The Best Bolognese Lasagna
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This Bolognese Lasagna combines savoury bolognese sauce, al dente pasta, creamy bechamel and mozzarella for the ultimate comfort food.
During our honeymoon in Italy, my husband and I stayed in Florence for four days. Florence is a gorgeous walled medieval city in the Tuscan area of Italy. Tuscany is renowned for the beautiful vistas and amazing wineries that cover it’s rolling hills. It is by far one of the most incredible places I’ve ever had the privilege of visiting. The ancient cities and towns were incredible, and their beauty was matched only by the incredible food and wine produced in the region.
Not only is Tuscany known for their wine, they are also famous for their beef. Bolognese combines both of these into a hearty, satisfying, and refined sauce. It is this incredible sauce that forms the flavour base for this delicious lasagna. The browned beef, pork, and pancetta add a lovely caramelized flavour to the sauce, while the red wine adds a beautiful acidity. The milk adds creaminess to the bolognese, while the thyme adds herby freshness.
This Bolognese Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. Layers of savoury bolognese sauce, al dente pasta, creamy bechamel, and melted mozzarella finished with beautiful sharp parmesan to top it all off. This lasagna is time consuming to prepare, but with some preplanning can be ready to eat in under an hour and a half. I promise you that this amazing meal is worth every minute of prep time, and will become a favourite in your home as it is in ours.
TOTAL TIME
- Preparation Time – 25 minutes
- Cooking Time – 45 minutes (Plus 4 hours 38 minutes for the Pork and Beef Bolognese)
- Total Time – 1 hour 10 minutes (If you prepare the Bolognese in advance)
INGREDIENTS FOR BOLOGNESE LASAGNA
All the ingredients for this Bolognese Lasagna are easy to source from any local grocer. Our Pork and Beef Bolognese sauce goes best with this dish.
Bolognese Sauce
- 1/4 Pork and Beef Bolognese Recipe
- 1 cup Passata
Bechamel Sauce
- 4 cups Milk, 2 %
- 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
Bolognese Lasagna
- 1 box Dried Lasagna Noodles (~500g)
- 250 grams Mozzarella
- Parmesan, to taste
CAN I MAKE THIS MEAL LESS TIME CONSUMING?
Don’t be overwhelmed by the approximately 6 hours this meal could take if made entirely from scratch. The key to making this incredible lasagna in a reasonable amount of time is having the bolognese made in advance. I like to make a batch of my homemade Pork and Beef Bolognese and divide it into four portions before storing it. Each portion is one meal plus leftovers for my family. I serve one portion that evening, and freeze the other three quarters in separate freezer bags for later use. When I want to make this lasagna I simply defrost one bag of bolognese in the morning for use later in the day.
WHAT IS PANCETTA?
Pancetta is similar to bacon with one important difference: while bacon is smoked and purchased raw, pancetta is salt cured and dried, which means it is safe to eat without being cooked. It is a beautiful product that originates in Italy, but is very easy to find in most grocery stores. You can buy it in larger chunks or pre diced in most deli departments. I like to save myself some time and purchase it pre diced.
CAN I MAKE THE BOLOGNESE SAUCE FASTER?
Making the bolognese takes hours, there’s no way around it. The beautiful complex flavour in this sauce is created by layering ingredients step by step, until they are finally simmered for hours on the stove top. There are many ways to make a tasty meat sauce quickly, but they simply won’t have the depth of flavour found in this sauce. Don’t try and rush this beautiful bolognese, trust me it’s worth the wait. I recommend making the bolognese on a day when you have time to cook and storing it to make this delicious lasagna another day.
CAN I USE OLD WINE IN MY BOLOGNESE SAUCE?
Often I hear people say that they have an open bottle that’s starting to go off, so they’ll just use it for cooking. This makes no sense to me. The wine imparts beautiful flavour to the bolognese sauce in this meal, so why would you use a bottle that’s starting to sour? You wouldn’t! The bolognese requires a full bottle, so you should be opening a new one regardless. That said, you certainly don’t need to buy an expensive bottle specifically for this meal. Simply use something you enjoy the taste of, because that is the flavour that will be imparted to your dish.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BOLOGNESE LASAGNA
CAN I USE CANNED TOMATOES INSTEAD OF PASSATA FOR THE BOLOGNESE?
Passata is crushed, strained, tomatoes. There are many brands of passata, and it is easy to find in most grocery stores. I like to buy Mutti which is bottled in Italy. It is smooth and brightly flavoured with fresh tomatoes. If possible, buy passata that has no spices or herbs so that you can season your sauce to your own tastes.
Canned tomatoes can be purchased whole, diced, or crushed. The two products are mostly interchangeable in terms of taste, but the resulting texture is quite different. I like to use passata because it results in a smooth and velvety sauce that is preferred by my family. If you like a chunkier bolognese sauce, you can use canned tomatoes and simply squish them with your hands before adding them to your pan.
CAN I MAKE THIS LACTOSE FREE?
It will require several substitutions, but this Bolognese Lasagna can be made lactose free. Simple substitutions like lactose free milk and butter can be used on a one for one basis. For the cheese, you can either source lactose free mozzarella, or use a cheese like Havarti that is naturally lactose free and melts well (always read the label before assuming a cheese is lactose free. Although most Havarti is, not all brands are the same).
CAN I USE BACON INSTEAD OF PANCETTA?
If you can’t find pancetta simply leave it out of the bolognese. As said above, pancetta has a different flavour than bacon. Substituting one for the other will change the flavour of this dish. You should not use bacon.
CAN I USE FRESH LASAGNA SHEETS INSTEAD OF DRIED?
I have made lasagna many times using both fresh and dried noodles. In my experience fresh noodles often become overcooked and gummy in the oven, while good quality dried lasagna sheets stay beautifully al dente even after 45 minutes in the oven. I would not recommend using fresh noodles in this dish.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT OIL THAN OLIVE IN THE BOLOGNESE SAUCE?
You could use any oil you wish, however I strongly suggest you stick with a traditional extra virgin olive oil. There is a significant amount of oil used to sautee the soffritto (minced onion, celery, carrots, and garlic) in the bolognese, which means there is an opportunity to build flavour. Olive oil is a delicious and authentic way to build flavour in this sauce.
EQUIPMENT FOR BOLOGNESE LASAGNA
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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make this amazing bolognese lasagna:
- French Oven – I use my Le Creuset French Oven every time I make large quantities of sauce, or slow cooked braised meats. As with all Le Creuset cast iron dishes, it is extremely heavy and coated in enamel which enables it brown meat, then cook sauce evenly for extended periods of time. It’s one of my most prized kitchen tools, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
- Wooden Spoon
- Kitchen Knife – Zwilling J.A. Henkel Kitchen Knife a good kitchen knife is a necessary tool for any home cook. Quality and price point varies widely. This is what I use at home. It’s a perfectly decent knife, while still being very affordable.
- Cutting Board
- Kitchen Aid Food Processor – I use my Kitchen Aid Food Processor whenever I need to to finely chop and puree vegetables or a sauce. It works beautifully to chop the soffritto into fine mince.
- Sauce Pan x 2
- Baking Dish
COOKING DIRECTIONS FOR BOLOGNESE LASAGNA
This Bolognese Lasagna is a labour of love, but is not difficult to prepare. By following several important rules you’re virtually guaranteed an incredible dish your first time:
- Make the Pork and Beef Bolognese in advance.
- Use dried lasagna sheets for al dente bite.
- Let your lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before trying to cut and serve it.
MAKE AHEAD STORAGE
I strongly recommend making the Pork and Beef Bolognese sauce in advance.
This amazing Bolognese Lasagna can be stored in the fridge for up to four days, and can be frozen in an airtight container. It makes enough to serve 8, so I like to serve half and freeze the other half for a later date.
FINISHED BOLOGNESE LASAGNA DISH
Enjoy your delicious Bolognese Lasagna!
OTHER LASAGNA DISHES
OTHER PORK DISHES
Bolognese and Mozzarella Arancini
Pork and Beef Rigatoni Bolognese
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.
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Bolognese Lasagna
Equipment
- French Oven
- Kitchen knife
- Kitchen Aid Food Processor
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting Board
- Sauce pan
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 1/4 Pork and Beef Bolognese recipe
- 1 cup Passata
Beschamel Sauce
- 4 cups Milk 2 %
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup All purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Bolognese Lasagna
- 1 box Dried lasagna noodles (~500g)
- 250 grams Mozzarella
- Parmesan to taste
Instructions
Bolognese Sauce
- Mix together 1/4 of my Pork and Beef Bolognese Sauce with a cup of passata to loosen it.
Bechamel Sauce
- Heat the milk in a small pot over medium heat.
- In a second small pot heat the butter over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes until melted.
- Once it's melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the flour a bit at a time until it forms a smooth paste.
- Place the pot with the flour and butter back on the stove on medium heat.
- Add the milk a few ladles at a time while whisking.
- Each time the mixture thickens (2-3 minutes), add some more milk and keep whisking.
- Continue until you've used all the milk and the bechamel is smooth, then set aside.
Bolognese Lasagna
- Grate the mozzarella and divide it into four piles.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Spoon a few ladles of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it.
- Place the lasagna sheets in a layer on the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping at the edges.
- Spoon several ladles of bolognese onto the pasta and spread it.
- Spoon 1/4 of the bechamel sauce onto the bolognese.
- Sprinkle one of the piles of mozzarella onto the bechamel.
- Layer more lasagna sheets onto the cheese.
- Continue layering bolognese, bechamel, mozzarella and pasta for two more layers.
- Spread some more bolognese onto the top layer of noodles.
- Sprinkle the last of the mozzarella onto the lasagna and grate some Parmesan on top.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Turn the oven to broil and bake until crisp, another 4-6 minutes.
Amazing lasagna. Excellent directions. We really enjoyed the flavor and will use it again. Thank you so much for this recipe; it is well worth the effort.
OMG! This recipe looks soooo delicious. Lasagne is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes but I always struggle to find good recipes so this will be a treat! Definitely making this recipe! Thanks!
I’d never before used passata in my lasagna and now I don’t think I’ll ever leave it out. It gave the dish even more depth of tomato flavor which my entire family loved.
There really is nothing quite like lasagna when it comes to comfort food, is there? I love how simple, yet delicious, this bolognese lasagna recipe is!
This looks absolutely perfect!! I love lasagna with a béchamel sauce…total comfort food!
Lasagna is my all-time favourite dish, I could eat it every day and not get tired. I always sprinkle parmigiano in between layers, so the use of mozzarella is novel to me. Gotta give it a try!
Lasagna is hands down my favorite comfort food. Making this Pork and Beef Bolognese ahead of time is such a life-saver! This is a MUST HAVE recipe for your collection.
I think the last time I made lasagna was in 2020. Definitely the dish I have been missing, so this recipe is really timely!
Your lasagna looks beautiful. I also often make a big batch of Bolognese to use in different recipes since it takes so long to make a really good Bolognese! Mutti is a passata brand that’s always in my larder!
There is nothing like a good Bolognese sauce. I agree you cannot cut the time in making it. It’s all about layering flavors. We also spent time in Tuscany absolutely beautiful and delicious!. Thank you for bringing back those lovely memories!❤️😍❤️❤️👍👌😋
Thank you so much for the comment! Yes hopefully I can bring my whole family back there again one day!
Where is the recipe fir the bolognese sauce ?
Thank you for the feedback Harry! The link was in the Ingredients section of the post but I’m glad you pointed out that it wasn’t that obvious. I added it in a few more spots in the blog post and also added a link in the recipe card. Thanks!