Best Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those all-time favorite comfort foods that pleases and feeds a crowd. This recipe can be made in stages, assembled, and even frozen. It's perfect for Sunday Supper, as a potluck dish, or for someone in need of a good, home-cooked meal!
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 lb. ground sirloin 90/10 beef
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 4 oz. pancetta Italian bacon, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- ¼ tsp. ground oregano
- ¼ tsp. dried basil leaves
- ¼ tsp. dried parsley
- ½ tsp. Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Chardonnay
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 28-oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock plus 1 cup for reheating
Béchamel Sauce
- 5 tbs. unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk warmed
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch Kosher salt
Lasagna Assembly
- 1 16-oz. box lasagna noodles (you'll have extras in case some break)
- Kosher salt for pasta water
- 2 cups finely grated Parmesan
- Freshly chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
Make the Bolognese Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until softened (about 10 minutes).
- Add in the ground sirloin, pork, and pancetta. Cook, breaking meat up with a spoon, over medium-high heat until moisture is almost completely gone and meat is well-browned, stirring occasionally (about 25 minutes).
- Add in minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, salt and pepper.
- Pour in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until moisture has evaporated by half (about 4 minutes). Add in warm milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated (about 8 minutes).
- Crush in tomatoes one at a time and add 2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered, until flavors meld and sauce thickens (about 1½ hours).
- Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Letting the sauce rest in the fridge will only make the flavors deeper and richer.
Make the Béchamel Sauce
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly for about 1 minute, forming a roux.
- Whisk in warm milk, ½-cupful at a time. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until the consistency of cream, (about 12 minutes).
- Add a pinch of nutmeg and salt. Remove from heat until time to assemble.
- Do Ahead: Béchamel can be made 1 day ahead. Keep covered and chill.
Best Lasagna Assembly
- Reheat the sauces if you’ve allowed them to cool. Combine Bolognese sauce and remaining 1 cup stock in a large saucepan over medium heat, and heat until sauce is warmed through.
- Meanwhile, if you made the béchamel ahead of time, heat in a medium saucepan over low heat just until warmed through (you don’t want to let it boil).
- Bring a large pot of heavily-salted water to a boil. Boil the lasagna noodles until al-dente (about 8 minutes). Drain and allow noodles to cool and dry on paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13x9” baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread ¼ cup béchamel in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of 3 lasagna noodles, spread over about ¾ cup Bolognese sauce, then ½ cup béchamel, and top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Be sure to spread those gorgeous sauces around evenly to prevent the edges from burning. Repeat process 3 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmesan, for a total of 4 layers.
- Bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50–60 minutes. Cover with foil and let lasagna sit about 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Do Ahead: Lasagna can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before baking. Cook, covered with foil until the last 20 minutes, then finish cooking uncovered.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 487kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 27gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 646mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1489IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 373mgIron: 3mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary, and Pineapple House Rules makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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