6-8 servings; 10 (30) min preparation; 60 min cooking time.
They say that you don’t make, but you build lasagna and I couldn’t agree more. Making lasagna from scratch is not that easy and cost time. Of course it’s totally worth it, because the end result is amazing. So don’t hesitate and give it a shot.

Making your own pasta will cost you additional 30-40 min. It’s quite a work-out, but you will feel very proud of yourself at the end. If you don’t have so much time or feel unsure about your ability to make it from scratch, use pre-cooked lasagna sheets. The secret is in the sauce after all.

Well, I decided to make the whole thing from scratch. And not only that – I made it old-school, which means that I used a rolling-pin instead of a pasta machine. If you need a work-out, come to see that one. Seeing the end product and tasting it, made all the effort worth it.

This lasagna Bolognese is very rich and filling. I doubt there will be anyone hungry after. However, if you are not a huge meat lover, try my vegetarian lasagna with spinach and ricotta. Both versions are really delicious and you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

for the pasta (optional)
100 g white flour
100 g semolina flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

or 1 package pre-cooked lasagna sheets

for the bechamel sauce:
50 g butter
50 g all-purpose flour
500 g milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
salt

for the filling
1 sweet onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
600 g ground beef
50 g tomato pure
100 ml dry white wine
400 g peeled tomatoes
100 g passata (strained tomatoes)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp mild olive oil

200 g buffalo mozzarella, sliced
200 g shredded cheese of your choice

Preparation

Pasta: Mix both types of flour in a bowl. Add salt. Make a hole in the middle of the flour mix and crack the eggs there. Slowly start to incorporate the eggs into the flour. Knead the dough for about 10 min until it forms a firm massa. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of water or an egg yolk. If it’s too wet and sticky, use extra semolina flour. Wrap the dough in kitchen foil and put in the fridge for 20 min to rest.

Take the dough from the fridge and cut pieces as big as a ping-pong ball. Roll the dough through a pasta machine until very thin (the smallest measurement or the one before that). Use extra semolina flour for the rolling. Cut even sheets from the dough and leave them rest on a tray covered with flour. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Make sure that you have enough lasagna sheets to make three layers in your baking dish that you are going to bake the lasagna in. Let the sheets rest on the tray until you prepare the sauces.

Bechamel sauce: Melt butter in a sauce pan. When it’s completely melted, add the flour. Cook the flour until it starts changing its color. Use a whisk and start adding the milk. Keep whisking until it gets a little thicker. Season with salt and ground nutmeg. Remove from the heat before it gets too thick.

Filling: Heat olive oil in a big cooking pan over medium heat. Sauté the minced onion until transparent. Add minced garlic and fry for 3 more minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the beef and cook for 2 min. Pour the white wine. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the alcohol evaporates. Add all dry seasonings. Add the tomatoes (peeled and strained) and bay leaves. Add the sugar. Let the sauce simmer for 20 min. Taste it repeatedly and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove the bay leaves before you use the sauce.

Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C/390 degrees F.

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with bechamel sauce. Put lasagna sheets on top. Make sure that the dish is fully covered. Put a thick layer of the sauce on top. Cover with thin slices mozzarella. Repeat with a layer lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce and filling. Finish with lasagna sheets and bechamel sauce on top. Cover with shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 min. Enjoy!