🇮🇹 Lasagna Bolognese

Lasagna Bolognese is layers of slow-cooked ragù, silky béchamel, thin egg pasta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. In Bologna, there is no ricotta and no mozzarella. The béchamel is what makes it creamy, and the ragù is simmered for hours.

Ingredients

• 300 g Ground Beef
• 300 g Ground Pork
• 100 g Pancetta
• 1 Onion, minced
• 1 Carrot, minced
• 1 Celery stalk, minced
• 1 cup Wine
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 400 g San Marzano Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 50 g Butter
• 50 g Flour
• 750 ml Milk
• 12–15 Lasagna Sheets
• 150 g Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

1. Render pancetta. Add soffritto and cook 10 min.
2. Brown meat. Pour in wine and reduce.
3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, and milk. Simmer 1.5–2 hours.
4. Make béchamel: butter, flour, warm milk, salt, nutmeg.
5. Layer béchamel, pasta, ragù, béchamel, Parmigiano. Repeat 4–5 times.
6. Bake at 180°C for 35–40 min.
7. Rest 15 min before slicing.

History

Lasagna has been made in Italy since antiquity — the ancient Romans made a layered dish called lasanum, and the modern version evolved through the Middle Ages and Renaissance. But the specific version known as lasagna Bolognese is a product of the 19th and 20th centuries, developed in the Emilia-Romagna region around Bologna. The defining feature is the use of béchamel rather than ricotta — a French-influenced technique that entered Italian cooking in the 18th century when French chefs worked in Italian noble households. In 2003, the Italian Academy of Cuisine registered the official recipe for lasagna Bolognese, which specifies béchamel, ragù, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, with no ricotta or mozzarella allowed.

The science

Lasagna Bolognese is a study in layering — not just of ingredients, but of textures and flavours. The ragù is simmered for at least two hours, during which the collagen in the meat breaks down into gelatin and the tomatoes concentrate. The béchamel provides a creamy counterpoint and, more importantly, absorbs the liquid that would otherwise pool at the bottom of the dish. The pasta sheets need to be thin — thick sheets throw the ratio of pasta to filling out of balance. And the rest before serving is essential: it allows the layers to settle and the béchamel to firm up, so the lasagna slices cleanly instead of collapsing into a puddle.

Substitutions

Ground beef and pork are traditional, but you can use all beef, all pork, or a mix that includes veal or lamb. Pancetta adds depth but can be omitted. For a vegetarian version, use a mushroom ragù with dried porcini for umami. Fresh egg pasta sheets are traditional, but no-boil dried sheets work fine — they just need a little more béchamel and a slightly longer bake. The Parmigiano-Reggiano is expensive; grana padano is a good, less expensive substitute. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta sheets and a cornstarch-thickened béchamel.

Chef's tip

Resting is not optional — it sets the layers so they slice cleanly.

Drink pairing

Chianti Classico. The bright acidity and firm tannins cut through the richness of the ragù and béchamel, and the wine’s cherry-and-herb notes match the tomatoes and herbs in the sauce.