Lasagna
For me, a classic lasagna consists of lasagna noodles, a good Bolognese sauce, béchamel sauce, and mozzarella cheese. It’s truly a staple in my kitchen. I make it every time I prepare Bolognese sauce.I never use “oven-ready” noodles. I often find that they don’t cook properly in the end. It’s a shortcut that’s just not worth it, in my opinion. My advice is to take the time to boil your noodles — you can even do that while preparing your béchamel sauce!
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 1 box (500 g) lasagna noodles
- 4 cups homemade Bolognese sauce
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Béchamel Sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp butter
- 1 ½ tbsp flour
- 1 ½ cups 1% milk
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of pepper
Instructions
General Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook the lasagna noodles for 12 to 14 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Béchamel Sauce
- Once the butter has melted, add the flour.
- Then, very slowly add the milk. Start with just ¼ cup of milk and stir constantly to avoid lumps.
- Continue adding the milk gradually while ensuring the sauce remains smooth.
- Next, add the nutmeg, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and a pinch of pepper.
- Let the sauce thicken. It’s usually ready when it has been boiling for a few minutes.
Assembly
- In a rectangular Pyrex dish (8.5 x 11 inches), spread a small amount of Bolognese sauce (about 2 tablespoons). This step is important to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom.
- Cover the bottom with 3 to 4 lasagna noodles, making sure the dish is fully covered. If necessary, trim the edges so the noodles fit well in the dish. Then, add a layer of sauce, spreading it evenly over the noodles.
- Make about 3 to 4 alternating layers of noodles and Bolognese sauce.
- Finish with one last layer of noodles and spread the béchamel sauce evenly on top.
- Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for about 25 minutes.
Video
Notes
For the last 2 minutes of baking, I switch the oven to “broil” mode to brown the cheese. Be careful though — if you forget about it, it can burn your lasagna! So make sure to watch closely when using the broil function.