This is the BEST Lasagna Bolognese! Layers of lasagna noodles are baked with alternating layers of slow-cooked Bolognese sauce, bechamel, mozzarella, and Parmesan. It’s a classic recipe taken straight from Italy!
While this lasagna requires extra time and elbow grease, the end result is SO worth it. Lasagna alla Bolognese is a labor of love and anyone who enjoys it will taste that effort. If needed, it can be made in stages and is so perfect for the holidays!
“This is one recipe that I will ALWAYS take my time with and follow each step like the law. I sincerely cannot express how much we adore this recipe and will use it for years and years to come!” – Megan, So Much Food reader
Table of Contents
This Lasagna Is Made with Both Bolognese *and* Béchamel Sauce
Whereas Thanksgiving has really specific traditions, Christmas is a bit more of a free-for-all. We’ve started a tradition of enjoying lasagna on Christmas Eve and I am obsessed with it.
My go-to recipe for lasagna is this 100% scratch recipe made with layers of fresh egg pasta, Bolognese ragù (slow-cooked meat sauce), creamy béchamel (white sauce), and plenty of grated parmesan cheese. While not traditional, I add bits of diced fresh mozzarella between layers to make this lasagna extra gooey and cheesy.
Something about a lasagna made with a bechamel vs layers of ricotta keeps this lasagna Bolognese light, but still rich. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth, creamy, decadent, and satisfying lasagna that is distinct in Italian-style lasagna recipes.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bolognese sauce. You can make the bolognese sauce several days in advance (the sauce only gets better with time).
- Bechamel. Bechamel is a creamy white sauce made with a butter and flour (roux) base, whole milk, parmesan, salt and pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. I don’t recommend making this sauce until right before you plan to assemble because it thickens as it sits.
- Mozzarella. Not necessarily traditional, but bits of fresh mozzarella make this béchamel Bolognese lasagna extra gooey and cheesy.
- Parmesan. Use quality parmesan and freshly grate it.
- Noodles. Use high-quality egg lasagna noodles. I used this brand and purchase it at Central Market.
Bolognese vs Ragu
In Italian, “Ragù” is a hearty meat sauce of ground meat, vegetables, wine and some tomatoes. “Bolognese” is also a meat sauce, but it’s a regional variation prepared in the style of Bologna hence the name: Ragù Bolognese.
Bolognese is best served with wide, flat pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle. It’s the perfect sauce for Lasagna Bolognese and it clings beautifully to the wide, flat egg lasagna noodles.
Ragu is also often made with different proteins like beef, veal, pork, rabbit, etc. In Ragu, the meat is meat to be the star of the dish. Bolognese sauce is more about harmony between all the ingredients.
Required Kitchen Tools
How to Make Lasagna Bolognese in 5 Basic Steps
Jenny’s Tip: I’m not going to lie to you, this is definitely an involved recipe. Lasagna, by its very nature, is sort of an involved thing to make. That being said, this recipe is not difficult. It just takes a bit of time and effort which can be broken up over a couple of days.
- Make a batch of bolognese sauce. The bolognese sauce used in this recipe is one that I’ve perfected over several years. This real-deal Italian bolognese, made with ground beef and pork, wine, and tomatoes, simmers on the stove for a couple of hours, developing intensely rich and hearty flavor.
- Make a batch of béchamel sauce. Making béchamel is as simple as cooking butter and flour together and then whisking in warm whole milk. Stir in the parmesan, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg and you’re done!
- Boil the noodles. Bring a big pot of water to a rolling boil and salt very well (if you don’t salt the water, your lasagna will taste bland!). I suggest cooking just 5 to 6 noodles at a time so you can fish them out as soon as they’re perfectly al dente.
Jenny’s Tip: After boiling and draining the noodles, store them on a baking sheet between layers of parchment that have been drizzled with olive oil. This prevents them from clumping together or drying out.
- Assemble the lasagna. This lasagna has 4 layers, layering the bolognese sauce with the bechamel, parmesan, and mozzarella between lasagna noodles. When you build a lasagna, I always suggest making sure your noodles covers the entire length and width of the pan. This will result in a sturdier lasagna. I found that I needed about 20 sheets of lasagna noodles to make 4 layers.
Jenny’s Tip: When assembling your lasagna, make sure to use a deep 9×13 ceramic baking dish. This keeps your lasagna from bubbling over. You also want to use only stainless steel, ceramic, or pyrex baking dishes.
DO NOT USE ALUMINUM. The acidity of the sauce will react with the aluminum and give the lasagna an off flavor.
- Bake and serve. Bake at 375ºF for 1 hour, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes to get the cheese on top nice and bubbly. Always let your lasagnas rest for about 20 minutes before serving (this makes for cleaner slices).
Want to Make This in Advance? Here’s How
While the recipe itself takes some time and effort, it’s also the perfect recipe to make ahead of time and bake off just before your holiday meal. You can break up the work over two days to make the burden even easier. Hosting doesn’t get much easier than that!
Here’s the timeline I use:
I make my homemade Bolognese sauce on the 23rd (the sauce gets better with time), and assemble everything on the 24th. The lasagna is then baked until hot and bubbly, and we enjoy it for Christmas Eve dinner with Champagne and charcuterie. It’s the perfect Christmas eve dinner and feels so incredibly cozy and comforting.
If you’re someone who loves having company for the holidays, this is the perfect dish to whip out. It’s incredibly impressive and so full of flavor and decadence without being overly heavy.
What to Serve with Lasagna Bolognese
If you’re throwing a dinner party or just want a nice dinner to enjoy, here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with classic lasagna Bolognese.
Fresh salad. Kale Caesar Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, Tomato Burrata Salad, or Little Gem Caesar Salad
Warm Bread. No Knead Focaccia or Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Dessert. Nutella Lava Cakes, Coffee Panna Cotta, Cranberry Ricotta Cake, or Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Storing Bolognese Sauce:
Bolognese sauce stores SO well – it’s one of those things that gets even better as it sits and its flavors have the chance to meld together. If you make a full batch of bolognese sauce, you can refrigerate or freeze a portion. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store for up to 1 week.
To freeze, transfer the cooled bolognese sauce to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Take care to press most of the air out before sealing, this helps prevent freezer-burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Storing Cooked Lasagna:
If you have leftover lasagna, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Make sure to let the lasagna cool before freezing.
When you want to reheat it, defrost a few hours ahead then reheat in the oven at 400ºF for about 10 minutes. Cover with foil when reheating so that the Lasagna Bolognese doesn’t dry out.
Freezing Uncooked Lasagna:
Assemble your lasagna in an oven-safe dish and cover it generously with plastic wrap. When ready to eat defrost the lasagna the night before so that it thaws evenly.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.
Classic Lasagna Bolognese Recipe
Ingredients
Lasagna Bolognese
- 6-7 cups Bolognese Sauce (recipe below)
- 20 sheets egg lasagna noodles
- 5 tablesoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan, divided
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
Bolognese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 oz pancetta diced small
- 1 lb ground sirloin (90/10)
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (pick a high-quality brand)
- 1 1/2 cups medium-bodied red wine
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind
- Kosher salt
- freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
Bolognese Sauce
- Crisp up the pancetta. Melt the butter and olive oil in a dutch oven over medium low heat. Add the pancetta, and cook while occasionally stirring, until crispy. This process takes about 10-12 minutes, don't rush. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pot and transfer to a small bowl.
- Finely mince the veggies. While the pancetta cooks, Add all the veggies and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until everything is finely minced. This saves tons of time!
- Cook the beef and sausage. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the pot and keep the heat low. Cook while stirring often until the meat is cooked through and really finely broken up. Don't brown the meat, just cook low and slow until it's cooked through.
- Add the veggies. Increase the heat to medium and add the finely chopped veggies to the pot. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft. Add the tomato paste to the pot and really mix it in. Cook until it's darkened in color, about 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the wine to the pot and use it to help scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the milk, tomatoes, bay leaves, crispy pancetta, and parmesan rind to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot.
- Simmer. Simmer on low for 2 1/2 – 3 hours, stirring every hour or so. The sauce should be thick and deep red in color. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the bay leaves. You can store the sauce in an airtight container up to 1 week after it's cooled to room temperature.
Lasagna Bolognese
- Boil the noodles. To cook the lasagna noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 5-6 lasagna noodles at a time and cook them until al dente, in the case of the brand I used I boiled them for about 4 minutes. Store them on a baking sheet between layers of parchment that have been drizzled with olive oil.
- Make the bechamel. In a non-reactive 2 qt saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is hot and foamy, sprinkle in the flour and whisk well to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the warm milk 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly until all the milk is added. Bring to a simmer until thick and stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan, salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste plus the nutmeg. Cool for 10 minutes.
- Assemble the lasagna. Lightly grease a deep 9×13 baking dish (see notes below). Spread a thin layer of bechamel. Use 4 noodles and lay them on top of the bechamel. Spread 1 1/2 cups bolognese sauce over the noodles. Drizzle 3/4 cup of bechamel over the bolognese. Sprinkle with some of the diced mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the parmesan. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. On the top layer, just spread the bechamel with mozzarella and parmesan. At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the unbaked lasagna overnight.
- Preheat an oven to 375ºF.
- Bake. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 1 hour, covered. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbly. Rest the lasagna for 20-30 minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated parmesan.
Important Notes
- 1. If you use no-boil noodles, let the lasagna rest at room temperature, covered, for 1 hour before baking. 2. When assembling your lasagna, make sure to use the right size pan. I used a deep (3 1/2") 9×13 ceramic baking dish (linked above). This keeps your lasagna from bubbling over.3. You also want to use only stainless steel, ceramic, or pyrex baking dishes. DO NOT USE ALUMINUM. The acidity of the sauce will react with the aluminum and give the lasagna an off flavor.4. If you're using a smaller pan, decrease the amount of ingredients used accordingly. 5. Once the lasagna is assembled, it can be covered and stored in the fridge overnight before baking. Follow instructions in the above blog post for storage and freezing instructions.
You might also like...
-
Pasta Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
-
Sauces, Salsas & Marinades Dad’s Sunday Sauce Recipe
-
One Pot Meals Tomato and Burrata Gnocchi
Rate & Review This Recipe
I made her bolognese ragu a couple weeks ago and froze the leftovers. Sooooo decide to take it out of the freezer to make this lasagna. Amazing! The perfect Christmas Eve meal! Made as instructed with no problems.
Thank you Adam!
Excited to try this! I’m hoping to make this to give away as a meal to some family members who are grieving, but I’m worried about your warning about aluminum pans, as i think most single use casserole dishes are foil. Any recommendations? Is the “off” taste very noticeable? Thanks
It’s totally not super noticeable! You’re so sweet for doing that. Hope they love the recipe!
Made this for Christmas dinner, it was EXCELLENT!
Any chance you can be more precise when it comes to the sauce veggies? Onions and carrots come in varying sizes. I’d love to get volume, like number of cups. Thank you
Honestly, the difference in vegetable sizes would not make a huge difference in flavor. I just go for middle of the road sized onions and carrots and the recipe is perfect every time. Cooking really can be quite flexible, don’t stress!
This is amazing! Other than switching out the wine for beef stock, I followed the recipe exactly. Best lasagna I’ve had! Thank you, great recipe.
I don’t review a lot of recipes but I had to here. I hate ricotta cheese and had never eat lasagna until a year ago when I found a different recipe with a meat sauce and bechamel. And I thought that was great. Then I wanted to try one using a more traditional bolognese. After a lot of research, I decided to use this one. I will NEVER use that other lasagna recipe again. This was amazing. I used fresh lasagna sheets I got at Whole Foods and got seven pasta layers in my dish. My entire family, including my four year old step son who only eats chicken nuggets and hot dogs, devoured it. And I have leftover bolognese for another dinner. If I don’t eat it with a spoon first. Lol. Absolutely phenomenal and worth the effort.
This is an outstanding recipe. I made it for a football game watching dinner party. It was a big hit. Make sure to either the meat sauce the day before or start in the morning. It makes the flavor really come together.
hello! this recipe is just what im looking for to make for christmas dinner. im making my own lasagne sheets and I was wondering do I need to boil these before assembly or should I just layer in the fresh noodles (not dried) without prior boiling? thank you!
Hi! I would still give the noodles a quick boil to set the pasta–maybe a minute or so only. Hope that helps!
I have a question about this recipe. Do you really put the milk into the tomato sauce or is it reserved for the Bechamel sauce?
Yes, there is milk in the bolognese sauce. It helps tenderize the meat and helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
I never leave comments on recipes, but this one deserves it and much more. This lasagna legitimately made my husband and I more confident in our cooking, and we cherish the time spent making it together. It has become our Christmas tradition to have this for our holiday dinner and to share some with our family members (not too much, though… hehe).
Somehow the leftovers are even better than the fresh-out-of-the-oven lasagna!
This is one recipe that I will ALWAYS take my time with and follow each step like the law.
I sincerely cannot express how much we adore this recipe and will use it for years and years to come! Thank you for becoming part of our Christmas tradition~