Recipes › Pasta › Lisa's Lasagna Recipe

Lisa's Lasagna Recipe

Recipe by Pedro M. A. Neves

Lisa's Lasagna is a traditional Italian baked pasta layered with rich ragù, creamy béchamel sauce, and melted cheese. This classic Northern Italian preparation delivers tender noodles interspersed with savory meat sauce and smooth cream layers, finished with a golden cheese crust. It's a comforting, substantial dish that showcases the balance of flavors central to Italian home cooking.

Ingredients

• 400 g ground beef
• 150 g ground pork
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 400 ml whole milk
• 50 g butter
• 40 g all-purpose flour
• 100 g Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 250 g fresh lasagna sheets or 200 g dried
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 400 ml crushed tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Nutmeg to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery (soffritto). Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and fragrant.

2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, allowing it to caramelize slightly in the oil.

3. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and pork to the pot. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon and cook for 8-10 minutes until the meat is browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently.

4. Pour in the white wine and simmer for 3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half. Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ragù thickens.

5. Prepare the béchamel sauce by melting butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to create a roux and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns light golden.

6. Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Spread a thin layer of ragù on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer lasagna sheets to cover the ragù, overlapping slightly.

8. Spread a layer of béchamel sauce over the pasta sheets, then another layer of ragù. Repeat layers of pasta, béchamel, and ragù until all ingredients are used, ending with a layer of béchamel sauce on top.

9. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the top layer of béchamel. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling at the edges.

10. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This resting period allows the layers to set and makes serving easier.

Substitutions

• Use ground lamb instead of pork for a more robust flavor profile
• Replace dairy béchamel with a plant-based sauce made from cashew cream and nutritional yeast for a vegan version
• Substitute fresh lasagna sheets with gluten-free pasta sheets for a gluten-free adaptation
• Use a combination of ground turkey and beef to reduce fat content

Tips

• For dried lasagna sheets, no pre-cooking is necessary if using a good quality sauce with sufficient liquid; the sheets will soften during baking
• Allow the ragù to cool slightly before assembling to prevent the béchamel from breaking when it contacts hot sauce
• Make the ragù and béchamel a day ahead and refrigerate separately for easier assembly and improved flavor development

Lasagna alla Bolognese originates from Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy and traditionally uses a combination of meat ragù and creamy béchamel rather than tomato-heavy versions common in Southern Italian cuisine. This preparation reflects the region's culinary emphasis on balancing rich, slow-cooked meat sauces with delicate cream-based components.

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