Layers of tender pasta sandwiched around creamy ricotta and hearty, homemade bolognese sauce baked under a blanket of cheese. This fresh herb lasagna bolognese is a meaty twist on the classic pasta recipe that marries the American style of lasagna with Italian bolognese sauce. Can you say crowd pleaser?!
Have you ever just needed a hug from your food? A bite of something rich and hearty that gives you one of those good bear hugs but from the inside out.
That's what we are doing here today. We're giving food hugs. And the source of the hug giver is this Fresh Herb Lasagna Bolognese.
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Why I Love This Traditional Lasagna Bolognese
There are a lot of reasons to love this recipe, here are some of my favorite.
You can make it ahead of time!
It's great to feed a crowd or to take to an event!
Swapping for the traditional American method of herbed ricotta cheese instead of bechamel sauce is a time saver!
There's pasta! There's meat sauce! There's cheese!
It's the most delicious air freshener for your house!
But besides the obvious reasons above, flavorwise, the combination of whole milk ricotta with fresh herbs and plenty of parmesan and ricotta adds a whole level of delicious flavor.
This lasagna recipe in particular is super easy to serve! Not too wet, but still nice and creamy. You can serve perfectly cut and serve pieces without making a mess.
Let's talk about the herbs real quick.
Admittedly, chopping fresh parsley is not my fav...but its worth it! You don't need a ton of it and it's what makes this lasagna bolognese a step above.
Tip: Remove the thick part of the parsley stem before chopping. This part can be bitter, you want to use the leaves where the flavor is.
The fresh parsley is going to add bright, clean flavors to the ricotta. Then we rely on thinly julienned fresh basil to pack that sweet and fragrant herb taste for a contrast of flavor that also pairs well.
Do you have to use fresh herbs for lasagna?
Fresh herbs have a slightly different - and stronger - flavor! It's worth the extra couple of minutes of chopping if you can do it. If all you have is dried herbs - don't let it stop you from making your way to pasta town.
Tip: if substituting dried herbs, wait to add the eggs to the ricotta mixture last. After combining all the ingredients for the ricotta mixture, start with 1 tablespoon of parsley and basil and taste before adding more. You can always add more, but it will be really hard to take it out once it's all mixed!
Ingredients and Substitutions
A combination of traditional ingredients and a few tweaks is what you'll need. Don't let the length of the ingredient list scare you! Essentially, you need enough items to make two 'sauces' plus the pasta, but it comes together easily!
For the bolognese sauce: you'll need neutral oil (like canola, veg, coconut, avocado, etc.), ground beef, pancetta, red wine, garlic, carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, and your favorite tomato sauce. I like the Rao's marinara or this pomodoro sauce.
Subsitutions: You can substitute your favorite ground protein for the beef, as well as your preferred fat blend. I like to use 90/10. Traditionally, bolognese sauce doesn't call for pancetta, but it adds the perfect amount of salty pork flavor, its absolutely worth it.
For the ricotta mixture: whole milk ricotta, whole milk mozzarella, parmesan,
Then you just need a little onion, carrot and celery, garlic, ground beef and sauce. That's normal to always have at the ready....right? Even if it's not, you should pick it up and make this Fresh Herbed Lasagna Bolognese.
Love the idea of bolognese but just can't commit to the time for lasagna? Get the quick version with this Bolognese with Tagliatelle Pasta. Same sauce, less cheese, faster eats. All for the same levels of comfort food bliss.
I love to use ground beef in my lasagna bolognese, I think it's just rich enough and goes well with all the other flavors. However, if you are a big pork or lamb lover, feel free to switch it up - any ground meat will work in this recipe!
When it comes to the cheese in this recipe - I'm using mozzarella and ricotta - I do recommend whole milk cheese for both of these. It adds extra creaminess and smoothness. If you want to avoid some extra calories, you can use part-skim, but I would suggest that you squeeze it in cheesecloth to remove excess water as we don't want to dilute the flavor.
Multitasking Your Way To Lasagna Happiness
Let's not lie to ourselves. There's a lot going on when you're making lasagna bolognese. It's not complicated, but you've got sauce to make, pasta to cook and ricotta filling to mix together. Here are a few tips for making Lasagna Bolognese life a little less complicated:
- Start boiling your pasta water first. ADD SALT.
- Chop up all your veggies first and set aside. As those are sautéing you can chop up the pancetta. Or do that in advance if you're worried about forgetting to stir your veggies.
- Open your sauce cans in advance so you can add them right away.
- If your lasagna noodles are done cooking before you are ready for them. Drain from the water and lay them flat on plastic wrap or parchment paper. This will make them easier to pull apart without tearing.
- Divide your ricotta mixture into 4 equal amounts so you know exactly how much you'll need for each layer.
- Buy pre-shredded cheese, because life is busy and we want lasagna bolognese asap. But for a smooth cheesy layer on top, you'll want to grate that yourself. So the choice is yours.
- To evenly spread the ricotta, add dollops over the noodles, then spread.
And the last and final tip...save any leftover sauce to top your hot and ready Fresh Herb Lasagna Bolognese for maximum flavor points. Dibs on the corner piece.
How To Make Authentic Lasagna Bolognese
Make the bolognese sauce. Saute the veggies, crisp the pancetta, brown the ground beef, reduce the wine, simmer with marinara sauce and tomato paste.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt generously. Cook according to the package directions. Once the pasta is done, drain and layer the lasagna noodles on clean kitchen towels in single layers.
Combine the whole milk ricotta, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper. Add half the parmesan, half the shredded whole milk mozzarella, and eggs to the bowl. Mix well with a spatula to combine.
Preheat the oven. Spread a thin layer of bolognese sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer 3 noodles the long way and 1 up top (you can cut the noodle to fit or not). Spread a layer of ricotta mixture then bolognese sauce.
Repeat the layers of noodles, ricotta mixture, and sauce until you have 4 to 5 noodles left, about 4 to 5 layers depending on your pan.
Top with remaining parmesan and freshly grated mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Return to the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the top is melty and the cheese is starting to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes to let the cheese set - this will make it easier to cut and serve without it sliding all over.
Serve and enjoy! Top individual pieces with any leftover bolognese sauce.
FAQs
As always, make sure it is first allowed to cool and then place in an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days, and up to 3 months in the freezer. Just be sure to defrost it fully before reheating.
I think the best method is on a low temperature to ensure it doesn't dry out. The timing will depend on the size of the piece you are cooking, but I would just keep checking it every so often until it's hot all the way through.
Yes! This is a fantastic dish to prepare in advance. You can follow all the instructions up until the final bake. You make the sauce and layer the lasagna, then you can wrap it and let it cool, pop it in the fridge, and do the final bake whenever you are ready. You can prepare it up to 3 days before cooking!
Hungry For More Comforting Pasta Dishes?
If you loved the comfort of this lasagna bolognese and want to enjoy more dishes like that, then try my oven-baked Fancy Spaghetti and Meatballs. I use tagliatelle pasta instead and there is even cheese inside the meatballs!
Or maybe you can't stop thinking about that bolognese sauce we made, and you want to try it again with other things? I got you covered with my Simple Bolognese Tagliatelle or my not-as-simple Short Rib Bolognese - beef ribs simmering in bolognese sauce, simply delicious!
Was your favorite part of this recipe the big chunks of creamy ricotta? If so then my Ricotta Stuffed Shells are the pasta dish of your dreams! And if you wanna be extra impressive, you can Make Your Own Pasta too!
If you loved this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment below! Don't forget to tag @hungerthirstplay when you post on Instagram and Facebook so I can see all your hard work!
Lasagna Bolognese
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking dish
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
- 1 medium carrot (peeled and finely diced)
- 1 celery stalk (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 ounces pancetta (diced)
- 1 pound ground beef
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 4½ cups marinara sauce (about 1½ jars)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Fresh Herb Lasagna Bolognese
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 1 32-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons fresh julienned basil
- bolognese sauce (recipe above)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup parmesan (divided)
- 3 cup whole milk mozzarella (grated, divided)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the bolognese sauce: In a deep sided skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté over high heat for 3 minutes. Incorporate the garlic to the pan and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.1 yellow onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 celery stalk, 3 tablespoons neutral oil, 3 cloves garlic
- Cook the pancetta with the sautéed vegetables for 2 minutes before adding the ground beef. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, break apart the ground beef as it cooks and season with salt and pepper.2 ounces pancetta, 1 pound ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- When beef is about 90% cooked through (about 3 minutes), deglaze the pan with red wine. This will take about 1 minute for the wine to start reducing.⅓ cup red wine
- Reduce heat to medium and add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir well to combine.4½ cups marinara sauce, 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Reduce the heat again to low and simmer for 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes of simmering, remove from heat and set aside until you're ready to build the lasagna. The sauce can also be made in advance.
- Prepping the pasta: Bring a large stock pot of water with a generous amount of salt (about 2 to 3 teaspoons) to a bowl over high heat. When the water boils, cook pasta until al dente - every brand is different, follow the package recommendations. While the pasta cooks line a sheet pan with clean kitchen towels plus have a few extra on hand. Drain the cooked pasta and layer on the clean kitchen towels in single layers.1 pound lasagna noodles
- Make the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, combine the whole milk ricotta, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Add half the parmesan, and half the shredded whole milk mozzarella, and eggs to the bowl. Mix well with a spatula to combine.1 32-ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons fresh julienned basil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 cup parmesan, 3 cup whole milk mozzarella, 2 large eggs
- Assemble: Preheat oven to 375°F. In a 9x13 deep sided baking dish, lightly coat the bottom with a thin layer of bolognese sauce. Layer three lasagna noodles side by side and one noodle perpendicular on the top (noodle may need to be cut or you can press it up the side.) Carefully spread your first layer of ricotta filling by taking small spoonfuls of your reserved amount and making dollops over the noodles. Then use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread it as evenly as possible. Top with 1 to 1 ½ cup bolognese sauce and lightly spread over the cheese mixture. Top with lasagna noodles and repeat the ricotta and sauce layers 3 more times.
- For the last layer of noodles, top lightly with bolognese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Any leftover bolognese sauce should be served with cooked pieces lasagna bolognese.
- Cook: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in a 375°F oven. Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes. After baking, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to let the cheese mixture set up for easier slicing. Top each slice with reserved bolognese sauce.
Notes
- Neutral oil - this can be canola, vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil. You can also use olive oil if that's what you have on hand. A neutral oil is most common for high-heat sauteing of vegetables, but don't overthink it, use what's easily available to you.
- Deglazing with wine just means adding the wine to the hot skillet and using your spatula or spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Any flavors from the rendered meat that was stuck to the pan will come off and cook into the sauce as the wine reduces.
- Highly recommend going for whole milk mozzarella and grating by hand so the top layer melts evenly without the pre-shredded lines.
- Sauce and lasagna can both be made in advance. Follow the instructions to just before the cooking stage. Cover tightly and store in the fridge or freezer. Let thaw completely before baking.
Ryan says
Good afternoon. I made this today and I must have missed something because I was left with four unused lasagna noodles. I re-read the recipe and it did not mention using a third layer of pasta until the very end. I’m sure it will taste fine though thanks.
CC in DC says
Made this last night for diner and it was excellent and that was without a lot of the ingredients. I didn't have time to get out to the store, so I used what I had on hand, which did NOT include the sausage, pancetta and fresh herbs.
So I'm going ahead and giving it all five stars now, because I am confident that it's a 5-star recipe when you add all the yummy stuff I was missing. Definitely making it again soon and planning ahead so have all the ingredients on hand.
Lauren says
Thank you!!
Karly says
YUUUUM! This looks amazing! Thee perfect lasagna recipe. Definitely saving this one for the next family dinner!
Cait says
well i certainly know what i am making tonight! this looks DELICIOUS!
Nicole Green says
Oh my gosh this sounds and looks delicious! I woke up thinking about Italian food and this did not help haha.
Nikki Gwin says
oh I think I know what I am having for supper tonight! I can almost smell it...
🙂 gwingal