I had no idea that when I was marrying my husband I was in fact marrying a pasta fiend. Truly.
My husband can have spaghetti alla whatever every other night, and lasagna the next night. I, on the other hand, am not into pasta as much as he is. Nobody is into pasta as much as he is. Italians, maybe.
The first time I made him Lasagna Bolognese he gasped when I told him that this lasagna is without ricotta. He was confused because he comes from the belief that you shouldn’t play with good food; you should leave the classics as they are. I explained to him that this was indeed a classic and that it came from a different part of town called Bologna. Nervously, he accepted his piece of the pie…
And he was glad he did.
He thought he was going to miss that ricotta, but one bite into this lasagna and the hubs was happy to admit that this was a fantastic dish and it would have to make an appearance again. And indeed it has. Many, many times.
Before you begin, I should tell you that this dish takes time. You will have to pay attention to a couple of pots at once. You will also need to set aside a good two hours to get it all done. But, as always, it will all be worth it in the end.
ENJOY!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium sized carrots , sliced into thin rounds
- 2 small yellow onions , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 fresh tomatoes , diced
- 2 to 4 tablespoons butter
- 9 to 12 lasagna noodles , cooked according to the directions on the package
- Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Add sliced carrots and chopped onions and cook for 3 minutes; mix in the minced garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add in meat and cook until browned, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the wine and continue to cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, bring to a boil, then lower heat and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a 2.5 quart pan.
- Whisk in flour and pour in the milk; continue to whisk until it starts to boil.
- Season with salt and pepper, lower heat to a simmer and cover; continue to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper.
- If it seems too thick, add 1/4 cup more milk; if it's too runny, return to heat and add a tablespoon of butter and whisk in a tablespoon of flour. Set aside until ready to use.
- Cook the lasagna noodles.
- Grease an 8x11 lasagna dish with butter.
- Spread 1/4-cup of bechamel on the bottom of the dish.
- Layer 3 to 4 lasagna noodles.
- Spoon some meat sauce on top of noodles; then spoon some bechamel sauce on top of meat.
- Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese and dot with butter.
- Repeat the layers until all the ingredients have been used up, ending with bechamel sauce for the top layer.
- Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until browned on top and bubbly.
- Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is my favorite sauce. Tastes great over vegies with dinner and is super fast and easy to make!
I agree that bechamel is so the best way to go when it comes to lasagna, the first time i made it for my mom and my boyfriend, my mom literally threw her lasagna recipe away! WOW!
in my bechamel sauce, i add smoe freshly grated nutmeg and some cayenne. the nutmeg really makes it EXTRA delicious 🙂 i also agree red wine in a sauce is amazing. have you ever used oven ready noodles? not only are they so easy, but i feel they make the lasagna extra creamy! and lastly, the tomato sauce i make for my lasagne takes about 4 hours, so when i make it, i make a day of it. i end up making at least 2 and freezing all but that nights. it freezes very well, tastes very fresh when cooked and is an amazing timesaver!
Hi, Erin!
Thanks for sharing your bechamel recipe! I am definitely going to add some nutmeg and cayenne the next time around!
What’s your tomato sauce recipe? 😉
I have yet to use oven ready noodles, but a lot of people say that they are great!
Thank you for using bechamel! Nothing makes a lasagna better than bechamel! BTW have you ever tried substituting white wine with red? I find it improves the sauce by a lot!
I will most definitely try it with red wine – thank you for the suggestion Pola!! xo
I might be as much into pasta as your hubby… A good lasagna is even better the next day, and I can probably eat it three days in a row. And a well made bechamel is out of this world. Gorgeous lasagna and pics kate!
Lasagna with ricotta is forbidden at my house :). Besciamella is the only way to go. We are from Reggio Emilia 🙂 and pasta at my household would be enjoyed for breakfast if I allowed it … 🙂
Pasta for breakfast? Oh my husband would love to live with you!! 🙂
Ciao!!
I could probably be just as much of a pasta fiend as your hubby. There was a time I was eating it every night. Then I quickly learned that it was not good for the waste line. Perhaps if I could stick to the recommended serving size, but that never happens. This looks fabulous and no doubt I would not stick to one piece of this either. 🙂
Yummo Kate! This is our household favourite.
One of my sister-in-laws is Italian so pasta is consumed quite a bit. She is a brilliant cook, however by the look of your photos and recipe, your lasagna looks even better. 😉
Goce is one lucky man.:-)
Dreamy Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce, Kate! Mmmmm… Lovely food photography, too!
Thank you so much, Stacy!! xo
Lasagna bolognese with bechamel is the best!! Your husband is a lucky guy :).
lovely! its perfect weather for lasgana! I’m a really big pasta fan as well. 🙂 Happy New Year Kate!
I am not a huge pasta person, but I do enjoy it of course:-) My hubby adores when I make lasagna for him. I bet I would rock his world with this amazing recipe. I freaking love the bechamel sauce, so creamy dreamy!! Hugs, Terra
Gurrrrl, I can eat that bechamel by the spoonful… love that stuff!! 🙂
HUGS! xoxo
Your photos look wonderful–I love all the textures.
I don’t have fresh tomatoes, and won’t for another 5-6 months probably. I do have some slow roasted tomatoes I’ve put up–since the tomatoes are simmered then baked anyway, do you think they’d substitute?
Thanks!
Your roasted tomatoes would be that much better in this sauce! All you need to measure out is about a cup, more or less, of tomatoes.
Thanks, Kirsten! Have a great Sunday!
My hubby loves pasta too. Now if he saw this gorgeous lasagna he would beg me to make it for him. I have never tried it with bechamel sauce… Looks like it’s time I tried it. 🙂