Lasagna al Forno
Layered baked pasta with slow-simmered meat ragu and creamy bechamel.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Gluten, Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
How this varies: True ragù alla Bolognese uses a mix of beef, pork, and pancetta (not beef alone), a smaller amount of tomato with milk stirred in for tenderness, and simmers for 2+ hours — the long simmer is what develops its depth. This version leans on crushed tomatoes and a shorter simmer to stay a realistic weeknight timeline; it's a good, honest ragù, just a faster relative of the real thing.
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna sheets
- 500g ground beef
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 800g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 4 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp flour, 4 cups milk (bechamel)
- 1 cup parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Steps
- Saute onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened.
- Add ground beef, brown well, then add garlic.
- Pour in wine, let reduce, then add crushed tomatoes; simmer uncovered 45 minutes until thick.
- Make bechamel: melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute, gradually whisk in milk until smooth and thickened.
- Layer sheets, meat ragu, and bechamel in a baking dish, repeating to make 3-4 layers, finishing with bechamel and parmesan on top.
- Bake at 190C (375F) for 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.