There is one dish from Italian cuisine that always ends up on our table – over and over again: a simple Classic Lasagna Bolognese. We also like spaghetti and other types of pasta from time to time, but if someone here is allowed to ask for something specific for dinner, the choice is always lasagna. With lots of cheese. An outrageous amount of cheese ;P
Italian cuisine has a lot to offer. Especially, when it comes to pasta, the Italians are the ones to beat ;) There are so many delicious pasta dishes. Sometimes it’s quite difficult to choose tbh. Whether it’s pasta with a meat sauce, seafood, or just veggies – there’s something for everyone out there. That’s why Italian pasta dishes are so popular ;)
A classic Bolognese sauce for spaghetti or any other pasta is something I have been perfecting over the years – that’s why my version has the title »The best Bolognese sauce ever«! OK, I’ve given the sauce this title myself, but so far nobody has said anything bad about it… which means that the statement is true. Right?! ;P
Anyway. Once cooked and ready, a good Bolognese sauce can be used for many different dishes – whether it’s as a sauce for pasta or as an ingredient in other dishes. Lasagna, a pasta casserole dish or stuffed cannelloni can be prepared with a delicious meat sauce, but also Aranchini (the Italian XXL rice balls), for example. I’d say it’s always good to prepare more sauce and use leftovers elsewhere. If you already took time to cook a sauce for several hours, you should make the most of it ;P
If you have a freezer, you definitely have an advantage here. Leftover Bolognese sauce is great for freezing and using at a later date. The finished lasagna here can also be frozen and reheated whenever needed. You get quite a good amount of lasagna with this recipe – if you are not a lot of people at dinner you will have leftovers for sure ;) We always eat at least two days lasagna…
I prepare my lasagna without a recipe, without scales or measuring cups, etc. When you’ve made a dish as often as I’ve made this lasagna, you know what to use and how much of it, and it always turns out great. If you’ve cooked this recipe a few times, I’m sure you’ll be able to do the same ;)
For all that like Italian dishes – there is more to find on the blog. As already mentioned, you can find the recipe for The Best Bolognese Sauce Ever here on the blog. I also got a delicious Minestrone with Orecchiette Pasta if that’s your cup of tea. Certainly as good as the Bolognese sauce ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(6 servings)
For the Bolognese sauce:
some olive oil for frying
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely diced
1 celery stalk, very finely diced
17.6 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
1 tbsp. tomato purée
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
salt, pepper
1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
1 2/3 cup (400ml) beef stock
23.7 fl. oz. (700ml) tomato passata
1 bay leaf
For the béchamel sauce:
1.4 oz. (40g) butter
1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
about 20.3 fl. oz. (600ml) milk
some fresh nutmeg, grated
salt, pepper
For the lasagna:
some olive oil for greasing
about 14 oz. (400g) lasagna pasta sheets (uncooked)
5.3 oz. (150g) mozzarella, grated
1 fresh mozzarella ball (4.4 oz./125g)
1.8 oz. (50g) Parmesan cheese, grated
(6 Portionen)
Für die Bolognese Sauce:
etwas Olivenöl zum Anbraten
1 große Zwiebel, fein gehackt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen, fein gehackt
1 mittlere Karotte, sehr fein gewürfelt
1 Stangensellerie, sehr fein gewürfelt
500g Hackfleisch (gemischt)
1 EL Tomatenmark
1 TL Oregano
1 TL Basilikum
Salz, Pfeffer
120ml trockener Rotwein
400ml Rinderbrühe
700ml Tomaten Passata
1 Lorbeerblatt
Für die Béchamelsauce:
40g Butter
40g Mehl (Type 550)
etwa 600ml Milch
etwas frische Muskatnuss, gerieben
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Lasagne:
etwas Olivenöl zum Einfetten
etwa 400g Lasagneblätter (ungekocht)
150g Mozzarella, gerieben
1 Mozzarellakugel (125g)
50g Parmesan, gerieben
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. For the Bolognese sauce, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel the carrot (if necessary) and dice it very finely. Clean the celery stalks and dice them very finely as well. Set everything aside.
2. Heat up some olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Add the chopped onion and sauté briefly, then add the garlic and sauté everything until the onion pieces are softer and slightly browned. Add the diced carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes – the veggies should soften a bit as well. Next, add the minced meat and cook until nicely browned. Add the tomato purée, dried oregano, and basil and mix well – cook/roast briefly so nice flavors can develop. Season with salt and pepper, then deglaze with the red wine. Allow the wine to boil down almost completely, then add the beef stock, tomato passata, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat slightly and let the Bolognese sauce simmer (covered) for about 2 hours – stir from time to time. The sauce should have thickened nicely. Season with some more salt and pepper if necessary. You can prepare the sauce a day in advance and store it in the fridge until you want to continue with the lasagna.
3. For the béchamel sauce, add the butter into a small saucepan and heat it up. As soon as the butter has melted and is no longer bubbling too much, add the flour, stir in, and allow sweating briefly – for about a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly (I recommend using a whisk). Stir until there are no more lumps. Season with a little freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to cook for some time, stirring constantly, until it has thickened considerably. You want a consistency similar to a very thick sauce or custard here. Remove from the heat and let cool down a bit. Stir from time to time to prevent skin from forming.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a large baking dish (min. 14×9.5 inches) with some olive oil. Spread a bit of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and place the first layer of pasta sheets (uncooked) on top. You may need to trim the edges of the lasagna sheets a little to make sure everything fits well and flat. Distribute some Bolognese sauce on the pasta sheets, then sprinkle with a bit of grated mozzarella cheese on top. Next, add more pasta sheets, béchamel sauce, pasta sheets again, Bolognese sauce, mozzarella, etc. Repeat the whole process until the Bolognese sauce and béchamel have been used up – the last layer should be béchamel sauce. My baking dish is always filled to the brim ;) Tear the mozzarella ball into small pieces and place them evenly distributed on top of the lasagna. Sprinkle the remaining grated mozzarella (if there is any left) and Parmesan all over the lasagna.
5. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. If the baking dish is very full, it’s recommended to place a sheet of baking parchment underneath as well – just in case anything overflows. Place the lasagna in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The lasagna should have puffed up slightly, and the cheese should be nicely melted and browned. Take the lasagna out of the oven and let cool down for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Note: Every oven heats up a little differently. If the cheese browns too much, place a piece of aluminum foil on top. If the lasagna is not browning enough, place a little closer to the upper heating element.
1. Für die Bolognese Sauce die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch schälen und dann fein hacken. Die Karotte ggf. schälen und dann sehr fein würfeln. Die Stangensellerie säubern und ebenfalls fein würfeln. Alles zur Seite stellen.
2. Etwas Olivenöl in einem großen (gusseisernen) Topf erhitzen. Die gehackte Zwiebel dazugeben und kurz anschwitzen, dann den Knoblauch dazugeben und beides zusammen so lange anbraten, bis die Zwiebelstücke etwas weicher sind und leicht Farbe bekommen haben. Die Karotten- und Selleriewürfel dazugeben und etwa 2-3 Minuten mit anbraten – auch hier sollte das Gemüse etwas weicher geworden sein. Als Nächstes das Hackfleisch in den Topf dazugeben und krümelig anbraten. Das Fleisch sollte gut Farbe bekommen. Tomatenmark, Oregano und Basilikum in den Topf dazugeben, alles gut vermengen und kurz anrösten lassen. Mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen, dann mit dem Rotwein ablöschen. Den Wein fast komplett einkochen lassen, dann Rinderbrühe, Tomaten Passata und Lorbeerblatt dazugeben. Die Hitzezufuhr etwas reduzieren und die Bolognese Sauce dann (abgedeckt) für etwa 2 Stunden köcheln lassen. Zwischendurch immer wieder mal umrühren. Die Sauce sollte schön eingedickt sein – nach Bedarf noch einmal mit Salz und Pfeffer nachwürzen. Man kann die Sauce einen Tag vorab zubereiten und im Kühlschrank lagern, bis man mit der Lasagne weitermachen möchte.
3. Für die Béchamelsauce die Butter in einen kleinen Topf geben und erhitzen. Sobald die Butter geschmolzen ist und nicht mehr ganz so stark blubbert, das Mehl dazugeben, unterrühren und kurz anschwitzen lassen – etwa eine Minute. Die Milch unter ständigem Rühren nach und nach dazugeben (ich empfehle einen Schneebesen). So lange rühren, bis keine Klümpchen mehr zu sehen sind. Mit etwas frisch geriebener Muskatnuss, sowie Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Sauce unter ständigem Rühren so lange kochen lassen, bis sie stark angedickt hat – eine Konsistenz, ähnlich einem Pudding, ist hier prima. Vom Herd ziehen und etwas abkühlen lassen. Zwischendurch immer wieder mal durchrühren, damit sich keine Haut bildet.
4. Den Ofen auf 190°C (375°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine große (und hohe) Auflaufform (min. 34x24cm) mit etwas Olivenöl ausstreichen. Ein wenig Béchamel auf dem Boden der Form verstreichen, dann eine erste Lage Lasagneblätter (ungekocht) in die Form legen. An den Ecken muss man die Lasagneblätter ggf. etwas stutzen, damit alles gut passt. Ein wenig Bolognese Sauce auf den Nudelblättern verteilen, dann ein wenig geriebenen Mozzarella darüber streuen. Als Nächstes wieder Nudelblätter, dann Béchamel, Nudelblätter, Bolognese Sauce, Mozzarella, usw. in die Form schichten. Den Vorgang so oft wiederholen, bis Bolognese Sauce und Béchamel aufgebraucht sind – die letzte Schicht sollte hier Béchamel sein. Bei mir ist die Form immer randvoll. Die Mozzarellakugel in kleine Stücke rupfen und dann auf der Lasagne verteilen. Verbliebenen, geriebenen Mozzarella (falls etwas übrig ist) und Parmesan ebenfalls auf der Oberfläche verteilen.
5. Die Lasagne auf ein Backblech stellen. Sollte die Form sehr voll sein, empfiehlt es sich, noch Backpapier unter die Form zu legen, falls etwas überläuft. Die Lasagne in die Mitte des Ofens schieben und dann für etwa 40-45 Minuten backen. Die Lasagne sollte etwas hochgegangen sein und der Käse schön zerlaufen und gebräunt sein. Die Lasagne aus dem Ofen holen und für mindestens 10 Minuten stehen lassen, damit sich alles wieder etwas setzen kann, dann erst anschneiden und servieren.
Tipp: Jeder Ofen heizt ein wenig anders – sollte der Käse zu stark bräunen, ggf. ein Stück Alufolie auflegen. Heizt der Ofen von Oben nicht stark genug, die Lasagne ggf. etwas näher am Heizelement platzieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
PrintClassic Lasagna Bolognese
- Prep Time: 00:40
- Cook Time: 03:00
- Total Time: 04:00
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italy
Description
A classic dish everybody loves: Lasagna Bolognese. The ultimate comfort food that will make you feel good and knock you out for some time while digesting ;)
Ingredients
For the Bolognese sauce:
some olive oil for frying
1 large onion, finely chopped
2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, very finely diced
1 celery stalk, very finely diced
1 tbsp. tomato puree
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
salt, pepper
1/2 cup (120ml) dry red wine
1 2/3 cup (400ml) beef stock
23.7 fl. oz. (700ml) tomato passata
1 bay leaf
For the béchamel sauce:
1.4 oz. (40g) butter
1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
about 20.3 fl. oz. (600ml) milk
some fresh nutmeg, grated
salt, pepper
For the lasagna:
some olive oil for greasing
about 14 oz. (400g) lasagna pasta sheets (uncooked)
5.3 oz. (150g) mozzarella, grated
1 fresh mozzarella ball (4.4 oz./125g)
1.8 oz. (50g) Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
1. For the Bolognese sauce, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Peel the carrot (if necessary) and dice it very finely. Clean the celery stalks and dice them very finely as well. Set everything aside.
2. Heat up some olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot. Add the chopped onion and sauté briefly, then add the garlic and sauté everything until the onion pieces are softer and slightly browned. Add the diced carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes – the veggies should soften a bit as well. Next, add the tomato purée, dried oregano, and basil and mix well – cook/roast briefly so nice flavors can develop. Season with salt and pepper, then deglaze with the red wine. Allow the wine to boil down almost completely, then add the beef stock, tomato passata, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat slightly and let the Bolognese sauce simmer (covered) for about 2 hours – stir from time to time. The sauce should have thickened nicely. Season with some more salt and pepper if necessary. You can prepare the sauce a day in advance and store it in the fridge until you want to continue with the lasagna.
3. For the béchamel sauce, add the butter into a small saucepan and heat it up. As soon as the butter has melted and is no longer bubbling too much, add the flour, stir in, and allow sweating briefly – for about a minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly (I recommend using a whisk). Stir until there are no more lumps. Season with a little freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to cook for some time, stirring constantly, until it has thickened considerably. You want a consistency similar to a very thick sauce or custard here. Remove from the heat and let cool down a bit. Stir from time to time to prevent skin from forming.
4. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a large baking dish (min. 14×9.5 inches) with some olive oil. Spread a bit of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and place the first layer of pasta sheets (uncooked) on top. You may need to trim the edges of the lasagna sheets a little to make sure everything fits well and flat. Distribute some Bolognese sauce on the pasta sheets, then sprinkle with a bit of grated mozzarella cheese on top. Next, add more pasta sheets, béchamel sauce, pasta sheets again, Bolognese sauce, mozzarella, etc. Repeat the whole process until the Bolognese sauce and béchamel have been used up – the last layer should be béchamel sauce. My baking dish is always filled to the brim ;) Tear the mozzarella ball into small pieces and place them evenly distributed on top of the lasagna. Sprinkle the remaining grated mozzarella (if there is any left) and Parmesan all over the lasagna.
5. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet. If the baking dish is very full, it’s recommended to place a sheet of baking parchment underneath as well – just in case anything overflows. Place the lasagna in the middle of the oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes. The lasagna should have puffed up slightly, and the cheese should be nicely melted and browned. Take the lasagna out of the oven and let cool down for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
Every oven heats up a little differently. If the cheese browns too much, place a piece of aluminum foil on top. If the lasagna is not browning enough, place a little closer to the upper heating element.
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