Discover the comforting charm of this authentic homemade lasagna/lasagne, the classic Italian baked pasta dish loved around the world. Whether you spell it lasagna (the familiar American version) or lasagne (the traditional Italian and British spelling), the result is the same: beautifully layered pasta sheets, a rich slow-cooked meat sauce, silky béchamel, and a golden, bubbling cheese topping that fills your kitchen with irresistible aromas.
This recipe brings together simple, honest ingredients to create a dish that’s deeply satisfying and always a crowd-pleaser. Each layer offers a perfect balance of tender pasta, savoury ragù, and creamy sauce, making every bite warm and comforting. Ideal for family dinners, special occasions, or make-ahead meals, this lasagna/lasagne is easy to prepare, rewarding to serve, and even better the next day.
However you choose to spell it, this is the kind of timeless comfort food you’ll come back to again and again.
Equipment
- 1 Pasta Machine optional if you choose to make your own
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 500 grams Minced Beef or beef/pork mix
- 1 whole onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 800 grams tomatoes canned, crushed or chopped
- 150 ml red wine optional
- 2 tsp oregano dried
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 whole bell peppers chopped, red, green or mixed
For the béchamel:
- 60 gr butter
- 60 gr flour
- 750 ml milk
- 100 gr ricotta cheese
- pinch nutmeg optional
- salt and pepper to taste
For assembling:
- 300 gr lasagne sheets (fresh or dried)
- 250 gr mozzarella grated
- 60 gr parmesan grated
Instructions
Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
- Add the onions, peppers and cook 5 to 7 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute mixing the garlic well in the other ingredients.
- Add the minced beef and cook until browned.
- Stir in tomato paste; cook for 1 minute.
- optional: Add wine and simmer 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano add salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer uncovered for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce is a bit thick, you can add more crushed tomatoes if you desire a more liquid sauce. The béchamel will give a creamy consistency.
Béchamel Sauce:
- Melt butter in a saucepan.
- Add flour and whisk for 1–2 minutes (don’t let it brown).
- Slowly add milk while whisking.
- Cook until smooth and thickened.
- Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper.
- fold in the ricotta cheese.
Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Add a thin layer of ragù → lasagne sheets → béchamel → mozzarella.
- Repeat 3–4 layers.
- I like to end my assembly with the meat sauce topped with mozzarella. You may wish to end on the béchamel layer. Your choice.
Bake:
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Fresh lasagna sheets cook faster, so if using dried pasta, tastes the pasta is tender.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Very important for that photo moment.
Options:
- Remove the beef and your favorite veggies to make a meatless version.
- or replace beef and tomato ingredients add seafood or shrimp, crab or lobster and substitute the tomato sauce with cream.