Lasagne al Forno (Classic Ragù & Béchamel)
A classic, soul-warming Italian lasagne layered with a slow-simmered ragù di carne, silky béchamel and plenty of Parmigiano. Crispy at the edges, creamy in the middle — proper comfort food for a weekend bake.
Lasagne al forno — proper Italian comfort, built layer by layer. This version does what a good lasagne should: a rich, slow-simmered meat ragù, a silky béchamel, and enough cheese to make everyone forgive the washing up.
Make this when you’ve got a lazy afternoon (or want to impress guests without faffing in the final hour). It keeps and reheats brilliantly — which is a blessing, because the leftovers are often better than the first day.
Follow a couple of key rules (brown your meat, make a lump-free béchamel, let it rest) and you’ll be rewarded with crisp edges, soft middle and that perfect forkful of comfort.
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 50 g pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, finely diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery stalk, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 400 g minced beef
- 200 g minced pork
- 150 ml dry red wine
- 700 ml tomato passata — or 2 x 400g chopped tomatoes, blitzed
- 300 ml beef stock (or water + stock cube)
- 15 ml tomato purée (concentrate)
- 5 ml dried oregano or mixed Italian herbs
- salt — to taste (about 1 tsp for ragù while cooking, adjust later)
- black pepper — to taste
- 250 g dried oven-ready lasagne sheets — approx. 10–12 sheets (check packet for pan size)
- 60 g butter
- 60 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 900 ml whole milk — warmed (not boiling)
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 80 g freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano — plus extra to finish
- 120 g mozzarella, torn or shredded — optional, gives extra gooeyness
- fresh basil leaves (optional, to serve) — to garnish
Equipment
- 33 x 23 cm (9 x 13 inch) ovenproof baking dish
- heavy-based saucepan (for béchamel)
- deep sauté pan or frying pan (for ragù)
- whisk
- aluminium foil
Instructions
Make the ragù base: heat the olive oil in a large deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and fry until golden and the fat renders, 3–4 minutes.
Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and sweat gently until softened and sweet-looking, about 8–10 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the minced beef and pork. Break up with a spoon and brown thoroughly — this is key to flavour. Cook until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes.
Pour in the red wine and let it bubble briskly until mostly evaporated and the alcohol smell has gone (2–3 minutes). Stir in the tomato purée.
Add the passata and beef stock, stir in dried herbs, a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat low, partially cover and leave to simmer gently for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally — the ragù should thicken and concentrate.
While the ragù simmers, make the béchamel: melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a paste (roux); cook 1–2 minutes without browning.
Gradually whisk in the warmed milk, a little at a time to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon — about 6–8 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir in half the grated Parmigiano off the heat.
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan 170°C). Lightly oil the base of a 33 x 23 cm (9 x 13 inch) ovenproof baking dish.
Assemble the lasagne: spread a thin layer (about 150 ml) of ragù on the base of the dish, then a layer of lasagne sheets (trim to fit if needed). Spoon over roughly a third of the remaining ragù, then a third of the béchamel, scatter some mozzarella if using and sprinkle with a little Parmigiano. Repeat for two more layers finishing with béchamel and a generous grating of Parmigiano on top (3 layers total).
Cover the dish tightly with foil (shiny side down) and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for a further 10–15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
Take the lasagne from the oven and rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with extra grated Parmigiano and torn basil, if using.
Tips
- Brown the meat properly in batches if necessary — caramelisation is a huge flavour source for the ragù.
- Warm the milk before adding to the roux; it prevents lumps and speeds up thickening.
- If you use oven-ready pasta, make sure the ragù and béchamel are a little looser than you think — they’ll be absorbed while baking.
- Make ahead: assemble and refrigerate (covered) up to 24 hours before baking. Add 5–10 minutes to the baking time if chilled.
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven at 160°C (fan 140°C) for 20–25 minutes covered, or slice and freeze for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
minced beef + pork → use 600g good-quality minced beef only
Stays closeparmigiano and mozzarella → use 180g pecorino or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella
Noticeably differentdried oven-ready lasagne sheets → fresh sheets (use same quantity) — blanch for 10–20 seconds if very fresh
Stays closewhole milk (béchamel) → semi-skimmed milk (thinner béchamel, reduce by 1–2 tbsp flour if needed)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 830
- Calories
- 42 g
- Protein
- 47 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the ragù ahead and freeze it?
Yes — ragù freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm gently before assembling.
Do I have to use béchamel? Can I use ricotta?
You can swap béchamel for seasoned ricotta (mixed with an egg and some Parmigiano) for a different texture — expect a slightly drier, tangier bake.
My lasagne is watery after baking — what went wrong?
Usually the ragù was too loose or you layered too many pasta sheets. Reduce ragù until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon and use 3 pasta layers for even cooking.
Can I use just beef or a vegetarian filling?
Yes: 600g good-quality minced beef works fine. For vegetarian, replace ragù with a mushroom and lentil ragù or layered roasted veg and a tomato-lentil sauce; bake the same way.
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