Lasagna alla
Bolognese
Layered pasta with ragù & béchamel
Thin pasta sheets alternate with slow-cooked meat ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano-Reggiano, baked until the edges turn golden.
Pasta, ragù & béchamel in thin layersLayer by layer,
a Bolognese favorite.
Lasagna alla bolognese brings the meat sauce and fresh pasta traditions of Emilia-Romagna into one baking dish. Thin layers of pasta hold a concentrated ragù and smooth béchamel. Parmigiano-Reggiano seasons the layers and browns across the surface.
Green spinach pasta is particularly associated with Bologna, while plain egg sheets also make a useful home version. The filling is moist rather than flooded with tomato sauce, and a short rest after baking helps the slices hold together. Expect a substantial primo, often served for a leisurely meal.
Let’s make lasagna alla bolognese.
Make the ragù and béchamel, then layer with purchased fresh pasta sheets.
Six portions in a 20 × 30 cm baking dish; uses fresh lasagna sheets.
The béchamel cooks during the last part of the ragù simmer; 10 minutes of cooking overlap is deducted from total elapsed time.
What you’ll need
Ragù
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 100 gpancetta, finely diced
- 80 gonion, finely chopped
- 60 gcarrot, finely chopped
- 60 gcelery, finely chopped
- 400 gground beef
- 100 mldry white wine
- 350 gtomato passata
- 300 mlready-made beef broth
- 100 mlwhole milk
- ½ tspfine salt, or to taste
- ¼ tspblack pepper
Béchamel and layers
- 60 gunsalted butter, plus 10 g for the dish
- 60 gplain flour
- 750 mlwhole milk
- ¼ tspfine salt
- ⅛ tspgrated nutmeg
- 300 gthin fresh lasagna sheets, green spinach or plain
- 120 gParmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 3 lwater, for blanching pasta if required
Fresh pasta sheet thickness and packet instructions matter. Dried sheets need a different liquid balance and are not a direct substitute in this recipe.
How to make it
- 01
Start the ragù
Heat olive oil and pancetta in a heavy saucepan for 5 minutes. Add onion, carrot and celery and soften for 8 minutes. Add beef, break it apart and brown for about 7 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
- 02
Simmer slowly
Add passata, broth, the 100 ml milk, salt and pepper. Partially cover and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. It should end thick and spoonable. If it reduces too quickly, cover more fully rather than letting it catch.
- 03
Whisk the béchamel
Near the end of the simmer, melt 60 g butter in another saucepan. Stir in flour for 1 minute. Whisk in the 750 ml milk gradually. Simmer, stirring, for 5–7 minutes until smooth and lightly thickened. Add salt and nutmeg.
- 04
Prepare the sheets
Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Butter the dish with the remaining 10 g butter. Follow the fresh sheets’ instructions: if blanching is required, use the 3 l boiling water and lay the briefly cooked sheets on a clean towel. Ready-to-layer fresh sheets need no blanching.
- 05
Build the layers
Spread a little béchamel and ragù in the dish. Add a pasta layer, trimming to fit, then thin layers of both sauces and a sprinkling of cheese. Repeat to make about five pasta layers, finishing with sauces and the remaining cheese.
- 06
Bake and rest
Bake for 35–40 minutes until bubbling at the edges and browned on top. Cover loosely with foil if it colors too early. Rest for 15 minutes before cutting into six portions.
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