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5 from 1 vote

Easy Lasagna Recipe

This classic Italian Lasagna recipe is layered with Lasagne pasta, flavorful Bolognese sauce, and cheesy Bechamel sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: easy lasagna, lasagna
Servings: 12
Calories: 543kcal
Author: Maricel

Equipment

  • Saucepot 4-1/2-Quart Round French Oven
  • baking dish 9"×13"×3.5"

Ingredients

  • 250 g lasagna noodles 9 to 12 sheets
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the Bolognese sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup onion finely chopped
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 stalk celery finely chopped
  • 1 lb beef ground
  • 1 lb pork ground
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 beef bouillon cube crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • cup fresh tomatoes crushed, I used yellow and red tomatoes
  • 680 ml tomato passata
  • ¼ cup fresh basil finely chopped
  • 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated

For the Bechamel Sauce

  • cup butter
  • cup All-purpose flour
  • 625 ml milk or low fat, I use 2% milk
  • 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • Salt to taste

For garnish and toppings

  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated

Instructions

How to make Bolognese Sauce

  • In a Dutch oven or saucepot, over medium heat, add olive oil and melt butter. Saute onion, garlic and celery (add carrot if desired).
  • Add the ground beef and pork, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, fennel seeds, crushed beef bouillon cube, tomato paste, fresh tomatoes, tomato passata and fresh basil. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. While the sauce is simmering, cook the lasagna noodles.
  • Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano in the Bolognese sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook the Lasagna Noodles.

  • In a large pot, bring water to a boil, then add salt if desired. Cook the pasta to your desired tenderness or follow the instructions on the packaging. You may use the ready-to-bake lasagna or homemade pasta.
  • After boiling the pasta, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside while making the Bechamel sauce.

How to make Bechamel Sauce

  • In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter, then add the flour. Slowly add the milk. Stir with a whisk until well incorporated or no more lumps.
  • Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and oregano. Add the parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.
  • Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat until the cheese melted while stirring constantly.

The Assembly- How to layer Lasagna

  • Grease the baking dish with olive oil or butter. Spread 1½ of Bolognese sauce, then arrange 3 lasagna pasta.
  • For this recipe: 3-layer Lasagna Assembly (9 sheets)
    1st layer= Bolognese sauce+Pasta+Bolognese sauce+Bechamel sauce
    2nd layer= Pasta+Bolognese sauce
    3rd layer=Pasta+Bolognese sauce+Bechamel sauce+mozzarella cheese
  • Option#2 For 4-layer Lasagna Assembly (12 sheets)
    1st layer=Bolognese sauce+Pasta+Bolognese sauce
    2nd layer= Pasta+Bechamel sauce
    3rd layer=Pasta+Bolognese sauce
    4th layer=Pasta+Bolognese sauce+Bechamel sauce+mozzarella cheese

Baking the Lasagna

  • Bake in preheated oven at 375°F for 35 minutes, cover with greased aluminum foil.
  • Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until the top is lightly brown.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1116mg | Potassium: 673mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1115IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 397mg | Iron: 3mg