Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 20

Resting Time: 45

Total Time: 2 35

Servings: people

Calories: 649kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

This show-stopping Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce is layered with a slow-simmered meat sauce and homemade bechamel sauce. It’s a creamy, close-to-authentic Italian lasagna you’ll never forget!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Baking Dish

Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

½ medium yellow onion rough chopped
1 medium carrot peeled and rough chopped
1 stalk celery rough chopped
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes whole, with juice
2 Tablespoons butter unsalted
12 ounces ground beef lean
12 ounces ground pork
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Bechamel:

4 Tablespoons butter unsalted
¼ cup flour
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Noodles and Cheese:

15 sheets lasagna noodles no-boil, 9 ounces
2 ½ cups Parmesan cheese grated

Instructions

Meat Sauce

Puree the ½ medium yellow onion, 1 medium carrot, and 1 stalk celery in a food processor, until finely chopped.
Melt the 2 Tablespoons butter in a large dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.
Add the pureed vegetables and cook, until just softened, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse out the food processor bowl and add the 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes. Pulse, until roughly pureed. Set aside.
Add the 12 ounces ground beef & 12 ounces ground pork to the vegetable mixture and break the meat apart for a couple minutes.
Add the 1 ½ cups whole milk and bring to a simmer, cook and continue to break apart the meat as it cooks. Cook until the liquid has almost evaporated, 20-30 minutes.
Add the 1 cup dry white wine and cook 20-30 minutes longer, until absorbed.
Add the 3 Tablespoons tomato paste and stir to combine. Then, add in the pureed tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
Set aside and let cool slightly, about 30 minutes.

Bechamel

While the meat sauce is cooking, heat the 4 Tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the ¼ cup flour and cook, whisking, until combined, about 1 minute.
Add the 4 cups whole milk, whisking constantly.
Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, as you continue to whisk.
Add the 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Set aside and let cool slightly, about 30 minutes.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.
Soak the 15 sheets lasagna noodles in hot tap water for about 5 minutes, tossing with your hands occasionally to prevent sticking.
Remove the noodles from the water and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Spray a 9x13” baking dish with cooking spray.
Add 1 cup of the meat sauce to the baking dish and spread to coat.
Place three noodles in a single layer on top.
Add about 1 ¼ cups more meat sauce evenly over the noodles.
Add ⅓ cup bechamel over the meat sauce.
Sprinkle ⅓ cup parmesan over the bechamel.
Repeat this process 3 more times, then place the final 3 noodles on top and cover completely with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan.
Spray a large sheet of tin foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover the lasagna.
Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 450-degrees. Continue baking the lasagna, uncovered, until the top is browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Notes

How to make it ahead of time

Both the meat sauce and bechamel can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stove until warm.
The assembled lasagna is best when it’s baked right after assembly. But if you’re low on time, assemble as normal, cover the lasagna, and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 day. The leftover baked lasagna can be covered and stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

Freezing

Once assembled, cover the baking dish with plastic and freeze. Defrost it overnight before baking as normal. The baked lasagna will freeze well for up to 3 months.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

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