This lasagna recipe is made with slow-cooked bolognese sauce, homemade besciamella, and fresh pasta sheets. An authentic and beyond-delicious Italian dish to serve for a crowd.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot. Add the pancetta and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, then add in the soffritto and cook for 5-6 minutes.
Mix in the ground meats, cooking for approximately 10 minutes or until the meat loses its pink color and releases its juices entirely.
Pour in the wine and continue cooking until it completely evaporates.
Add the tomato passata and tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Mix in and cook for 1 minute, then pour 3-4 cups of hot water and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot loosely and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 hours, checking from time to time if more water is needed.
After 2 hours, remove the lid from the pot and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the sauce thickens and develops a rich consistency.
Adjust salt to taste and turn off the heat. Set aside and allow to slightly cool down.
Assemble
Bring to a boil a pot with salted water and cook lightly the lasagna sheets, 30s would be enough if they’re made with fresh pasta dough, otherwise, follow the package instructions if you’re using dry pasta.
Butter your lasagna pan and spread one or two tablespoons of bechamel sauce on the bottom.
Arrange a layer of pasta sheets and then cover them with a layer of ragu sauce.
Add a few dollops of besciamella sauce and carefully spread them all over with the back of a spoon. Finish with a good sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Continue layering the pasta, ragu sauce, besciamella, and cheese until the pan is filled to the top.
Finish with a generous layer of besciamella sauce and a good sprinkle of parmigiano cheese.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 360°F (180°C).
Bake in the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce on top is slightly golden and the borders of the lasagna pasta are nicely crispy.
Remove from the oven and let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
You can use store-bought pasta sheets or homemade pasta sheets. Those two are also popular options for spinach fresh pasta sheets.
Lasagna alla bolognese is a time-consuming recipe, but you can speed up the preparation with a bit of planning. I usually make the bolognese sauce and besciamella 1 or 2 days ahead, then assemble and bake later.