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Italian

Lasagne alla bolognese

Non-vegetarian

Layers of pasta sheets, slow-cooked meat ragù, silky béchamel and parmesan, baked until bubbling and golden. The Emilian classic and a weekend centrepiece.

Lasagne alla bolognese is an Italian pasta dish from Italy, ready in about 3 hours and made with ground beef, milk and dried pasta. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Lasagne served on a white plate
Representative photo. jules / stonesoup / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0
Prep
30 min
Cook
2 h 15 min
Rest
15 min
Total
3 h
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
547

Ingredients

8 servings

For the ragù

For the béchamel

To assemble

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Make the ragù: soften the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and celery (opens in a new tab) in the oil, then brown the beef and pork. Add the wine and let it reduce, then stir in the passata, tomato paste (opens in a new tab), salt and pepper (opens in a new tab). Simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1½ hours until thick.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Make the béchamel: melt the butter (opens in a new tab), whisk (opens in a new tab) in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually whisk in the milk (opens in a new tab) and simmer, stirring, until thick and smooth. Season with nutmeg (opens in a new tab) and salt.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 190 °C. In a deep baking dish (opens in a new tab), layer a little ragù, then pasta (opens in a new tab) sheets, ragù, béchamel and a scattering of parmesan (opens in a new tab). Repeat to make 4–5 layers, finishing with béchamel and parmesan.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until bubbling and deep golden on top.

  5. Step 5

    Rest for 15 minutes before cutting so the layers set.

    • 15 min

About this dish

Origin
Emilia-Romagna, Italy · Well documentedAlso popular in United Kingdom, United StatesMore food from Italy
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Pasta · Casseroles & bakes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Oven-baked
Taste
rich, savoury, creamy, umami
Diet
No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Freezer-friendly · Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Ground beef · Milk · Dried pasta · Onion · Carrot · Celery
Techniques
Baking · Simmering · Reduction · Roux thickening

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk, parmesan
  • May contain: Eggsfrom dried pasta
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, dried pasta
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, dried pasta
  • Contains: Celeryfrom celery
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sulphitesfrom dry red wine

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

547 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 334 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 32%
  • Fat 48%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy547 kcal164 kcal
Protein26.4 g7.9 g
Carbohydrate42.2 g12.7 g
Net carbohydrate39.3 g11.8 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre2.9 g0.9 g
Fat28.6 g8.6 g
Saturated fat12.6 g3.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol85 mg25 mg
Sodium794 mg238 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
788 mg
Calcium
269 mg
Iron
4 mg
Magnesium
65 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
199 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
1.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
166 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The ragù and béchamel can be made a day ahead; assemble cold and add 10 minutes to the baking time.
  • If using no-boil sheets, keep the sauces slightly loose — the pasta absorbs liquid.

Common mistakes

  • Cutting it straight from the oven — it slides apart.

Food safety

  • Brown the minced meat until no pink remains (71 °C).
  • If assembling ahead, keep the lasagne refrigerated and bake within 24 hours; cool leftovers within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; freeze portions for up to 3 months.

Reheating

  • Cover with foil and reheat at 180 °C for 20–30 minutes, or microwave single portions, until piping hot (75 °C) in the centre.

Variations

  • Lasagne verdi: Bologna's own version uses green spinach pasta sheets.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

The body of the dish

For the béchamel

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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