Lasagne

Lasagne

1 h
Enjoy a homemade lasagne – a dish deeply steeped in Italian tradition. With its layer upon layer of creamy sauce, meaty goodness, and exquisite pasta, this dish is made for those of us who enjoy decadent meals with plenty of taste. Though there are many variations, we will keep it classic here, so you can enjoy all those scrumptious flavours and textures you know and love.
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Instructions

Meat sauce
  • Cut pancetta into small strips. Heat oil in a large pot.
  • Sauté onion, carrot, celery, and pancetta over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  • Add minced meat, turn up the heat to high and brown the meat for about 2 minutes. Add red wine and let it steam for about 1 minute.
  • Add stock, tomato purée, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring the meat sauce to a boil and cook over low heat and under a lid for about ½ hour.
  • Add milk and stir well. Remove the bay leaves and season the meat sauce.
Béchamel sauce
  • Melt butter in a pot over high heat, but do not let it brown.
  • Add flour and let it cook with the butter while stirring for about 15 seconds.
  • Add about ⅓ of the milk and heat the mixture while stirring until smooth. Add another ⅓ and then the last ⅓ in the same way.
  • Stir nutmeg and salt into the sauce and let it cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Lasagne
  • Preheat the oven to 200 °C – conventional oven.
  • Place about 300 ml of the meat sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof dish (about 18 × 25 cm).
  • Place 4 lasagne sheets on top and spread about 150 ml of béchamel sauce over the sheets. Sprinkle with about ¼ of the cheese (about 5 tablespoons).
  • Continue in the same way 2 more times, using the rest of the béchamel sauce on top and sprinkling with the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake the lasagne in the middle of the oven for about 35 minutes at 200 °C. If it is getting too dark, cover it with baking paper for the last 5–10 minutes.
  • Leave the lasagne covered on the kitchen counter for about 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad.
Enjoy!
Tips

Make sure that you divide the different sauces equally between layers to ensure that the lasagne is cooked evenly all the way through. That way, everyone is guaranteed delicious taste and texture with every bite.

Tips

If you are afraid that the top of the lasagne might burn while it bakes, simply cover it with aluminium foil to prevent it from turning dark. Just remember to remove it during the last 15–20 minutes, so the cheese can brown and bubble.

Tips

Prepare a big batch of lasagne and freeze any leftovers. Just take out the lasagne the night before, let it thaw overnight, and heat it in the oven or microwave oven.

Ingredients

Meat sauce
Pancetta (Italian, seasoned, air-dried pork breast), thinly sliced
100 g
Olive oil
1 tbsp
Onion, finely chopped (about 75 g)
1
Carrot, very finely diced (about 75 g)
1
Celery in very small cubes (about 50 g)
2 stalks
Minced beef
300 g
Dry red or white wine
100 ml
Beef stock
300 ml
Concentrated tomato purée (about 100 g)
100 ml
Bay leaves
2
Coarse salt
1 tsp
Freshly ground pepper
Arla® Big milk
100 ml
Béchamel sauce
Butter
50 g
Wheat flour
4 tbsp
Milk
½ l
Nutmeg, finely grated
1 tsp
Coarse salt
½ tsp
Lasagne
Lasagne sheets
12
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
100 g
Side dish
Green salads sprinkled with salt and pepper
250 g
Other recipes
See more

Try our homemade lasagne recipe

This classic homemade lasagne offers a wide variety of flavours and textures that are sure to transport you straight to the heart of Italy. Every element has been carefully worked over to create a harmonious balance of rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel sauce, perfectly cooked pasta, and a crispy top with a bit of bite.

Explore more of our tasty recipes, such as classic toad in the hole, delicious shepherd’s pie, scrumptious butter chicken, or creamy potato soup.

A classic rich meat sauce with vegetables

The delightful blend of minced beef, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery slowly enriches the sauce with its robust, savoury flavours. As the sauce simmers, the ingredients fuse seamlessly, each contributing to a rich base. The beef introduces a deep umami taste that harmoniously combines with the mellow sweetness of the slow-cooked vegetables and the mild tartness of the tomato purée.

Creamy layers of béchamel sauce

With a creamy and rich texture, the béchamel sauce is as integral to lasagne as the meat sauce. It envelops each layer with a smooth, elegant creaminess, infusing every bite with decadence. Originating from French cuisine, béchamel has become a staple in lasagne, celebrated for its simple yet flavourful blend of milk, flour, butter, and nutmeg. This combination creates a sauce that not only binds the layers together but also enhances the overall richness of the dish.

Serve with delicious and simple sides

Lasagne is a fantastic dish on its own, yet it pairs wonderfully with various side dishes. Complement your lasagne with a crisp, refreshing salad drizzled with vinaigrette. To complete the meal, serve some crusty garlic bread toasted to a golden brown. These sides go so well with the lasagne, ensuring a thoroughly satisfying dinner experience.

Get creative with the ingredients

Play around with various kinds of cheese, like mozzarella or ricotta, to add a different kind of cheesy depth to the dish. You can easily use mozzarella instead of Parmesan to sprinkle on top of the lasagne, or you might see it fit to spread a layer of delicate, sweet ricotta between other layers.

Vegetables like mushrooms and spinach are both popular additions to the meat sauce. The mushrooms add depth and a savoury umami quality, while the spinach adds a little lightness to the rich sauce.

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