Italian Lasagna With Bechamel (Lasagne Al Forno)

5 from 10 votes

Italian Lasagna With Bechamel (Lasagne Al Forno)

This classic Italian lasagna with béchamel is made with slow-simmered meat ragu, creamy béchamel, Parmigiano Reggiano, and lasagna noodles.

Servings:

Ingredients

1 16 ounce box of oven-ready lasagna noodles or homemade lasagna noodles, see note 3
4 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan

Beef Ragu Sauce

2 lbs ground beef 90% to 95% lean
52 ounces blended and strained tomatoes also known as "passata"** see note 1
1 large onion finely diced
2 carrots finely diced
2 celery stalks finely diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 garlic cloves crushed or minced
10 kalamata olives pit removed and diced
½ cup red wine optional
salt

Bechamel Sauce

4 tbs butter
4 tbs all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Meat ragu sauce: In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the finely diced onion, diced carrot, diced celery, and crushed garlic until it softens (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the ground beef, breaking up the clumps. Once the ground beef is brown, add the tomato sauce, diced olives, salt, red wine (if using), and bay leaf. Simmer the beef tomato sauce covered on low heat for two hours on the stovetop.
Bechamel sauce: In a nonstick pan on medium-high heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk continuously for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add the milk, continuing to mix until the sauce thickens to the point that it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the bechamel cream sauce from the heat. Add the ground nutmeg and salt to taste. Set aside.
Lasagna noodles: If using regular box lasagna noodles, boil per the box instructions. If using homemade lasagna noodles or oven-ready lasagna noodles, boil them five or six sheets at a time for about 2 minutes (or until soft). Lay the lasagna noodles on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Use a parchment paper between cooked lasagna noodles so they don't stick. The noodles need to be soft and partially cooked- this step is important!
Assemble the Lasagna: Add meat sauce to the bottom of the 9"x13" baking dish. Add one layer of lasagna noodles. Follow that with another layer of meat sauce, then the bechamel sauce, then some lightly grated parmesan cheese. Repeat in this order: noodles, meat sauce, bechamel sauce, and parmesan until you have a total of 5 layers of lasagna noodles. The top of the lasagna will be bechamel and then grated parmesanl
Bake the lasagna: In a 350 ℉ (176 ℃) oven, bake for about 40 minutes.

Video

Notes

Passata is strained, blended tomatoes. Substitute tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Also, you can buy the canned whole peeled tomatoes and blitz them in the blender. For this lasagna recipe, I used two large cans of passata (each can was 26 ounces or 750 grams).
You can simmer the ragu sauce with a slow cooker: simmer it on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
The oven-ready lasagna noodle boxes range in weight from 9 ounces to 1 lb. You can get away with 9 ounces if you have 15 pasta sheets- 3 sheets for each layer for lasagna, that's 5 layers. I usually buy two boxes in case I need a few more pasta sheets.
Variations:
- Assemble the lasagna dish a day ahead if short on time.
- Make extra meat ragu sauce and freeze it. This ragù sauce is similar to Bolognese meat sauce, but without milk. It's a versatile pasta sauce that reheats very easily.
- Substitute Parmesan cheese for Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Use any type of lasagna noodle- regular dry lasagna (with wavy edges), oven-ready lasagna sheets (flat and thin), or homemade lasagna noodles.
Storage: This lasagna is freezer-friendly when stored in an airtight container, unbaked. When ready to bake, allow it to thaw before baking. Store the cooked lasagna with bechamel sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Cooking Time: Authentic Italian lasagna takes 2 hours and 40 minutes total. The meat sauce simmers for 2 hours on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Béchamel takes 10 minutes, boiling noodles takes 10-15 minutes, assembly takes 5 minutes, and baking takes 40 minutes.

Nutrition