Bolognese Lasagna Recipe – Authentic!

Finally! We present the traditional Italian Bolognese Lasagna recipe (Lasagna alla Bolognese)— from the traditional Ragù Bolognese sauce, to the creamy besciamella sauce and the classic fresh spinach pasta. This is the original beef lasagna recipe promoted in the Italian city of Bologna. Simply the best… and a popular choice in Italy for holiday meals or family gatherings. 

Watch the Video Recipe!

Watch the video and learn how to make this Bolognese Lasagna recipe step-by-step!

In Italian? Lasagne alla Bolognese, ricetta originale!

How to Make Authentic Bolognese Lasagna Recipe: Tips

Preparing the Bolognese Lasagna itself isn’t difficult or time-consuming. However, you’ll probably want to prep the ingredients the day before if you are making the ragù, bechamel or green pasta dough from scratch.

Want to save time?

It’s virtually impossible to find authentic Ragù Bolognese pre-made in most groceries. So, that’s the thing to make from scratch. In fact, this sauce freezes wonderfully so you can make it well in advance and just thaw it when you are ready to make the lasagna.

To save time, purchase the besciamella sauce and lasagna noodles pre-made. We like to grate our Parmigiano Reggiano just before use with a food processor for ultimate flavor and freshness. However, you can save time by buying the cheese pre-grated.

What makes this an authentic Bolognese Lasagna Recipe?

Italians are very picky when it comes to calling a recipe ‘traditional.’ Regional recipes are beloved in Italy, and Italians look to those communities to put their stamp of approval on what is ‘traditional’ or ‘authentic.’

The recipe we present here is promoted by the Italian city of Bologna as the official recipe.

Prep Time Notes

Prep time listed here doesn’t include preparing the ragù, béchamel or pasta, which we’ll assume you’ve done in advance.

For your convenience, we’ve included the recipes for making each of these ingredients in this post, along with their prep times.

Pan size?

This recipe is enough for 5 layers in an 8″ x 11″ or 20cm x 30 cm baking pan.

Use Parmigiano Reggiano—not parmesan.

Always use the real Parmigiano Reggiano. Cheese labeled parmesan is not the same thing in most countries and is virtually never used in Italy.

Use regular lasagna noodles?

Feel free to use pre-made or regular lasagna noodles if you don’t want to take the time to prepare the green pasta dough traditionally used in this dish. We recommend looking for fresh pasta as they are tastier in lasagna.

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Bolognese Lasagna Recipe

PIATTO RECIPES

The traditional Italian Bolognese Lasagna recipe— from the traditional Ragu Bolognese sauce, to the creamy béchamel and the classic spinach pasta. This is the original Italian recipe promoted in the Italian city of Bologna.

5 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Equipment

• Baking Pan: 8" x 11" (20cm x 30 cm)

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 7 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 4 cups Ragù Bolognese Sauce see recipe below
• 2 cups Bechamel Sauce see recipe below
• Spinach Lasagna Noodles for 5 layers – see recipe below

Instructions

 

Prepare Ingredients

• Finely grate the Parmigiano Reggiano.

  Prepare the Ragu Bolognese. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Prepare the spinach pasta using our recipes. Then…
  7 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 4 cups Ragù Bolognese Sauce, 2 cups Bechamel Sauce, Spinach Lasagna Noodles

Make Pasta Into Lasagna Noodles

• Roll out the pasta dough to a bit less than 1mm in thickness. You should be able to barely see your hand through it if you hold the noodle in front of the light.
• Cut the pasta noodles just a bit shorter than the length of your lasagna pan. The noodles will expand when cooked.

  We’ll need 5 layers of lasagna noodles in total.  You may need to cut some noodles lengthwise to completely cover the pan.

Pre Cook Lasagna Noodles

• Boil all the pasta one noodle at a time in boiling water for about one minute. Transfer the pre-cooked noodles to a non-fuzzy towel to cool, laying them flat. 

Assemble Lasagna

• Cover the bottom of the lasagna pan with béchamel sauce.

  Add a layer of lasagna noodles, side by side, completely covering the pan and overlapping the noodles just a bit lengthwise.
• Spread ¾ cup (7 oz or 200 g) of ragu over the noodles. Spread a ½ cup (100 ml) of béchamel over the ragu. Sprinkle with about 4 tbsp of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano. 
• Add another layer of lasagna noodles.
• Repeat until you have 5 layers of lasagna noodles. 

Bake Lasagna

• Bake the lasagna in a pre-heated 400° F (200° C) oven for 25 minutes.

  If you have a fan option on your oven, bake at 350° F (180° C) for 15 minutes.

  Bake uncovered, until the top of the lasagna is a crispy golden brown. 
• Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting. 

Video

Watch this video on YouTube.

Keyword pasta

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

🇬🇧 This is the English-language version of our original Italian recipe on PIATTO Ricette.