Italian recipe

Lasagne alla Bolognese

Name: Lasagne alla Bolognese
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: 12 sheets / about 300 g fresh lasagne sheets; 900 g prepared Bolognese ragù; 60 g unsalted butter; 60 g plain flour; 750 ml whole milk, warm; 2 g fine salt; 0.5 g ground nutmeg; 120 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 10 g butter for the baking dish

Layered egg pasta with Bolognese ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano, baked until the corners are browned and the centre holds clean layers after resting.

Italy

Prep: 45 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total: 2 hr
Servings: 8

Baked lasagne with distinct ragù, béchamel and pasta layers — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by SchellenbergSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

12 sheets / about 300 g
fresh lasagne sheets
900 g
prepared Bolognese ragù
60 g
unsalted butter
60 g
plain flour
750 ml
whole milk, warm
2 g
fine salt
0.5 g
ground nutmeg
120 g
Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
10 g
butter for the baking dish

Method

01
Cook the béchamel
Melt 60 g butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour for 2 minutes without browning, then gradually whisk in warm milk. Simmer 6–8 minutes until it coats a spoon; season with salt and nutmeg.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Prepare the pan
Heat the oven to 190°C. Butter a 23 × 33 cm baking dish and spread a thin layer of ragù over the base.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Build the layers
Layer lasagne sheets, one quarter of the remaining ragù, one quarter of the béchamel and one quarter of the Parmigiano. Repeat to make four pasta layers, finishing with béchamel and cheese.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Bake until bubbling
Bake uncovered for 35–40 minutes until bubbling around the edges and deeply golden in spots. If the top darkens too fast, loosely tent with foil.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Rest before cutting
Rest 20 minutes before cutting into 8 pieces. The layers should hold while remaining moist and creamy inside.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Preheat the oven fully before baking so the centre and surface cook on schedule.
Rest the finished dish briefly before cutting so steam and juices settle.

Common mistakes

Do not rely only on surface colour; check the centre for the stated doneness cue.
Overfilling the pan traps steam and prevents proper browning.

Substitutions

A similarly sized metal or ceramic baking dish can be used; adjust the final minutes if browning differs.
Use the closest local equivalent of the specified cheese, but keep the quantity unchanged for balance.

Storage

Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 180°C oven until the centre is hot; crisp breads are best refreshed uncovered.

Cultural context

Lasagne alla Bolognese layers Emilia-Romagna’s egg pasta with ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano; the resting period is part of getting a clean slice.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Lasagna bolognese1 — Photograph by Schellenberg; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Italian recipes

Lasagne alla Bolognese

Ingredients

Method

Cook the béchamel

Prepare the pan

Build the layers

Bake until bubbling

Rest before cutting

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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