Lasagne alla Bolognese are one of the great symbols of Italian cuisine. Fresh green egg pasta, slowly cooked ragù, creamy béchamel, and Parmigiano Reggiano are layered in a baking dish to create seven rich and flavorful layers. A traditional recipe from Emilia that’s perfect for Sunday lunch and for those occasions when ordinary baked pasta just won’t do.
The ragù is the heart of the lasagne, so let’s give it all the time it deserves.
Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Cut the fresh pancetta into small pieces as well.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook it slowly until it has released some of its fat and is lightly golden.
Add the chopped vegetables and lower the heat. Let them cook gently, stirring from time to time, until they are soft and well softened. Be careful not to let them burn. Especially the onion, if it becomes too dark or burns, can leave a bitter flavor that will stay in the ragù throughout the cooking process.
Now add the ground meat. Break it up thoroughly with a spoon and let it cook until all the moisture has evaporated and the meat is nicely browned.
Pour in the red wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely. Don’t rush this step. If you can still smell the alcohol, let it cook for a few more minutes. Otherwise, it could leave an unpleasant aftertaste in the finished ragù.
Add the tomato passata and the hot vegetable stock. If you don’t already have stock ready, fill the emptied tomato passata bottle halfway with water, shake it well, and use that water in the ragù. Stir, partially cover the saucepan, and let the ragù simmer over very low heat for about 2 hours.
Check it from time to time while it cooks. If it starts to dry out too much before it is ready, add a little water at a time.
During the final few minutes, add the milk. Let everything cook together briefly, then season with salt.
The ragù is ready when it is thick, fragrant, and well reduced, but not completely dry.
While the ragù is cooking, let’s prepare the béchamel.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add all the flour and immediately whisk until you have a smooth mixture with no lumps.
Pour in the milk little by little, continuing to whisk. Move the whisk in the same direction and keep stirring over low heat until the béchamel becomes creamy and fluid enough to spread easily between the layers.
Season with salt and add a small amount of nutmeg. Whisk for a few more moments to make the béchamel perfectly smooth and velvety.
Transfer the béchamel to a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap directly on the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming while you wait to use it.
Once the ragù and béchamel are ready, make sure you have all the ingredients within easy reach.
If the béchamel has cooled and become too thick, whisk it for a few seconds. If necessary, you can loosen it again with a small splash of milk.
For lasagne, it’s important that the béchamel is soft and easy to spread, because it needs to provide moisture throughout the cooking process.
Also have your fresh green egg pasta sheets and grated Parmigiano Reggiano ready.
Take a rectangular baking dish measuring approximately 25 × 30 cm.
Start with a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom. This will help the first pasta sheet cook without sticking to the dish.
If you are using ready-made béchamel, you can make it softer and easier to spread by adding a small splash of milk and mixing well.
Place a layer of green pasta sheets in the dish, then spread over some of the ragù, the béchamel, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Continue in the same way, alternating pasta, ragù, béchamel, and Parmigiano, until you have completed the seven layers.
There’s no need to make the layers excessively thick. Evenly distributing the ingredients is the key to getting a perfectly balanced lasagne in every bite.
For the top, use a generous amount of ragù and béchamel, then finish with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. These are the ingredients that will create that golden, beautifully gratinated top everyone looks forward to.
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F using conventional heat.
Place the baking dish on the middle rack and bake the lasagne for about 40 minutes.
During the final few minutes, keep an eye on the top. It should become golden and beautifully gratinated without burning.
If it starts browning too quickly before the lasagne is fully cooked, gently cover the dish with aluminum foil and continue baking.
Once out of the oven, let the lasagne rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it.
This short resting time makes a big difference. The layers settle, the béchamel firms up slightly, and it becomes much easier to cut neat portions without having all the sauce run onto the bottom of the plate.
Then comes the best part.
Cut, serve, and get ready for that classic silence that suddenly takes over the table when everyone starts eating.
Servings 6
* La percentuale dei valori giornalieri si basa su una dieta di 2000 calorie. I tuoi valori giornalieri potrebbero variare in base al tuo fabbisogno calorico.
Storage and Tips
Fresh green egg pasta sheets are one of the most recognizable features of Lasagne alla Bolognese. If you can’t find them easily, you can use regular fresh egg pasta sheets instead. The result will still be delicious, although it will be a little less faithful to the traditional version.
Lasagne are also perfect for making ahead. You can keep them in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, well covered.
For longer storage, you can freeze them. They can be frozen either before baking or after they have already been cooked. In both cases, make sure they are well protected from air and use a gradual cooking or reheating process.
One last tip: don’t rush the ragù. The slow cooking is what transforms the meat, vegetables, and tomatoes into the rich, deep-flavored sauce that makes these lasagne so special.