Lasagna recipe: How to make lasagna at home (2 hours)

Italian Lasagna Recipe at Home

Introducing lasagna recipes. Lasagna is an Italian dish, a pasta dish with layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese. Today, we're going to show you how to make a simple lasagna using store-bought tomato sauce. The rich, savory ragu and savory béchamel sauce combine to create a lasagna that looks like something you'd find in an Italian restaurant. Invite family and friends over for a great home party with this homemade lasagna.

What is lasagna?

Lasagna is an Italian dish made of wide, flat pasta noodles stacked in multiple layers and baked in the oven with layers of meat sauce, tomato sauce, béchamel sauce (white sauce), cheese, and more. Lasagna is both a type of pasta and a name for a dish made with a combination of these ingredients.

A traditional dish from central Italy, lasagna has slightly different ingredients and recipes in each region, but the most common form is the Bolognese Lasagnawhich features a ragu sauce made with minced beef and pork and rich cheese. The dish has a deep, rich flavor from the layers of ingredients that come together during the long baking time.

Lasagna has rich flavors and textures that make it a main dish in its own right, but it's also a favorite for home parties and special occasions. In addition to traditional lasagna, it's a flexible dish that can be made in many variations, including vegetarian lasagna using only vegetables and seafood.
For more information about lasagna, see Wikipediafor more information.

Recipe: Lasagna

Ingredients (per serving, I made this for 10 people)

• Lasagna noodles
• 3 cheeses: cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and mozzarella
• Ragu sauce ingredients:
  • 120 g ground pork, 280 g ground beef
  • olive oil, 1/6 onion (diced), 1 T minced garlic
  • 120 ml commercial tomato sauce, 1 bay leaf
  • Pinch of salt (taste and adjust), pepper (optional: 1 T dried parsley, 1 T dried basil)
• Ingredients for the béchamel sauce:
  • 10 g butter, 10 g flour
  • 100 ml milk, a pinch of salt (taste and adjust)

The process of making lasagna

Making Ragu Sauce

• In a pan with a generous amount of olive oil (about 1 T per serving, or 5 T for 10 servings), saute the pork (120 g) over high heat. Sauté until the meat is browned on all sides.

• Add 1/6 of a chopped onion (onion chop) and 1 T minced garlic, and sauté until the onion is translucent.

• Add the ground beef (280 g) and sauté until the moisture from the meat has evaporated.

• Add 120 ml of commercial tomato sauce, 1 bay leaf, 1 T dry parsley, and 1 T dry basil (optional) and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

• The sauce may splatter during the boiling process. It will be very hot, so be careful. Season with salt and pepper to taste to finish the ragu sauce.

Make the béchamel sauce

• Melt 10 grams of butter over low heat and add 10 grams of flour to make a roux.

• Once the flour is golden, pour in 100 ml of milk a little at a time, stirring quickly.

• Once smooth and creamy, add more salt to taste and strain the mixture into a thick cream soup.

• Cover the sauce with a thin layer of olive oil on a piece of plastic until ready to use. This will prevent it from clumping.

How to make lasagna

• Grease an ovenproof dish with olive oil.

• Spread a thin layer of ragu sauce and place lasagna noodles on top.

• Layer the béchamel sauce, followed by the ragu sauce and cheese. Repeat layers 2-4: lasagna noodles>béchamel>ragu>cheese.

• Top the final layer with cheese and bake in a preheated 200 degree oven for 25 minutes. (Time may vary slightly depending on oven performance; use 25 minutes as a guide and add a minute or two based on color).

Substitutions and cooking tips

• You can use the lasagna noodles right away, but cook them in hot water for 3-5 minutes to soak up the sauce.
• You can also use chicken instead of beef in the ragu sauce.
• Grated nutmeg can be added to béchamel sauce to help counteract the floury odor. However, it can cause toxic side effects, so be sure to stick to the dosage (7.5 grams or less).
• Lightly blanch the lasagna noodles for 3-5 minutes to make them easier to layer.
• Lasagna is best served after it's cooled and reheated, as the noodles will absorb the sauce better.
• Try making a large batch at once and freezing it in smaller portions.
• If you're feeling a little bored with the flavor, try adding some Tabasco sauce. It'll make your lasagna even more flavorful.

About the products used in your dish

• Cheddar cheese: It adds a deep savory flavor to lasagna. 👉 See products
• Tomato sauce: This is the default source for easy use. 👉 See products
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: Parmesan cheese for extra flavor 👉 See products
• Olive oil: Essentials to bring out the flavors of your ingredients 👉 See products

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