Lasagna alla Bolognese

Name: Lasagna alla Bolognese
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 165 min
Total time: 240 min
Yield: 6 servings

Posted: 26/04/2026Updated: 26/04/2026

An Italian baked pasta made by layering fresh egg pasta with a slow-cooked beef and pork ragù, béchamel sauce, and grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano.

Traditionally served by itself but can be accompanied with a simple dressed green salad and bread.

Active prep: 45 minutesPassive prep: 30 minutesActive cooking: 45 minutesPassive cooking: 2 hours

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Ingredients

Adjust servingsServings

Ragù

500 grams Minced beef, 15–20% fat
250 grams Minced pork, 15–20% fat
50 grams Unsalted butter
1 medium Brown onion, finely diced
1 large Carrot, finely diced
1 large Celery stalk, finely diced
250 millilitres Passata
150 millilitres Dry white wine
200 millilitres Whole milk
2 Bay leaves
0.25 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Pasta

250 grams 00 flour
2 large Eggs
1 large Egg yolk

Béchamel sauce

50 grams Unsalted butter
50 grams Plain flour
500 millilitres Whole milk
0.5 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
Salt, to taste

Assembly

150 grams Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
20 grams Pecorino Romano, finely grated (optional)

Instructions

Ragù

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the diced vegetables. Cook gently for 10–15 minutes until soft (no browning).
Add the minced beef and pork, increase heat to medium, breaking the meat up finely and cook until all the moisture evaporates and the meat is lightly browned.
Add the white wine and cook until almost completely evaporated.
Stir in the passata with about half the milk, nutmeg and bay leaves.
Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1-3 hours (cover partially if cooking for longer). Add the remaining milk in stages, allowing it to reduce fully between additions.
The ragù should be thick. Remove the bay leaves and allow to cool slightly.

Pasta

On a clean surface, form a mound with the flour and make a well in the centre.
Add the eggs and egg yolk into the well.
Gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs using a fork, then knead until smooth and elastic (8–10 minutes).
Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature (if resting longer, refrigerate, then bring back to room temperature before rolling).

Béchamel sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.
Add the flour and whisk continuously to form a smooth roux.
Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk to prevent lumps.
Return to medium-low heat and simmer until thickened and smooth.
Remove from the heat and add the nutmeg and salt.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan).
Roll out the pasta into 5 thin sheets about 1–2 mm thick. This recipe uses a 12x8-inch dish. Cut pasta to fit this size.
Spread a thin layer of ragù and béchamel in the base of the dish.
Add a pasta sheet then another thin layer of ragù, béchamel and grated cheese.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients and finish with the béchamel, ragù and grated cheese on top.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes until golden.
Rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.

Helpful notes

Cooking tips

Finely dice vegetables to around 3 mm; this helps them soften properly and integrate into the sauce without leaving excess moisture or texture.
Let the meat cook until moisture has fully evaporated before adding wine; if it’s still wet, it will boil instead of reduce and dilute flavour.
Reduce the wine until the pan is nearly dry and the smell is no longer sharp or alcoholic. Under-reduced wine will leave a harsh note in the finished sauce.
Remove excess fat if it starts to pool, otherwise the final ragù can be greasy and split.
Add the milk in stages and allow it to reduce each time; this stabilises the sauce and softens acidity rather than just making it creamy.
The finished ragù should be thick and cohesive, with no visible liquid pooling.
The béchamel should coat the back of a spoon but still flow. If it thickens too much, adjust with milk off the heat.
Roll the fresh pasta to ~1 mm; thicker sheets absorb too much moisture and make the lasagna dense rather than layered.
Keep layers thin and evenly distributed as overly thick layers will trap moisture and prevent the lasagna from setting cleanly, resulting in a loose structure.
Rest at least 10–15 minutes as internal steam needs to settle or the layers will collapse and leak when cut.

Alternative ingredients

White wine gives a lighter, cleaner flavour whereas red wine adds depth. Both work well and are up to personal preference.
If omitting the wine, replace with an equal amount of stock.
Chopped tomatoes can be used instead of passata; however, it will introduce more water and require longer to reduce.

Storage instructions

Cool completely before refrigerating; trapping heat creates condensation that can affect the texture.

Refrigeration: Baked lasagna can store covered for 3–4 days. Assembled (unbaked) lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.

Freezer: Freeze either baked or unbaked in individual portions to improve reheating consistency.

Re-heating instructions

From frozen, thawing first gives better results but it can be reheated from frozen in the oven.

Oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 160°C if frozen) and bake the lasagna covered until heated through - about 20-25 minutes (or 35 minutes if frozen). Then uncover and bake until the cheese is golden.

Microwave: Best for reheating single portions but softens layers.

Nutrition and dietary facts

Per serving:Calories: 761kcal (34%), Protein: 41g (68%), Fat: 42.9g (54%), Saturated fat: 20.3g (135%), Carbohydrates: 47g (17%), Sugars: 9g (36%), Fibre: 3g (10%)

NOTE: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.