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Italian Lasagna

Italian Lasagna
Italian Lasagna
  • Yield: 6-8
  • Prep Time: 60 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4h 00 min
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Italian Lasagna

By Tobias June 19, 2016

There are few things that are as comforting and satisfying as a classic Italian meat lasagna. I remember how my family would go to Italian restaurants every once in a while after my mom started learning the language and everyone was so into pizza. But all I wanted was lasagna.

If nothing can make me leave the house, the prospect of a steaming hot lasagna can. It's my ultimate guilty pleasure and - I admit - I have been eating cold lasagna out of the fridge for breakfast in the morning.

After all these revelations, it's time to reveal the recipe which is a very classic one from Northern Italy. It combines a hearty meat sauce with a creamy bechamel sauce, lasanga pasta sheets, and just a little bit mozarella and parmesan on top.

*The recipe below is the direct 'make & bake' way. The dish is perfectly suited for advance prep. Simply cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days or freeze for up to 4 weeks. To serve, let come to room temperature and bake as directed.

Ingredients

  • For the Meat Sauce
  • Ground Beef - 2 lbs, I use 85/15
  • Onion - 1 medium sized, diced
  • Salary - 3 stalks, diced
  • Carrots - 3, diced
  • Garlic - 3 gloves, diced
  • Tomato Paste - 1 small can
  • Canned Tomatoes - 24oz, Diced, in juice
  • White Wine - 1 cup
  • Rosmary - 1 tsp, finely minced
  • Thyme - 1 tsb
  • Oregano - 1 tbsp, dried
  • Beef Broth - about 2 - 3 cups
  • Salt, Pepper
  • For the Bechamel Sauce
  • Butter - 4 tbsp
  • All Purpose Flour - 4 tbsp
  • Whole Milk - 4 cups
  • Parmesan - 1 cup, grated (optional)
  • Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt, pepper
  • To assemble the Lasagna
  • No-cook Lasagna Sheets - 1 package
  • Mozarella Cheese - 1-2 cups, shredded
  • Parmesan - 1 cup, grated

Instructions

  1. Make the Meat Sauce
    1. Brown the ground beef in a very large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Salt and pepper right away.
    2. Strain to get rid of excess fat and set aside.
    3. In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions, carrots and celery. Salt, pepper, and brown for about 15 minutes, stiring frequently.
    4. Add the garlic and stir until just fragrant, then add the tomato paste.
    5. Roast for another 5 minutes and deglaze the pot with the white wine, making sure to get all the browned bits from the bottom.
    6. Add the tomatoes and herbs, stir, salt, pepper, and add the meat back in.
    7. Top off with the beef broth. You want the broth to almost reach the top of the meat. Stir everything, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
    8. Tilt the lid and simmer for another hour to thicken the sauce.1-IMG_0022
  2. Make the Bechamel Sauce
    1. Melt the butter in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
    2. Add the flour, whisk, and cook for at least a minute to get rid of any flour taste in your finished sauce
    3. Add the milk, all at once and whisk everything together.
    4. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil, whisking very frequently.
    5. Once the sauce has thickened enough, turn off the head and - if using - stir in the parmesan cheese until it is well incorporated.2-IMG_0024
  3. Assemble the Lasagna:
    1. I'm using a 9x9 baking dish that happens to be very deep. If your isn't very deep, you might be better off with a 9x15 dish.
    2. Put a little bit sauce into the bottom of your dish and spread it evenly.
    3. Lay down a layer of pasta. It doesn't have to be perfect but should cover most of the surface. You can break/cut the sheets to make little pieces to fit corners .4-IMG_0026
    4. Put some meat sauce over the pasta sheets and spread. You want a nice thin layer over sauce.5-IMG_0028
    5. Sprinkle some of the Bechamel sauce over the pasta sauce. It doesn't have to be fully covered, it will spread during the baking anyway.3-IMG_0025
    6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 until you either run out of an ingredient or your dish is full.
    7. Sprinkle with mozarella and parmesan cheese6-IMG_0029
    8. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 30 - 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
    9. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting it, so the lasagna can set.Classic Italian Lasagna

Guten Appetit!

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Dinner, Entrées, LunchWith 0 comments June 19, 2016June 20, 2016

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Author Tobias

I'm am no longer a German expat living in San Francisco, CA, but I'm still fascinated by food, cooking, and baking. And now that I am back in Germany I'm using my free time to travel all over Europe, connect with friends, and dive deep into the culinary arts.

Because good food brings good people together.

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The Cooking German

Food brings people together! So I'm trying to create and recreate some delicious meals to share with new and old friends, and ignite the passion for food in others.

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