RE-TESTED & APPROVED: OUR LASAGNA RECIPE IS BETTER THAN EVER
WE’VE MOVED. Love our previous lasagna recipe? Us too! You can still find it here under ricotta lasagna!
There’s absolutely no way we can fully express just how passionate we are about this lasagna, though one of our coworkers breaking his self-imposed no-carbs rule to try a bite (and confess he’d marry anyone who made it for him) might give you an idea. Based on the traditional lasagna alla Bolognese from the Emilia-Romagna province in Italy, we grabbed what we loved most about the timeless, classic recipe and simplified it to make it weeknight-friendly. This lasagna can be eaten for any occasion—family Sunday dinner, lunch with friends over a pitcher of sangria, or cold straight from the fridge after a night out (it makes great leftovers). Read on for what you need to know before you start cooking:
All about the layers.
— The béchamel sauce. If you’ve made many Italian-American lasagna recipes, you might be surprised not to see ricotta in our ingredient list. While it’s a very practical option, we think ricotta lacks the creaminess that a béchamel can provide. Don’t be intimidated—this French “mother sauce” is very simple to make! The most important thing is to keep whisking the entire time so that you end up with a smooth (not clumpy) sauce.
— The Bolognese sauce. We’re having you make your own Bolognese sauce here, but with a time-saving twist: starting with store-bought marinara. When shopping for this recipe, choose a high-quality option that puts garlic, onions, and tomatoes at the forefront. We like Rao’s, but go with whatever you prefer.
— No-boil noodles. Though it’s traditional in many recipes to par-boil your noodles before layering them and baking, we found that no-boil noodles work just as well and are way more efficient.
How to layer lasagna:
It’s simple: Start with the Bolognese, follow with 3 pasta sheets, then your béchamel. Sprinkle on mozzarella and Parmesan, then repeat until you have 5 layers, finishing with cheese to get that melty, golden brown color when baked.
Variations:
While this classic recipe is our best-ever, we've got plenty of creative variations on this staple dinner. Not feeling ground beef? Give our turkey lasagna a try, or our vegetarian lasagna if you're craving no meat. Our lasagna roll-ups add a creative (and easy twist) to the classic, and our tricolore skillet lasagna is one of our favorite ways to serve guests.
Storage tips:
— Can I make it ahead? Absolutely! If you’re working the day before, assemble your lasagna, make sure it’s at room temp—nothing should be warm—and then cover tightly and chill overnight.
— How long does it last in the fridge? You can keep it wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.
–How do I freeze lasagna? Easy—simply assemble, then wrap tightly and freeze for around a month. When ready to heat, let it thaw completely in the fridge before baking according to instructions.
– How do I reheat lasagna? Simply remove the plastic, wrap in foil, and bake at 325° for 30 minutes.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Yields: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce- 1 tsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb.
(90% lean) ground beef
- 1 lb.
ground pork
- 3 tbsp.
tomato paste
- 2
(32-oz.) jars marinara sauce
- 2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 4 c.
whole milk
- 1/2 c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 c.
all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp.
ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
- 15
no-boil lasagna noodles (about 9 oz.)
- 1 lb.
whole-milk mozzarella, shredded
- 3 c.
finely grated Parmesan (about 7 oz.)
Cooking spray
Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
Bolognese Sauce- In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat oil. Cook beef and pork, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Add tomato paste to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add marinara sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have melded, about 20 minutes; season with remaining 1 teaspoon salt, if needed.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, heat milk until warm to the touch but not boiling.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook, whisking frequently, until light tan in color and texture resembles wet sand, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, very slowly add milk until combined. Increase heat to high and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Pass spoon through edges of pot to collect any butter-flour mixture that wasn’t fully incorporated and mix to combine. Stir in nutmeg; season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a deep 13"-by-9" ceramic, glass, or metal baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups Bolognese, followed by 3 pasta sheets and 3/4 cup béchamel. Sprinkle with about one-fifth of mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat to make 5 layers, finishing with cheese.
- Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Cover dish oiled side down.
- Bake lasagna 20 minutes, then increase oven temperature to 400°. Uncover and continue to bake until sides are bubbling and darkened and cheese starts to turn golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Turn broiler to medium. Broil lasagna, watching closely, until top is toasted, about 1 minute.
- Let cool 15 minutes. Top with parsley and serve.