Best 11 Lasagna Bolognese Recipes

PERFECT LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Pour white wine into the Dutch oven; cook until alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer Bolognese sauce, stirring occasionally and skimming fat off the surface, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce looks dry.
• Stir heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk into the Bolognese sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over very low heat until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms; cook and stir until paste turns a golden sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk 4 cups milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until bechamel sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg; discard bay leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna sheet; prick in several places with a paring knife. Spread 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and 1/2 cup Bolognese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat layers 7 times with remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 15 minutes.

BECHAMEL SAUCE FOR LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy-bottom, medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes; do not let roux brown.
• Whisking constantly, add about 2 tablespoons hot milk to saucepan.
• Pour half of the remaining hot milk into the saucepan in small increments, whisking the mixture constantly, until a smooth paste forms.
• Whisk remaining milk into pan; add nutmeg and salt. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure to scrape bottom and sides, until sauce is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes; if any lumps form, stir sauce rapidly with a whisk. Season with pepper; remove from heat. Let sauce stand until lukewarm, about 30 minutes, before assembling lasagna.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid.
• Finely chop the porcini and white mushrooms in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, parsley and prosciutto to the processor; pulse until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook the ground beef and pork in batches, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add the wine to the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Add the liquid to the bowl with the meat.
• Melt the butter in the pot; add the onion, chopped carrot mixture, the rosemary, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.
• Return the meat mixture to the pot. Add the cognac and scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Crush the tomatoes with your hands over the pot and add with their juices. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 hours, 30 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, whisking, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking, 10 more minutes.
• Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a wide saucepan. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Line a baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel. Working in batches, boil the pasta until partially cooked, about 4 minutes, then remove with a skimmer and transfer to the ice water to cool. Remove the pasta sheets, shake off the excess water and arrange in a single layer on the towel. Cover the pasta with another damp towel.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a deep 11-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter. Spread 1/2 cup ragu in the pan. Cover with a layer of pasta, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmesan and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 1/2 cups ragu over the cheese and top with 1 cup bechamel. Repeat with 3 more layers each of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, ragu and bechamel. Top with a layer of pasta, then cover with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Tuck the edges of the pasta into the baking dish with a knife.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet to catch any drips; bake until bubbly and golden, about 40 minutes. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Up to two days ahead
• Make the Bolognese sauce Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, and vegetables; cook, breaking up ground meat with a spoon, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and meat is well browned, 25-30 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Add wine to pot and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 cups broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, adding water by 1/2-cupfuls if sauce looks dry, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, 2 1/2-3 hours.
• Let sauce cool, then cover and chill at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. (Letting the sauce sit will give it a deeper, richer flavor.)
• Up to one day ahead
• Make the fresh pasta dough Whisk salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and crack eggs into well. Mix eggs with a fork, then slowly mix in flour until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if sticky, until smooth, about 5 minutes (it will be fairly stiff). Wrap in plastic; let sit until dough holds an indentation when pressed, 1-2 hours.
• Chill dough if you are not rolling it out right away. Bring to room temperature before rolling out, about 1 hour.
• Make the noodles Set pasta maker to thickest setting; dust lightly with flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping remaining dough wrapped in plastic as you work, flatten dough into a narrow rectangle (no wider than mouth of machine); pass through rollers . Fold dough as needed to fit and run through again. Repeat without folding, adjusting machine to thinner settings after every pass and dusting with flour if sticky, until pasta sheet is 1/16" thick (setting 8 on most machines). Place pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut crosswise into 16 8"-long noodles.
• If making noodles ahead, stack on a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.
• Make the béchamel Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk, 1/2-cupful at a time. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until the consistency of cream, 8-10 minutes; add nutmeg and season with salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a medium bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto surface; let cool slightly. Chill if not using right away.
• Day of
• Reheat the sauces Combine Bolognese sauce and remaining 1 cup broth in a large saucepan over medium heat, and heat until sauce is warmed through.
• Meanwhile, if you made the béchamel ahead of time, heat in a medium saucepan over low heat just until warmed through (you don't want to let it boil).
• Cook the noodles Working in batches, cook fresh lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just softened, about 10 seconds. Remove carefully with tongs and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain noodles and stack on a baking sheet, with paper towels between each layer, making sure noodles don't touch (they'll stick together).
• Assemble the lasagna Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13x9" baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup béchamel in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread over a scant 3/4 cup Bolognese sauce, then 1/2 cup béchamel, and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat process 7 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmesan, for a total of 8 layers. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50-60 minutes. Let lasagna sit 45 minutes before serving.
• Lasagna can be assembled 12 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before baking. Cook, covered with foil until the last 20 minutes, then finish cooking uncovered.

OLD SCHOOL LASAGNA WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tomato Sauce:
• In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. When it turns light brown, add the thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the basil leaves and shut off the heat to allow the sauce to "rest."
• Pasta: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt and the lasagna sheets. Cook for 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Divide the tomato sauce in half and reserve half for the Bolognese and half for the lasagna.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Spoon a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta and another thin layer of sauce. Repeat the layering process 2 more times. It is important there be remaining cheese and sauce for the top. Cook's Note: I love to get a corner piece from the pan and pick at the crispy edges of the top layer. When you finish, there should be 4 layers of pasta and 5 layers of filling.
• Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake until the top browns slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.
• Make the Bolognese while the lasagna is baking:
• In a large wide pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Set the pot back over the heat and add a little more olive oil. Add carrots, onion and celery. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot, then add the reserved 1/2 recipe of tomato sauce. Cover slightly and simmer for 20 minutes.
• When done, finish with milk, taste, season and serve, spooned over the lasagna.

TRADITIONAL LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring sauce to room temperature. In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Chill filling until ready to assemble lasagna.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 11-by-14-by-3-inch lasagna baking pan. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add olive oil and remaining tablespoon of salt. One at a time, add lasagna noodles; cook until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the manufacturer's instructions. Remove noodles with tongs; drain in a colander.
• Spread about 3 cups of sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place a single layer of lasagna noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly. Spread about 2 cups sauce over the noodles and about half the ricotta filling mixture over the sauce.
• Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, again slightly overlapping them. Repeat with more sauce and remaining ricotta filling mixture. Top with a final layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a layer of sauce over the noodles, and finish with a layer of sliced mozzarella rounds.
• Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, at least 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil if the cheese starts to brown too early. Let the lasagna stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

INCREDIBLE LASAGNA W/ BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Grease a ceramic 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter and set aside (this is so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom, and it works better than putting sauce down, and tastes great, too).
• Boil lasagna shells until al dente (look at directions on package), unless you're using the ready to bake type.
• Arrange pasta into single layer in pan, cutting and patching to fit as needed.
• Carefully top with a thin layer of bolognese (about 1 1/2 cups). Sprinkle liberally with parmiggiano cheese.
• Arrange another layer of pasta on top, covering with bechamel (about 1 1/3 cup) and sprinkle again with parmiggiano cheese.
• Repeat layers until you have at least 3 layers of bolognese and bechamel, then finish with another cup of the reserved bolognese, and finally top with parmigianno.
• Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 50 minutes.
• Let rest about 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with any remaining bolognese on the side.

SUSAN'S DELICIOUS LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• First make the Bolognese Sauce:.
• Brown and drain grease from the ground beef, ground pork and sausage in a large saute pan. Break up all lumps with spoon.
• Add in 2 T butter and 1 T olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the wine and stir and then simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced.
• Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of beef stock and bring to a boil. Stir the sauce well, then lower heat and half cover pan with lid and simmer gently for 2 hours. Stir occasionally during this time and add more stock as it becomes absorbed.
• Pour the cream into the sauce, stir well to mix, then simmer without lid for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• AT THIS STAGE -- YOU CAN SERVE THIS OVER THICK PASTA. FOR LASAGNA BOLOGNESE -- CONTINUE WITH RECIPE.
• Preheat oven to 375. If the bolognese sauce is cold, reheat it. Stir in enough stock to make it runny, if necessary.
• Make the white sauce by melting 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the hot milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste, whisk well, then remove from heat.
• Spread 1/3 of Bolognese sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Cover the Bolognese sauce in the base of the dish with 1/4 white sauce, followed by 4 sheets of lasagna. Repeat the layers twice more, then cover the top layer of lasagna with the remaining white sauce and sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pasta feels tender when pierced with a fork. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
• While the water comes to a boil, prepare the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1/3 cup parsley, cream, beaten egg and nutmeg. Fold in 2 cups mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Once the water comes to a boil, season it generously with salt, then cook the noodles just until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. (The noodles shouldn't be fully cooked so they hold up after baking.) Transfer the cooked noodles to a colander and rinse immediately under cold water. Drizzle with oil immediately and toss to coat to prevent sticking.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon about 1 cup sauce into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Top with one layer of lasagna noodles, trimming the noodles as needed. (They can overlap slightly, but should be trimmed if the overlap is significant.) Dollop a heaping 3/4 cup ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, and spread in an even layer. Pour 1 cup sauce on top, and spread in an even layer. Repeat with 3 more layers of noodles, ricotta and sauce. Top with one final layer of noodles, then a final layer of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella, then the Parmesan.
• Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil on the top rack until browned in spots, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, then let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA WITH PESTO BECHAMEL AND TURKEY BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bolognese Pasta Sauce: In food processor or blender, puree onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.
• Cover bottom of heavy saucepan with olive oil, saute veggies in hot oil approximately 15 min.
• Add turkey and saute until done; season with S&P.
• Pour in white wine and deglaze until wine evaporates; pour in can of paste and stir in 4 cans of water.
• Add fresh parsley and simmer partially covered until thickened, approximately 1 hour.
• Pesto: Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
• Set aside.
• Bechamel: Melt butter in small saucepan, stir in flour and cook 5 minutes until mixture just starts to color.
• Pour in milk, S&P, and stir until thickened, approximately 10 minutes.
• Stir 1 cup pesto sauce into Bechamel.
• Assemble lasagna: (the secret is to apply thin layers of sauce), in a baking dish approximately 11 X 13 place: 1st layer: Bolognese sauce, 2nd layer: lasagna sheets, 3rd layer: Bechamel/pesto sauce, 4th layer: Bolognese sauce, 5th layer: parmesan cheese, Repeat layers 2 through 5 until baking pan is filled.
• Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 50 to 60 minutes covered with aluminum foil.
• NOTES: An option would be to layer with spinach, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, or any single or combination of vegetables along with the Bolognese meat sauce or a simple marinara sauce.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the water is boiling, stir in the lasagna noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Drizzle the cooked noodles with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.
• Place the tomatoes, juice and all, into the work bowl of a food processor and pulse to puree, about 1 minute. Set the tomatoes aside. Place the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, sage, and rosemary into the food processor, and pulse several times, until the vegetables are minced.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat until smoking hot, and add the minced vegetables. Reduce heat to medium, and cook and stir until the vegetables have softened and are just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and Italian sausage, and brown the meat, breaking it apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. When the meat is no longer pink, stir in the flour, and cook and stir about 2 more minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced, about 15 minutes. Pour the pureed tomatoes, cream, Parmesan cheese, and cinnamon into the meat sauce, bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Set the sauce aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, eggs, 3/4 pound of shredded mozzarella cheese, and kosher salt and pepper. Reserve 1/4 pound of mozzarella for topping.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• To make the lasagna, lay about 4 noodles in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, running the long way, and slightly overlap them to cover the bottom completely. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, and top with 1/4 of the meat sauce. Top with a second layer of noodles, running the short way. Top the second layer with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1/4 of the meat sauce as before; make a 3rd layer of noodles, the last third of the ricotta mixture, and 1/4 of the meat sauce. Place one more layer of noodles, and top with the last 1/4 of the meat sauce. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella cheese over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 45 to 55 minutes. Let the lasagna stand about 5 minutes before serving.