Lasagna Bolognese

Lasagna Bolognese that's rich, hearty and packed with fresh herbs and layered with cheesy ricotta between bites of tender pasta.

Course Hunger

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Lasagna Bolognese, lasagna with fresh herbs, lasagna with meat sauce

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 35

Servings to 15 servings

Calories 452kcal

Author Lauren

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.

Nutrition