Authentic Italian Lasagna
Looking to make one of the most iconic dishes entirely from scratch? Immerse yourself in this step-by-step guide to making authentic Italian lasagna, and you’ll become an expert in no time.
Servings: 18 servings (two 9” x 9” or 23 x 23 cm pans)
Calories: 392kcal
Ingredients
For Bolognese Ragu
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup finely diced carrots
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 ¼ cups full bodied dry red wine (like Shiraz)
- 84 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
- black pepper to taste
- Morton kosher salt to taste
For Pasta Sheets
- 3 ¼ cups 00' soft wheat flour
- 4.2 ounces whole eggs (2 - 3 large eggs)
- 3.2 ounces egg yolks (6 - 7 yolks)
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- semolina flour for dusting
For Béchamel Sauce
- 6 cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Lasagna Assembly
- 2 ½ cups finely shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
For Bolognese Ragu
- Add butter to a heavy bottom saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add carrots and onion, and cook until softened. Remove cooked carrots and onions from the saucepan, and set aside.
- To the same saucepan, add ground pork, and cook on medium high heat breaking up the pork into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned on all sides.
- Pour the cooked carrots, onions, and wine into the saucepan with the cooked pork. Cook the wine until no liquid remains. As the wine reduces (cooks), scrape off any browned pieces of food on the bottom of the pan (this adds extra flavor to the sauce).
- Crush the canned tomatoes with your hands directly into the saucepan. Add in any leftover tomato juice still in the can to the saucepan. Turn heat to medium low. Simmer partially covered until reduced by 50%. Stir occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn't burn. If you notice the sauce bubbling too intensely, turn down the heat slightly.
- Once cooked down, taste and season with black pepper and Morton kosher salt to taste.
For Pasta Sheets
- Add 00' flour, whole eggs, egg yolks, and fine sea salt to a mixing bowl. Using clean hands, mix the ingredients together just until a shaggy dough forms.
- Pour the shaggy dough onto a clean work surface, and gently knead/pat the excess flour together to form one solid dough.
- Shape the pasta dough into a square. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and allow to rest until you touch the dough and it has slightly softened, about 35–45 minutes.
- Cut the dough into 12 equally sized pieces. Use your hands or a rolling pin to slightly flatten the pasta dough so it can fit into the widest setting of the pasta machine. Dust each side of the pasta with semolina to ensure it doesn’t stick.
- Pass the pasta dough through the widest setting on the pasta machine. Fold each side of the pasta to the middle, then pass the pasta dough through the widest setting again.
- Reduce the pasta machine width setting by one, then continue to pass the pasta through the machine. Continue flattening the pasta, reducing the setting by one, until it reaches a thick medium setting, about 1 mm thick (for me, setting 4). You can add additional semolina flour throughout this process if the dough starts to get sticky.
- You should be left with 12 long pieces of pasta (about 12 inches or 30 cm long by 3 inches or 8 cm wide). Layer pasta sheets in between semolina flour, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
For Béchamel Sauce
- Cook milk in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until steaming, about 6–7 minutes. Whisk in nutmeg.
- In a separate pot, melt butter over low heat. Once completely melted, whisk in flour, and cook while whisking for 2 minutes. Turn heat to medium, and gradually ladle in the hot milk while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Continue to cook until the bechamel thickens and no lumps remain. Season with salt and pepper.
For Lasagna Assembly
- Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread ½ cup béchamel in the bottom of two 9” x 9” (23 x 23 cm) baking dishes. Top with a layer of pasta sheets. You can trim the pasta sheets with kitchen scissors or a chef’s knife so they fit the length and width of the baking dishes. Spread a little over ½ cup of the bolognese sauce over the pasta sheets on each baking dish, then a little over ½ cup of the béchamel sauce, and top with ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Repeat the process 2 more times, starting with the pasta sheets and ending with parmesan, for a total of 3 layers. For the top layer of cheese, use ½ cup of parmesan. Make sure all of the pasta is covered with the bolognese sauce and béchamel so the pasta fully cooks.
- Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, and allow to cook for an additional 15–20 minutes until bubbling and browned on top. Let lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Make Ahead: Make the entire lasagna up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it in the oven.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
Freezer Storage: Freeze uncooked lasagna by covering the lasagna with foil and allowing it to sit in the freezer, just until frozen. To prevent freezer burn, vacuum seal the lasagna (with the foil still on top). This will last up to 1 month in the freezer.
When you’re ready to serve, allow the lasagna to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours. Then cook according to the instructions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 699mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1294IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 328mg | Iron: 3mg
