomato passata, parsley, basil, oregano, bay leaves, 1 tsp sugar, salt & pepper (to taste). Bring to a simmer then turn the heat to low, pop on a lid and allow to simmer for at least 1 hour 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Then take off the lid and allow the sauce to reduce until it thickens and is no loner watery, another 20-30mins should be fine. Meanwhile...

Bechamel Sauce

• Melt the butter in a suitably sized pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to create a roux.
• Gradually pour in the milk, whisking as you go to ensure lumps don't form. Allow the sauce to simmer away for around 7-10mins to thicken, then add the nutmeg, parmesan, and salt & pepper (to taste). Stir to combine, taste for seasoning, then remove from heat. You want the sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (slightly thicker than double cream), but not so thick it won't pour.

Lasagne

• Pre heat oven to 350F/180C.
• In a 20x30cm/8x12" baking dish, spread a few spoons of ragu. This is just so the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom.
• Your layers will then go as follows: Pasta sheets, Ragu, Bechamel Sauce, Mozzarella. The last layer will be Pasta Sheets, then Bechamel, then Mozzarella and Parmesan to top. That's 4 layers of pasta, 4 layers of Ragu (including the very bottom layer), 4 layers of Bechamel and 4 layers of mozzarella.
• Pop in the oven for 30-40mins or until the surface is deep golden (some 'burnt' parts are fine, extra flavour). Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing so it can retain its shape.
• Serve with an extra sprinkle of basil or parsley. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Pancetta Sub - If you're struggling to find pancetta, finely diced bacon will work fine instead.

b) Sugar - Start off with 1 tsp, then taste test after it's simmered and reduced. You'll find the flavour changes quite drastically after the ragu is fully cooked, so adjust accordingly then. If your tomatoes are good quality they'll likely be sweet enough and you won't need any extra sugar.

c) Consistency - It's imperative that you reduce the Ragu AND the Bechamel sauce. For the Ragu, if there is a layer of water on top whilst it simmers, it needs more reduction. For the Bechamel sauce, you need to be able to comfortably coat the back of a wooden spoon. If both are too watery, the lasagne is going to come out of the oven overly sloppy. 

d) Baking Dish - 8x12" is a great size for lasagnes and gives you 4 pasta layers. Feel to use a smaller, but deeper dish and add more layers.

e) Fresh Lasagne Sheets vs Dried - I always go fresh (find in the fresh pasta section at the supermarket). I prefer the texture and the lasagne stays intact better (not so wavey). If you’ve got dried then check the packet to see if you need to cook beforehand. If you don’t need to cook them then don’t reduce the ragu so much as the dried sheets will suck up more liquid than fresh.

f) Beef - I usually go for 10-12% fat. Gives a bit of fatty flavour but not so much the ragu goes oily. If you've only got very fat beef, say 20%, drain away most of the fat after it's fried.

g) Heavy Top Lid - Needs to be heavy so the steam doesn't escape otherwise it'll reduce too quickly.

h) Make Ahead - This is perfect to make in advance! Just make sure the ragu and bechamel sauce cool before you assemble, or the pasta will start to cook and come out super soft and mushy after it's baked. Once cool and combined, tightly cover and store in the fridge 24 hours before needed. Preferably bring to room temp before baking at the above temp/timings (to take the fridge chill out the centre so it cooks through evenly). You can also store it in the freezer, then thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake it accordingly.

i) Leftovers - Store in the fridge for 3-5days or freezer long-term, then cover with foil and reheat in the oven at the same temp until piping hot through the centre (if freezing thaw in the fridge overnight then bake). You can also reheat it in the microwave until piping hot.

j) Calories - per serving (divided by 8)

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Nutrition

Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.29g | Protein: 44.6g | Fat: 34.64g | Saturated Fat: 14.027g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.536g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.821g | Trans Fat: 0.997g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 1162mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 12.46g | Vitamin A: 7500IU | Vitamin C: 10.7mg | Calcium: 430mg | Iron: 5.2mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other recipes?

Family Comfort Food Recipes

• Mum’s Traditional Cottage Pie
• Dad’s Famous Chilli Con Carne
• Toad in the Hole
• Herb Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
• Meatball Pasta Bake

Delicious Lasagne Recipes

• Chicken Lasagne
• Sausage and Fennel Lasagne 
• Veggie Lasagne
• Ravioli Lasagne