This here is the authentic Italian Lasagna Bolognese recipe (Lasagne alla Bolognese), the one you would eat in Italy in the best Italian restaurants.
It's the authentic recipe born in the city of Bologna, WITHOUT MOZZARELLA. Oh yes, because, contrary to popular belief, the authentic classic recipe of Lasagna Bolognese does NOT want mozzarella.
Lasagna with mozzarella is a VARIANT of this classic Lasagna recipe and you can find it mainly in southern Italy, often together with ricotta.
The authentic traditional recipe of lasagna Bolognese is made up of three main preparations: fresh egg pasta (Lasagna Noodles), Bolognese Sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese) and bechamel.
Now let's see together how to make Lasagna Bolognese classic Italian recipe step by step.
Ingredients
- Prep Time: 30 Min
- Cook Time: 2 H and 30 Min
- Servings: 8
Doses for a 13x9 inch lasagna pan.
For Bolognese Sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese)
- 300 g (10 oz) of coarsely ground beef
- 150 g (5 oz) of sliced pancetta (you can replace pancetta with minced pork)
- 300 g (1 1⁄4 cup) of tomato passata or crashed peeled tomato
- 1 small carrot (about 50 g)
- 1 celery stalk (about 50 g)
- 1 small onion (about 50 g)
- 100 ml (1⁄2 cup) of dry white wine
- 100 ml (1⁄2 cup) of whole milk
- 300 ml (1 1⁄2 cup) of meat broth
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For Lasagna Noodles
- About 14 lasagna: you can make fresh homemade lasagna noodles following our step by step recipe: how to make Homemade Pasta
- Or you can buy authentic Italian flat lasagna, oven ready (no cooking or boiling necessary), made with durum wheat (we recommend Tuscanini brand).
- Plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (at least 200 g = 2 ¼ cups).
For Bèchamel Sauce
- 1 liter (4 cups) of fresh whole milk
- 100 g (3.5 oz - ~1 stick) of unsalted butter
- 100 g (3.5 oz - ⅔ cup) of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of fine salt
- freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
The Bolognese
Are you ready to make some delicious homemade lasagna bolognese? So first you have to make Bolognese sauce, this delicious dish made with minced meat, soffritto and tomato passata, useful for seasoning any type of pasta, so make plenty. You can prepare the Bolognese sauce even 1 or 2 days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator.
For the complete recipe, with more details, information and suggestions, read how to make Bolognese sauce recipe.
Step 1) - First cut the carrot, celery and onion in very tiny pieces. The more the better. Set aside. Then cut the pancetta as finely as possible with a sharp knife or a food processor. Now place the minced pancetta in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
Step 2) - Add the extra virgin olive oil and the finely chopped vegetables. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Then add the ground beef.
Step 3) - Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium / high heat. Now put the heat on high and add the white wine. Stir and let it evaporate.
Step 4) - Finally add the tomato passata. Cover with a lid and simmer over LOW heat for about 2 hours. If the sauce dries too much during cooking, add a little meat broth. Towards the end, add the milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Bolognese Sauce is ready when you can see an oily, creamy sauce on the surface.
The Bechamel
While the Bolognese sauce is cooking, make the béchamel. For the complete recipe, with more details, information and suggestions, read how to make Bechamel Sauce recipe.
Step 1) - In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat then add the flour - using a flour sieve - while mixing QUICKLY with a whisk. Cook for 30 sec/1 min stirring, so the flour becomes tastier and absorb the butter fats. The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and it should be a nice golden color. Now set aside and let it cool. Meanwhile heat the milk, without bringing to a boil.
Step 2) - Pour the milk slowly over the roux, while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent the formation of lumps. When the milk is completely poured over the roux sauce, put the saucepan back on low heat. Keep mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency (about 10/15 minutes). The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon. Finally, add a pinch of fine salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
If you have used a whisk and stirred at supersonic speed you shouldn't have any lumps in the sauce. If any lumps form, beat them out with an immersion hand blender until they dissolve. You can make Besciamella ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator for ⅔ days.
The Layers
Now that you have all the main preparations, we can start assembling the layers of our lasagna bolognese. If you are using fresh pasta lasagna made with our recipe, DO NOT FORGET to dip them 1 minute in boiling salted water and let cool and dry on kitchen towels before using them for your lasagna recipe. If you are using the lasagna noodles that we have recommended in the ingredients, you do NOT NEED TO COOK them. They will cook in the oven thanks to the liquids of the meat sauce and bechamel.
Step 1) - Preheat the oven at 190° (380 F). Spread on the bottom of a baking dish (better ceramic or pirex) two tablespoons of bechamel. Then put a lasagna noodle over it, trying to cover the entire bottom of the pan. If one lasagna is not enough for you, use another one, whole or in half, depending on the size of the lasagna. Layer on two tablespoons of bolognese sauce and two of bechamel sauce.
Step 2) - With the help of a tablespoon, cover the entire surface of the lasagna. In the end, sprinkle two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.
Step 3) - Repeat these steps for at least five layers (lasagna - bolognese sauce - bèchamel - parmigiano), in any case up to fill your baking dish.
The Baking
Step 4) - Finish by covering the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese, that cooking make a crispy crust. Bake at 190° (380 F) for about 30 minutes.Let cool Lasagna Bolognese out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
- Meatballs in Tomato Sauce | Polpette al Sugo
- Pizzoccheri Recipe | Buckwheat Pasta with Cabbage and Potatoes
- Gnocco Fritto | Emilian Fried Puffy Bread
- Baked Pasta Roses Recipe
- Beef Cannelloni Recipe
Storage
Make Lasagna Bolognese Ahead of Time
So, as you can see, there are three different recipes, which you can make at different times. For example you can make Bolognese sauce a few days ahead and freeze it. Even 1 mounth ahead of time and keep it in the freezer.
Fresh lasagna noodles and béchamel sauce can be made the day before. After you have prepared them, you can start assembling the layers of this delicious and rich Italian dish.
So yes! It's possible to make ahead of time lasagna Bolognese recipe: it can be made a few hours earlier, for example early in the morning to bake them for lunch, but even the evening before.
In this case, wrap it in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. When you want to cook it, you must leave it at room temperature for half an hour: in the meantime, preheat the oven to a cooking temperature of 190° C (380 F).
How to Freeze Lasagna
You can freeze lasagna bolognese both uncooked and cooked, whole or in pieces. In all cases you will get an excellent result by following these tips:
Freezing Uncooked Lasagna
For example you can make a lasagna pan or two and want to freeze to have them ready for the next time. This is typical when you have a dinner or lunch with many guests and you want to make ahead the main dish. So just defrost the lasagna the night before so that it thaws perfectly and the cooking in the oven remains uniform. Then bake at 190° (380 F) for about 30 minutes.
Freezing Cooked Lasagna
If you have a cooked lasagna pan or some leftovers you can think of freezing them. In this case you will have to let the lasagna cool before freezing. When you want to reheat them, just defrost some hours ahead then heat up at 190° C (380 F) for about 10 minutes. TIP: just cover the surface with aluminum foil to prevent it from further toasting.
For both freezing options it's better using fresh products that have not already been frozen.
Variations
In Italy each region has its own version of lasagna recipe and every family makes his own personal changes, thus increasing the number of possible variations in an incredible way.
- MUSHROOMS: The gastronomic tradition of each region has significantly influenced the development of the local version of lasagna. In mountain areas, for example, it's not uncommon to find mushrooms as a filling, instead of meat sauce.
- EGGPLANT: In Sicily, lasagna is very often stuffed with ricotta and eggplant, they call it Lasagne alla Norma
- PESTO: In Liguria, pesto genovese is obviously inevitable. With this great green sauce they make the Pesto Lasagna with potatoes and green beans.
- RADICCHIO: While in Veneto the filling is prepared with red radicchio from Treviso.
- MOZZARELLA: When you add grated Parmigiano, add a little mozzarella cut into small pieces. This is a variant widely used in Italy, especially in the southern regions. This version is often found with the addition of ricotta instead of bechamel.
- RICOTTA: you can replace bechamel with ricotta cheese.
- LASAGNA VINCIGRASSI: In Marche and Umbria, famous is lasagna “vincigrassi”, in which the sauce is enriched with chicken livers, sweetbreads, bone marrow, bovine brain or truffle.
- CARASAU BREAD: Finally, in Sardinia, they use carasau bread in place of lasagna noodles.
Of all these variants, however, only two are competing for the title of Italian lasagna in the collective imagination all over the world: that of Emilia Romagna (lasagna Bolognese) and that of Naples (classic lasagna).
Curiosities
Classic Lasagna vs Lasagna Bolognese
Meat sauce (obviously with the due differences in cooking methods) and grated parmigiano cheese are common in both the recipes. But the difference between classic lasagna and lasagna Bolognese are more consistent. Both recipes come from two famous Italian recipes, born in two different cities: Lasagna Bolognese (from Bologna) and Classic Lasagna (from Naples) known in Italy as Neapolitan Lasagna.
Classic Lasagna mix the meat sauce with fresh ricotta while the Bolognese version uses the Béchamel to bind the filling.
In Italy, traditional Lasagna Napoletana presents a greater “richness” of the filling, which includes (not necessarily all together) semi-hard cheeses, diced salami, hard-boiled eggs and fried meatballs.
What matters is that lasagna, which started from two points in Italy (Naples and Bologna), has become one of the gastronomic symbols of Italy in the world, especially in the United States.
Recipe Card

Authentic Italian Lasagna Bolognese
Ingredients
For Bolognese Sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese)
- 300 g beef 10 oz, coarsely ground
- 150 g pancetta 5 oz, sliced. Or minced pork
- 300 g passata 1 ¼ cup, or crashed peeled tomato
- 1 carrot small
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 onion small
- 100 ml white wine ½ cup, dry
- 100 ml milk ½ cup
- 300 ml broth 1 ½ cup, meat
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- salt
- black pepper
For Lasagna
- 14 lasagna sheets
- 200 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 2 ¼ cups
For Bèchamel Sauce
- 1 liter milk 4 cups, fresh and whole
- 100 g butter 3.5 oz or ~1 stick, unsalted
- 100 g flour 3.5 oz or ⅔ cup
- ½ teaspoon salt fine
- nutmeg freshly grated
Instructions
Make the Bolognese Sauce
- Place the minced pancetta in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil and the finely chopped vegetables. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Then add the ground beef
- Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Now put the heat on high and add the white wine. Stir and let it evaporate.
- Add the tomato passata. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, adding broth when needed. Towards the end, add the milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt and pepper.
Make the Bechamel Sauce
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat then add the flour – using a flour sieve – while mixing quickly with a whisk. Set aside and let it cool. Meanwhile heat the milk, without bringing to a boil.
- Pour the milk slowly over the butter+flour, while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent the formation of lumps. When the milk is completely poured put the saucepan back on low heat. Keep mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency (about 10/15 minutes). Add a pinch of fine salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
Make the Layers
- Spread on the bottom of a baking dish two tablespoons of bechamel. Then put lasagna noodles over it, trying to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Layer on two tablespoons of bolognese sauce and two of bechamel sauce.
- Sprinkle two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano. Repeat these steps for at least five layers (lasagna – bolognese sauce – bèchamel – parmigiano -repeat), in any case up to fill your baking dish.
- Cover the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese. Bake at 190°C (380°F) for about 30 minutes. Let cool Lasagna Bolognese for 10 minutes before serving.
Angela says
I have been making this exact recipe for the past 7-8 years. I know it by heart. It is a hit every time and my go to wow meal.
Terry Miller says
I enjoyed making it, haven't eaten yet. I was confused about the broth so added it with the passata...no danger of drying out here! I had a bit less pancetta, and did not get proper Parmigiano Reggiano. Next time! I bet I also thickened the besciamella too much, and, relying on my memory, added the nutmeg to the Bolognese milk rather than to the besciamella. I used two glass loaf pans for my guest-worthy builds, then a third smallish glass baking pan with leftovers, extra passata, and I put in some mushrooms, so I got more layers in (the loaf pans).
Karen says
I love this recipe! I do not change a thing. This is exactly the type of lasagna I had in Florence near the Santa Croce Square. It's light and fluffy, unlike the southern style of lasagna. I found the bechamel and bolognese sauce amounts to be perfect for a 9 x 13 pan, you want a light layer. This is now my standard go to lasagne recipe.
Logan says
I made this dish and I have to say it was delicious, but I did a few things differently, and there are a few things that I would change if I made it again. I would double the cream and meat sauces for a 13x9 dish because this was not enough for a 13x9. I added 2 bay leaves, basil, oregano, and thyme to my ragu and that seemed to give it a good balance of spice. I also ended up adding a good bit of broth to my bolognese during cooking because it dried out quick during the simmer. I held the nutmeg in my cream sauce, and I wish that I had added some mozzarella, but it was good either way. I sprinkled some fresh basil on top of the dish during cooking as well. This is a great recipe, but I urge anyone making it to double the bolognese and bechamel for a 13x9 or use a smaller pan.
Jelly says
Why ow why do you use the word noodle !!!!! What is wrong with you Americans.Noodle are noodles you put them in a broth or a stir fry
Every single pasta has a name ! Educate yourself please
Doreen says
Dear jelly,
Every country has a different way of speaking, it is important to remember respect. Certainly I understand your point of view but with a politer attitude you could express yourself and education can occur.
I am cooking this recipe for tonight. I’m sure it will be lovely.
Whitney Pearson says
Samin Nosrat spinach pasta sheets, Marcella Hazan's bolognese recipe and this bechamel and assembly recipe. They are both so close. I have made both ways this one and with the above. Both are exceptional. Keeper. Meaning you found it...no need to look or try to improve.
Gratifying to make. The two variant parts are my keeper favorites so I go with those.
JenA says
This turned out really well! Thanks, Barbara!
Martha says
I cannot get pancetta. Can I substitute with bacon?
Barbara says
Hi Martha,
No, better if you subtitute pancetta with minced pork
Kris says
Absolutely yes! Bacon will sub just fine. It’s salty cured pork belly. This was confirmed by a close friend of mine from Rimini.
Wally says
I always add garlic and sweet red wine to my meat sauce, however, I’m so glad I followed your recipe to the letter. It is incredible!!!! Thank you for teaching me something new.
Tanya says
I agree with one of the previous commenters, that both ragu and bechamel sauce amounts, as well as parmesan weigh mentioned here are not enough for 9x13 pan. Next time I will use either smaller pan or will double amounts. Otherwise it is delicious, thank you!
Mary says
This recipe is delicious. I made this the first time a couple of weeks ago and my husband said to throw out all my other lasagne recipes and only make this one from now on!!
However, as the cook, I did find this recipe was scant on both the white sauce and the red sauce. I struggled to make the recipe work for a 9”x13” pan that was specified. I wish i had gone with my instincts and used perhaps a 10” x 10” baking dish instead. That said, I just made it again today for company tonight. I double everything and of course had way to much but I did make an additional layer which I do think has a better presentation. I will use my extra sauce for either pasta or perhaps making a mini lasagne. Again, great tasting recipe. I love that its not to saucy and i don’t miss the mozzarella. Its not pizza for goodness sake!!!
Russ says
There is no red sauce …
Melissa says
I'm making this tonight for a party, it smells heavenly in here! I have a garden, so I added a few red sweet peppers because they would go bad otherwise! I think it will be a tasty addition. Thank you for this recipe!
Dani says
Yes 50grams meat per person is correct as most is Italians eat 3 or so different small dishes at our main meal. Also in the north of Italy you don’t find many overweight Italians as true we love food we don’t live to only eat. One large meal and a small meal per day.
Phil Caldwell says
Well firstly 300g of mince is not going to stretch to 8 people , no way.
Secondly your idea of what goes into Pesto is positively weird. It doesn't take green beans or potatoes (yuk).
Oddly you have put a link to a pesto recipe which agrees with me of course it's made with basil olive oil and pine nuts..
Barbara says
300 g of minced beef + 150 g of minced pancetta for 8 people is enough.
The links are to two different recipes: one is the authentic recipe for pesto Genovese, the other is a Ligurian famous lasagna made with layers of lasagna noodles, pesto Genovese, boiled potatoes and boiled green beans. Terrific! Must try!
Jodie says
Great recipe! I did double the bolognese recipe. I also made homemade lasagna noodles. Only recommendation is to have your bolognese sauce a bit "saucier". The lasagna noodles sure did soak up my sauce. I also added 1 whole garlic clove. Will add one more next time I make this delicious bolognese! My new go-to!
Phil Caldwell says
Wow a WHOLE garlic clove. You sound shocked! That's nothing.. i just made lasagne (not this recipe but it's exactly the same thing) and i put in about 5 cloves of garlic....
Barbara says
The authentic Italian recipe for lasagna Bolognese (this one) does not want garlic. That said, if you love the flavor of garlic and can't do without it, use one clove, no more. Garlic has a strong flavor and, if too much, it covers up the other ingredients that have a delicate flavor in this recipe, especially the béchamel sauce.
JenA says
Jesus, Phil, calm down!
Victor says
What's the purpose of the meat stock? When do we have to use it? It's on the ingredients section.
Barbara says
Hi Victor,
Bolognese sauce must cook for two hours. During this time it may dry out a little too much. In this case, add a little meat broth (step 4). Many add just plain water, but the traditional recipe wants broth.
Russ says
When/if the ragu gets to dry simmering for 2 hours … since it’s not really a sauce. Bolognese should be brown not red
Maggie says
The best secret off delicious Bolognese Sauce is cook it slowly I have a real passion for Lasagna
Davide says
I am an Italian citizen, in ragù (what you call Bolognese sauce) whipped cream should never be added. never! never! never! otherwise the recipe is excellent. you have been good!
Gina says
Absolutely decelious. Easy to follow recipe. I will never buy lasagne in the restaurant or the dry packets they sell in the shops
logan wilhelm says
This recipe sounds heavenly!