Lasagna al Forno
Lasagna al forno is a classic Italian dish that makes a flavorful, satisfying meal. Everyone will love how amazing this tastes and you'll want to make it often.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
- Saucepan Small
- Baking Dish 9 x 13-Inch
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced fresh, 3 to 5 cloves
- ½ Cup carrot chopped fine
- ½ Cup celery chopped fine
- 1 Cup white onion chopped fine (about ½ a large onion)
- 1 Pound ground beef lean
- 1 Pound ground pork
- 1 Cup red wine
- 15 Ounces tomato sauce
- 28 Ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste 45 ml
- 2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning dried
- 3 Cups beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 3 Cups whole milk
- 1/8 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ Cup parmesan cheese grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Additional Ingredients:
- 9 Ounce lasagna sheets oven-ready, 15 to 17 sheets
- ½ Cup parmesan cheese fresh grated, for topping
- basil or parsley, chopped fresh, optional garnish
Instructions
Make the Meat Sauce:
- In a large Dutch oven on medium to medium high heat, add the ground beef and ground pork. Break up and cook until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the meat mixture from the Dutch oven to drain any grease. Set aside in a small bowl.
- In the same Dutch oven, Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat and add the carrot, celery and onion, along with the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables just start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked beef and pork and mix well.
- Add the wine. Continue cooking on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients- tomato sauce, paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, beef stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper and reduce the heat to a simmer, continue cooking for about 2 hours or until a wooden spoon will stand up in the middle of it.
- Note: This sauce needs time to simmer and come together so when it is built with layers of fresh lasagna pasta, once cooked it will help the layers stay as layers and not sink into each other once cut and served.
Make the Bechamel Sauce:
- When the meat sauce is done, remove from heat, remove the bay leaves and make the bechamel.
- In a small saucepan on medium/low heat, melt the butter then mix in the flour to form the roux. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring continuously. Keep the temperature of this mixture low/medium low, roux can brown very quickly and easily when you’re not looking.
- Slowly add in the milk whisking constantly to avoid lumps from forming. Add the nutmeg.
- Continue to cook on medium low, stirring constantly. Once the sauce starts to thicken add the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. This sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
Build the Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the middle of the oven.
- Spray a 9x13-inch casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Ladle about 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan, and spread around using a spatula. Layer 3 lasagna sheets across on top of the meat sauce, and top with another 1 cup of meat sauce. Drizzle with ½ cup of bechamel sauce.
- Repeat these layers 4 more times (for a total of 5 layers, using the entire box of lasagna sheets).a. Fresh lasagna pasta - 3 ½ sheets (for remaining 4 layers. Breaking 1 sheet in half lengthwise will provide a ½ sheet)b. Meat sauce - 1 cupc. Bechamel sauce - 1/2 cup
- On your final layer, add extra sauce (about 2 cups) on top covering all the pasta sheets, and drizzle at least 1 cup (or more) bechamel sauce. Top with ½ cup shredded fresh parmesan cheese.
- Cover the lasagna with plastic wrap then cover again with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Note: Adding a plastic wrap layer helps create steam inside the casserole, which also helps in the cooking process. With the foil covering the plastic wrap, it will not melt to the casserole.
- Remove the foil/plastic wrap and continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes.
- If you’d like to lightly brown the top of the lasagna, turn your oven to low broil and brown the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes **longer if you want is really browned..
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
You can't rush perfection: The long simmering time for the sauce is important because it blends all the flavors together beautifully. Also, it helps keep the lasagna layers separate once cut and served up.
Roux success: When making the roux for the bechamel sauce, it's very important to keep stirring all the time because it can brown very easily if you turn your back on it for even a few seconds.
Make the sauces thick: The meat sauce for your lasagna Bolognese is ready when you can stand a wooden spoon up in it and the bechamel sauce is done when it can coat the back of a spoon.
Don't omit the plastic wrap: The reason for the plastic wrap layer under the foil is it helps create steam for that perfect result (don't worry, it won't melt onto the lasagna!)
Nutrition
Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 784mg | Potassium: 897mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1433IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3mg
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