Lasagna needs no introduction. It’s one of these dishes that you want to have in your freezer for a rainy day. It’s so hearty and wholesome and just hits the spot, every single time.
Some notes on this recipe:
Jump to RecipeFresh pasta vs Store brought
You can use store brought for this recipe if you don’t want to go thru the steps of making your own. But trust me, it is so rewarding and therapeutic. Plus it tastes awesome.
I skipped dipping my sheets in boiling water because they were fairly very thin and i had plenty of sauce to cook them. I don’t like a soggy lasagna, but if you find that your sheets are a bit on the thick side i would suggest you boil some water, drop the sheets in one by one for a minute, remove instantly and place in a bowl filled with ice cold water to stop it from overcooking
You can also use this pasta recipe to make spaghetti, fettuccine, noodles, tagliatelle, etc basically any sort of pasta you like.
For more info on this recipe you can check my IGTV on Instagram by clicking here
Classic Lasagna
Ingredients
Fresh Pasta Dough
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 4 eggs at room temperature
Bolognese Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 6 minced garlic cloves
- 1 finely chopped carrot
- 1 finely chopped celery stick
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 5 fresh basil leaves
- 500 g minced meat (i use lamb but beef works too)
- 1.5 cup milk
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 6 fresh tomatoes, peeled and blended
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cups lamb stock i use homemade but you can use the cubes
Bechamel Sauce
- 5 tbsp room temp butter
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups room temp milk
- freshly ground black pepper
- freshly ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
To assemble
- 2 cups grated cheese, i use mozarella emmental and parmesan
Instructions
Fresh Pasta
- Mix the flour and salt. Create a well in the center and crack the eggs into the well. Mix eggs with a fork then slowly min in flour until a dough is formed
- Knead the dough, dusting it lightly if it gets too sticky, about 5 minutes. It will be a stiff dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. Dough can be made a day ahead
- If using a pasta machine:
- Set the machine to the thickest setting, dust it well with flour. Divide dough into four pieces.
- Working with one piece at a time, flatten the piece into a rectangle. Pass thru roller, fold like an envelope, pass thru roller again. Repeat without folding adjusting the machine to the thinner settings as you go. Until you get to the thinnest setting.
- Place the pasta sheet onto a floured surface and cut desired lengths. Place them in a floured baking tray and keep covered
- If using your hands, roll the dough as thin as you can and cut it to the desired shape
Bolognese Sauce
- Heat olive oil in pot, add the onions, celery, and carrots. Fry until wilted and starting to change in color
- Add the garlic, basil, and oregano and fry for a couple of minutes
- Add the meat, break it down and leave it untouched for 3-5 minutes until it forms a crust. Season it with salt and black pepper and mix them around a bit
- Once meat browns well, add the milk and let it boil a bit with the meat
- Add the tomato sauce and the tomato paste, mixing them with all the ingredients
- Add the lamb broth and cook uncovered for around an hour or an hour and a half until sauce thickenS
- Taste if it needs to be seasoned more, set aside
Bechamel Sauce
- Heat butter in a saucepan until foaming, add the flour and whisk constantly until it forms a paste like consistency
- Add the milk, 1/2 cupful at a time. Keep whisking until it becomes thick around 8 minutes
- Season with salt, fresh nutmeg, and fresh black pepper
- Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressing it directly onto the sauce so it doesn't form a crust
Assembly
- Make sure your sauces are warm, if not hot. Preheat oven to 180C
- Slightly butter a casserole dish
- Start with layering bechamel sauce, then your fresh lasagna sheets, bolognese sauce, and an optional cheese layer. And repeat until you are done with everything. Top with cheese
- Cover lasagna and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and broil until golden brown
- Let lasagna sit for 30 minutes before serving
