Description
This authentic Italian lasagne features layers of rich tomato meat sauce, creamy white sauce, and melted mozzarella, perfect for a family Sunday feast.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 800g canned tomato puree
- 400g minced meat (pork and beef) or 400g pork ribs
- 3 Italian sausages
- 1/2 carrot, finely chopped
- 1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 400ml water
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Chili pepper, optional
- 500g dried lasagne sheets
- 500g mozzarella cheese, sliced
For the white sauce
- 100g butter
- 100g all-purpose flour
- 1 liter milk
- Nutmeg, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Make the meat sauce: heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and chili (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced meat and sausages, breaking them up with a spoon, and cook until the meat has changed color. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and water, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water if the sauce dries out. If using pork ribs, remove the bones before assembling the lasagne.
- Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste (this is your roux). In a separate pot, bring the milk just to a boil. Remove the roux from the heat and pour the hot milk over it in a thin stream, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Return to medium heat, add a grating of nutmeg and a pinch of salt, and continue whisking until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens to a creamy consistency, about 5 minutes. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Make the fresh pasta: place the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Add the beaten eggs and gradually incorporate the flour with a fork, then knead with your hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to about 2 mm thick. Cut into rectangles roughly 10 x 15 cm (4 x 6 inches).
- Par-cook the pasta: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of iced water. Cook the pasta sheets in batches for 3 minutes each, then lift out with tongs and transfer immediately to the iced water to stop the cooking. Drain on clean kitchen towels.
- Assemble the lasagne: spread a thin layer of meat sauce and béchamel over the base of a 40 x 30 cm (16 x 12 inch) baking dish. Lay a single layer of pasta sheets over the base. Add a ladleful of meat sauce, a ladleful of béchamel, a scatter of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano. Repeat the layers until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a generous layer of béchamel, mozzarella, and an extra sprinkle of Parmigiano (more Parmigiano on top means a crispier crust).
- Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 45–55 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Let the lasagne rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing and serving — this allows the layers to settle and makes it much easier to cut.
Notes
- You can replace the fresh pasta with good-quality dried lasagne sheets to save time — if you do, make the meat sauce and béchamel slightly more liquid so the dried sheets absorb enough moisture during baking.
- The lasagne is even better the next day, reheated in a low oven.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 60