Here’s a classic homemade lasagne recipe — rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and layers of pasta and cheese baked to golden perfection. It’s comfort food at its finest, made from scratch but totally doable!
🇮🇹 Homemade Lasagne (Traditional Meat Lasagna)
👥 Serves: 6–8
⏱️ Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 1 hour | Resting: 10–15 mins
🧾 Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
-
2 tbsp olive oil
-
1 onion, finely chopped
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
500g (1 lb) ground beef (or half pork/half beef)
-
2 tbsp tomato paste
-
800g (28 oz) canned crushed tomatoes or passata
-
1 tsp dried oregano
-
1 tsp dried basil
-
1 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
-
Salt & pepper, to taste
-
A splash of red wine (optional but great flavor)
For the Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce):
-
4 tbsp butter
-
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
-
3 cups (750 ml) milk, warmed
-
Pinch of nutmeg
-
Salt & pepper, to taste
-
Optional: 1/2 cup grated Parmesan for extra richness
Other:
-
9–12 lasagna sheets (fresh or dried, cooked if needed)
-
2 cups (200g) shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend
-
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Make the Meat Sauce:
-
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
-
Sauté onion until soft, then add garlic.
-
Add the ground meat and cook until browned.
-
Stir in tomato paste, then add crushed tomatoes, herbs, wine (if using), sugar, salt, and pepper.
-
Simmer for at least 20–30 minutes, uncovered, until rich and slightly thickened. Stir occasionally.
2. Make the Béchamel Sauce:
-
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
-
Whisk in flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to form a roux (don’t brown it).
-
Slowly whisk in warm milk, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
-
Cook until thickened (about 5–7 mins), then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
-
Optional: Stir in Parmesan for extra flavor.
3. Assemble the Lasagne:
-
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
-
In a 9×13 inch (or similar) baking dish:
-
Spread a small amount of meat sauce on the bottom.
-
Add a layer of lasagna sheets.
-
Add a layer of meat sauce.
-
Spoon over some béchamel sauce.
-
Sprinkle with mozzarella.
-
Repeat layers (pasta → meat sauce → béchamel → cheese), ending with béchamel and cheese on top.
-
4. Bake:
-
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
-
Remove foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
-
Let rest 10–15 minutes before slicing (this helps it hold together).
🧀 Tips:
-
Make ahead: Assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
-
Freeze: Freeze before or after baking for easy future meals.
-
Vegetarian? Swap meat for lentils, spinach, mushrooms, or roasted veggies.