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Classic Lasagna is built from simple layers: pasta sheets, a slow-simmered meat sauce, creamy Béchamel, and plenty of melted cheese. It’s the kind of dinner that fills the house with good smells and feeds everyone well – leftovers included.
What’s to love
- Flexible, not fussy: Make it with or without ricotta, depending on what’s in the fridge and what your family likes. Both versions are simple, with no guesswork or extra steps.
- Worth the time you give it: This isn’t a shortcut lasagna, but it’s not complicated either. The meat sauce takes time, not attention – it cooks while other things get done, and the payoff is a pan of food that actually feels like a job well done.
- Everything in one place: The full recipe for the entire Lasagna is right in the recipe card below. No bouncing between posts, no half instructions. But if you do need more guidance, you’ll find extra tips for the Bolognese and the Béchamel.
Lasagna like this isn’t an everyday dinner – it’s for Sundays, special evenings, or days when a little extra effort makes the whole week easier. It feeds a crowd, reheats well, and feels solid and comforting in a way only a real home-cooked meal can. This is food meant to be eaten at a kitchen table, not fussed over – reliable, filling, and made with care.
Printable Recipe Card
Ingredients
Bolognese sauce (meat sauce):
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped (about 1 cup))
- 2 medium carrots (very finely diced (about ¾ cup))
- 2 sticks celery (very finely diced (about ¾ cup))
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar (as needed)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Béchamel (white sauce):
- 8 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup flour (measure correctly! spoon flour into measuring cup, then level with the back of a knife. Otherwise you will end up with way too much flour!)
- 5 cups milk ((start with 4-½ cups if you're adding the ricotta))
- 1 cup grated Parmesan (reduce to ½ cup if using ricotta)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg or more to taste
- salt and pepper to taste (use enough salt, or the sauce will be bland; salt after adding cheese)
To assemble Lasagna:
- 1 (16-oz) box oven-ready lasagna sheets (may not need all; but better safe than sorry (I used 20 Lasagna noodles for my Lasagna))
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus more to sprinkle between layers if desired)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (to serve (optional))
Tips
- Make sure to allow enough time to complete all of the components you need to assemble the lasagna. Especially the meat sauce will take a few hours to cook, and it’s best to allow it to cool before layering the lasagna.
- Make sure you remember to set aside 1 cup of the Béchamel sauce before layering the casserole. You need this to cover the final layer of lasagna noodles. For some reason I was always short on sauce for the top, no matter how careful I tried to measure. Now I always set some aside first. It’s important to have enough sauce for the final layer, otherwise the top of the lasagna will be dry.
- Do not skip the resting time after baking, otherwise your Lasagna may fall apart when serving.
Instructions
- Prep:As a timeline, you'll first get your Bolognese sauce going. This sauce needs to simmer for 1-2 hours to fully develop its flavor, so it's the first thing you'll want to make.Once your Bolognese sauce is done, you'll want to make your creamy white sauce – aka the Béchamel or Besciamella. The Bolognese will cool down as you make the white sauce, plus you will need to allow the Béchamel 15-20 minutes to cool down as well before you can assemble and bake your Lasagna.Get your ingredients ready.
Make Bolognese sauce (meat sauce):
- Heat olive oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté slowly until onion has fully softened, about 8-10 minutes.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots, 2 sticks celery, 3 cloves garlic
- Add ground beef and sausage and brown over medium-high heat, breaking up meat as it cooks.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until tomato paste has roasted and smells flavorful (do not burn!).¼ cup tomato paste, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Pour in red wine, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Simmer until wine has reduced by ⅓ (do not simmer any longer, or wine may become too acidic).1 cup red wine
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, add bay leaves. Bring to a boil once, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid.Simmer sauce covered for 1-2 hours, then remove lid and simmer for 15 more minutes, until rich and thick. Season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool to room temperature.1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper
Make Béchamel (white sauce):
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat (saucepan needs to hold at least 2 quart).Whisk flour into butter and cook, whisking constantly, for 2-4 minutes. Flour must not brown.8 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup flour
- Gradually whisk milk into flour/butter mixture, do not allow lumps to form. Once all milk has been added, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce has thickened, whisking constantly (if sauce hasn't thickened after 5 minutes, heat setting is too low – increase a little until sauce is just bubbling and thickens).Note: If you added too much flour, the sauce will be paste-like and you'll need to thin it out a little until it is creamy but thick. Do not add too much milk, or your Lasagna won't hold together. Make sure to measure your flour correctly initially!)5 cups milk
- Stir parmesan cheese and ricotta (if using) into the sauce, then season with ground nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg or more to taste, 1 cup grated Parmesan, 1 cup ricotta cheese, salt and pepper to taste
Assemble Lasagna:
- Heat oven to 360°F (180°C). Prepare Lasagna noodles according to package directions (some need to be soaked or boiled, others can be used dry.)Set aside 1 cup of the Béchamel sauce.1 (16-oz) box oven-ready lasagna sheets
- Spread a thin layer (a few tablespoons) of Béchamel sauce in a 9×13 inch (22cm x 33cm) casserole dish. Top with one layer of Lasagna noodles. Top with ⅓ of meat sauce. Top with ⅓ of remaining Béchamel sauce (sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, if desired).Repeat layers two more times (lasagna noodles – meat sauce – béchamel sauce; lasagna noodles – meat sauce – béchamel sauce).
- Add a final layer of lasagna noodles, then gently press down on the lasagna until the sauce comes up around the noodles (this helps the lasagna to stick together and just makes it that much better for some reason.)
- Top with the 1 cup of Béchamel sauce you set aside. Top with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and with 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese.1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake your Lasagna for 30-45 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top (check Lasagna noodle package for baking time required for your exact noodles).Allow the Lasagna to rest on a cooling rack on the counter for 15-20 minutes before slicing to serve. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if you like.2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Classic Lasagna
make your kitchen smell like home?Lasagna from Scratch FAQs
My lasagna has 4 layers of lasagna noodles and 4 layers of Béchamel sauce, and 3 layers of Bolognese sauce.
Many recipes use a thin layer of tomato sauce or meat sauce first, but my husband prefers a thin layer of Béchamel. This is the way he was taught when he trained to become a professional chef.
You want some sauce at the bottom of the dish so the bottom layer of lasagna noodles don’t dry out, and so they don’t stick and scorch to the dish. In my opinion, a layer of Bolognese sauce on the bottom is less convenient because it can make a huge mess when scooping the lasagna, and it will never cling to your noodles anyways.
A thin layer of Béchamel on the other hand clings to the noodles, keeps them from sticking to the dish and doesn’t make any big messes.
Yes, you can assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours ahead of baking it.
Allow both sauces to cool to room temperature before assembling your casserole. Tightly cover the dish with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.
Once ready to bake, heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Uncover the lasagna and allow it to sit on the counter while the oven pre-heats.
Once the oven is hot, place the dish with the lasagna on a baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 45-60 minutes, until piping hot and bubbly all the way through.
You should allow your lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing it to serve.
This will allow the sauces to firm up, and your Lasagna will come out less messy. Slices will actually hold together on plates vs collapsing into sloppy messes.
If your Lasagna is watery, it can be due to serval factors:
– You didn’t cook your meat sauce long enough, so it wasn’t thick enough when you added it to your casserole.
– You made your Béchamel too thin (do not alter the recipe in the card below, and make sure to carefully measure all ingredients).
– You didn’t fully drain your Lasagna noodles before adding them to the casserole.
– You didn’t let your Lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.
– Follow the layering process exactly to ensure your Lasagna layers will cling together.
– Make sure to allow the Lasagna to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
– Slice the Lasagna with a knife, not with a wooden spoon or spatula (use a blunt knife/butter knife! otherwise you’ll scratch your pan).
– Slide a thin offset spatula below the Lasagna slice to fully release it from the pan before lifting it out with our largest offset wooden/silicone spoon or spatula you own.
– Carefully place the slice on the wooden spoon on the plate at a slight angle (make sure the spoon rests on the plate). Use a knife or thin offset spatula to slowly slide the Lasagna off the spoon and onto the plate.
These detailed steps are making me sound completely insane, but that’s the exact process I go through to serve neat slices. So… Feel free to laugh at me, but this works ?
It depends on what you consider authentic – classic Italian recipes do not have ricotta cheese added. But most classic American recipes use ricotta cheese.
You can make this recipe both with or without ricotta. If you make the recipe without ricotta, it is a more classic Italian recipe. But like many people, we do like the taste of ricotta in Lasagna, so we mostly add it when making Lasagna.
Ricotta or not, the Béchamel sauce is a non-negotiable for us. A classic Lasagna just really goes well with the creamy texture the Béchamel adds, plus it helps it to hold together.
Lasagna has a lot of things going on, so other than maybe adding a vegetable or salad, you don’t really need anything (apart from garlic bread…)
A great side is a big leafy green salad with either balsamic vinaigrette or white balsamic vinaigrette.
A cucumber tomato salad is also delicious, or some simple vegetables like sautéed zucchini, sautéed green beans or air fryer asparagus.
More great sides
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Bernice says
Best lasagna ever!
M says
My go-to recipe, because once I tried this version I couldn’t go back to the “easier” recipe I’d been using previously. That said, this recipe is not a hard one at all, it just takes a little longer.
Challis Wagner says
I’ve never been a huge lasagna fan. When I read this recipe I knew it had to be good. It was even better than I expected. It’s now a regular meal.
Ant says
Absolutely the best lasagna I’ve ever made/had. Very happy family!!
Nora says
So glad to hear it, Ant!
Kate says
Can I bake this and then freeze it? I’d love to make it for my in laws in a week, freeze half of it and then thaw it for Christmas dinner a week later.
Nora says
Kate, I would highly recommend freezing it before baking.
Brenda says
Has anyone ever made this using GF no bake lasagna noodles? Husband is GF
Kate says
Yes! Use jovial brand noodles, family devoured it!
Britt says
A friend shared your recipe. The best lasagna my family and I have ever had. No restaurant has ever served something this good!! Substituted wine with sparkling grape juice and used turkey instead of beef.
Nora says
Oh Britt, I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks to your friend for sharing the recipe with you, and thanks to you for coming to leave such a kind review!
Sheryll Hunt says
I’ll never use another recipe. It’s perfection!
Mari Dominguez says
Excellent but next time I will add two cups of ricotta cheese to the Béchamel Sauce and more sauce to the Bolognese Sauce. I made it as usual in a large pan.
Trish says
So glad I made this. A lot of work (and expensive) but worth it. Wasn’t sure about the oven ready lasagna noodles. It didn’t seem like there was enough liquid to cook them but there was! So filling!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Trish! This Lasagna is such a labor of love, and it sure has a cost. But I’m so honored you decided to trust in my recipe anyway. Thank you for leaving such a sweet comment, too!
Elizabeth Craig says
Thank you for great detailed instructions. I was nervous when my béchamel wasn’t getting thick. I followed the recommendations and only minutes later; perfection. My family loved it. Delish
Patty says
I’m not a wine drinker, but I do know that if it’s not a wine you’d enjoy drinking it’s not good enough to cook with. What red wine do you use or recommend?
Nora says
Patty, I just realized I only put this in the bolognese sauce recipe, but I’m going to paste it here again:
Red wine: A Chianti is by many considered the best wine to make a Bolognese sauce (unless you swear by white wine in Bolognese – I like it both ways, but a little more with red; I guess because it’s what I grew up with. I know the original-original recipe calls for white wine. This is obviously not the original-original recipe.). But a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot also works great, although you probably wouldn’t find something with a French name in Nonna’s Bolognese.
Hope this helps!
marie patriacca says
Absolutely wonderful ❤️ Being Italian I make lasagna but never with the bechamel sauce everyone loved this version. I did leave out the ricotta and this Italian girl does not add sugar (a big splash of fruity white wine works for me). I have been reading and loving your recipes for quite some time now. But I especially wanted to thank you for taking the time to meticulously write this recipe with easy to follow step by step instructions with the end results so very delicious ?❤️?
Nora says
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment, Marie! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.