Lasagna Bechamel
Instructions
-
1
Make the meat sauce — brown the beef and pork in olive oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.
-
2
In the same pot, sauté onion, carrot, and celery until soft. Add garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, fennel seeds, chili flakes, and tomato paste. Cook 1–2 minutes.
-
3
Return meat to the pot. Add red wine and cook until mostly evaporated. Add blended tomatoes and beef stock. Simmer uncovered on low for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water or stock as needed.
-
4
Scald the milk for béchamel — heat milk with onion slice, bay leaf, and peppercorns to just below boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and infuse 20–30 minutes. Strain.
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5
Make the roux — melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Do not let it brown.
-
6
Gradually pour in hot infused milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil then simmer 3–5 minutes until thick and creamy. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
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7
Assemble — spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a 25×30cm (9×13-inch) baking dish. Layer: pasta sheets → béchamel → meat sauce → mozzarella + Parmesan. Repeat 3–5 times, finishing with sauce and cheese on top.
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8
Bake at 180°C (350°F) covered loosely with foil for 30–35 minutes. Remove foil and bake a further 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
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9
Rest uncovered for 20–30 minutes before serving to let the layers set.
Source
https://seasonsinthekitchen.com/authentic-italian-lasagna-with-bechamel-sauce/
Original Source
Original file: _recipes/lasagna-bechamel.md
---
layout: recipe
title: Lasagna Bechamel
description: ''
date: "2024-12-15T04:38:57.416Z"
categories:
- "Other"
tags: []
difficulty: Hard
prep_time: ''
cook_time: ''
total_time: ''
servings: ''
ingredients:
- section: Meat Sauce
items:
- "2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil"
- "500g ground beef"
- "500g ground pork"
- "1 - 2 white onions, finely chopped (200g)"
- "2 - 3 carrots, finely chopped (200g)"
- "3 - 4 celery stalks, finely chopped (200g)"
- "2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced (20g)"
- "4 - 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped"
- "4 - 5 sprigs of oregano, chopped"
- "2 bay leaves"
- "½ teaspoon fennel seeds"
- "¼ teaspoon chili flakes"
- "2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, whizzed"
- "2 tablespoons tomato paste"
- "250ml red wine (1 cup)"
- "250ml beef stock (1 cup)"
- "Salt and black pepper to taste"
- section: Lasagna Sheets
items:
- "12 - 16 Homemade pasta sheets or,"
- "12 - 16 Fresh pasta sheets (store-bought) or,"
- "12 - 16 Dried lasagna sheets (oven-ready) or, This is our personal go-to!"
- "12 - 16 Dried Lasagna Noodles (Requires Boiling)"
- section: Béchamel Sauce
items:
- "1 liter milk"
- "A thick slice of white onion"
- "1 bay leaf"
- "5 peppercorns"
- "70g butter"
- "70g all-purpose flour"
- "Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg"
- "½ teaspoon coarse salt"
- "Freshly ground pepper"
instructions:
- "Make the Meat Sauce:"
- "Brown the meat - In a large pot, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and pork and season with salt and pepper. Cook the meat until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside."
- "Sauté the vegetables and add the flavorings - Heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until softened. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and chili flakes, and cook for another minute to release their flavors. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute."
- "Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer the sauce - Return the browned meat to the pot and add the red wine, cook over low heat until most of the wine has cooked away. Stir in the whole peeled tomatoes and beef stock. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Let it cook uncovered for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The longer it simmers, the more flavorful it will become. You can add more stock or water as needed."
- "Prepare the Lasagna Sheets - You have a couple of options when it comes to lasagna sheets. Choose the one that suits you best:"
- "Homemade Pasta Sheets: If you want to go the extra mile, make your own pasta sheets using our favorite pasta dough recipe. Roll out the dough into thin sheets and cut them into rectangular lasagna sheets."
- "Fresh Pasta Sheets (Store-Bought): If you're short on time, you can find fresh lasagne sheets in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. They're usually pre-cut to fit a standard lasagna dish."
- "Dried Lasagna Sheets (Oven-Ready): This is our personal favorite! No-boil lasagna sheets are a convenient option that doesn't require precooking. Simply follow the instructions on the package for layering them in your lasagna."
- "Make Béchamel Sauce:"
- "Start by scalding the milk - In a small, heavy-based saucepan, heat the milk with the onion, bay leaf, and peppercorns until just below boiling point. Remove from heat. Cover with a lid and infuse the milk for 20-30 minutes, then strain and discard the flavorings."
- "Make the roux - Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the flour while whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, ensuring the roux doesn't brown."
- "Add the milk - Gradually add hot milk whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 3 - 5 minutes stirring from time to time until the sauce becomes thick and creamy."
- "Assemble the Lasagna - Now comes the fun part – layering the lasagna!"
- "Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish, more or less 25cm x 30cm (9x13-inch)."
- "Place a layer of lasagna sheets on top of the sauce, covering it completely."
- "Spread a layer of béchamel sauce over the lasagna sheets, followed by a layer of meat sauce."
- "Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese over the sauces."
- "Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese on top. (A traditional lasagna has 3 - 5 layers of pasta)"
- "Bake the Lasagna - Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil, ensuring it doesn't touch the cheese. Bake the lasagna in the preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling."
- "Rest Lasagna before serving - as much as it’s tempting you to dig in right away, allowing your lasagna to rest uncovered for 20 - 30 minutes after baking is a game-changer. As it cools down, the layers set and firm up, ensuring each serving is a delightful stack of well-defined layers instead of a soupy mess."
---
# Source
https://seasonsinthekitchen.com/authentic-italian-lasagna-with-bechamel-sauce/
Notes
- The longer the meat sauce simmers, the better — 2+ hours is ideal.
- Oven-ready dried sheets are the easiest option and absorb the sauces well during baking.
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