The best classic lasagna

Christmas just isn’t Christmas for me without Lasagna! Lasagna is one of the main dishes that my family prepares every year either for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. This recipe is a sort of “magic magnet” of the holiday season as it brings the entire family together. There are many different elements that come together in this dish, and in my family every person was responsible for a different part – my grandma made the fresh pasta, my dad made the beef ragu’ and my mom prepared the bechamel sauce. All of this comes together in a mouthwatering dish that evokes joy, love and family.

But what is Lasagna? It is a kind of wide flat sheet noodle pasta, layered with a filling that varies from region to region and baked in a casserole pan. My recipe is the classic one and is layered with ragu’, Parmesan cheese and bechamel (white) sauce, and topped with an extra layer of cheese. Lasagna is usually cut in individual squares for serving. In one bite, you will taste the indulgent homemade pasta, the rich and hearty meat sauce and the creamy and delicate bechamel sauce, topped off by the crunchy Parmesan cheese. It is a luscious and delectable dish that captures centuries of Italian pasta tradition.

I have learned over the years many secrets on how to make this recipe and I want to share with you my tips so that you can celebrate the holidays with the most traditional of Italian dishes. My recipe is entirely made from scratch, so it will require some time, but it is entirely worth the effort! Do not worry, I will also give you some advice on how to make lasagna with dry sheets noodles – but please, try to make this classic recipe from scratch and you will never buy store-bought noodles again.

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Why you will love this dish?

– It is the most traditional of all the Italian dishes, which brings everyone together around the table.

– It is a powerful project, and everyone can contribute in the making of.

– You can choose the layers as per your liking, ragu’, pesto, vegetables, different kinds of cheese. It is a customizable recipe.

– You can make it ahead and then warm it up before serving it.

– It freezes perfectly, so if it lasts you can enjoy some comfort food when you will need it the most.

How to make Lasagna

There are 4 steps to make lasagna:

1: Prepare the ragu’ sauce

2: Prepare the lasagna pasta sheets

3: Make the bechamel sauce

4: Layer the lasagna and bake it

Let’s review them one by one.

STEP 1: Prepare the ragu’ sauce

For this, you can check my post on how to make ragu’ sauce – all the steps are explained in detail.  I recommend preparing the ragu’ the day before you make your lasagna, so that the sauce flavors will combine and you will have all the time to focus on the pasta making.

If you already have made a ragu’ and you stored it in the freezer, remove it the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Warm it up when you are done with STEP 3.

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STEP 2: Prepare the lasagna pasta sheets

To make pasta sheets from scratch, please check my previous post. If instead you opt for store-bought sheets follow the package instructions.

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In general, my tips for you are:

– Store-bought lasagna sheets are a bit thicker than homemade sheets, which can be rolled thinner. Making lasagna from homemade pasta sheets results in a dish that is lighter and more delectable to the palate and the stomach.

– If you use store-bought pasta, I would advise choosing noodles that require boiling and not those that can go straight to the oven, as they tend to remain a bit harder and thicker.

STEP 3: Make the bechamel sauce

You will need butter, flour and milk to make the white sauce. Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, grated nutmeg and cook, stirring for about a minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk. Return the pan to the stovetop and simmer, stirring until the sauce thickens.

Transfer it to a container and  cover it with a plastic wrap until you will use it, to prevent a thin film from forming on the surface of the sauce. You can freeze this sauce for about 4 weeks in case you want to make it in advance. Thaw it overnight and lightly warm it up on the stovetop, adding a bit of milk if it has thickened too much.

STEP 4: Layer the lasagna and bake it

This is the easy and fun part. Start by putting a bit of bechamel sauce, which will prevent your lasagna from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Some people start with ragu’ sauce on the bottom. I personally prefer the bechamel sauce as its creaminess will keep the lasagna perfectly in shape when you serve it.

After you put the bechamel sauce, you will start making the first layer alternating:

– the lasagna noodles

– then a bit of bechamel sauce, I ensure it fully covers the lasagna sheets.

– then the ragu’

– finally you sprinkle generously the Parmesan.

Continue with a second layer of lasagna sheets, then bechamel, ragu’ and Parmesan. Continue until you exhaust the ingredients, with the final layer being a abundant sprinkle of Parmesan that will become crispy in the oven. The best lasagna will have 4-5 layers of pasta sheets, bechamel, ragu’ and Parmesan – for a dish that will be mouthwatering.

Bake the lasagna in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 45 minutes until the cheese has melted and formed a nice crust. If the edges burn a little bit, do not worry as that will be even better…in my family, we always fight for those crispy edges and the corner pieces are the best ones!

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Allow the lasagna to cool for 15 minutes so that it settles a bit, and then cut into squares and serve.

Lasagna recipe variations and substitutions

You can layer your lasagna with your favorite choice of ingredients. There are endless options, and every region has its own recipe. Some of the most popular regional varieties are:

Lasagna alla Bolognese: This version is from Emilia Romagna. Instead of the white egg noodles, you will use spinach noodles (you can check my post on how to make spinach homemade pasta), and to layer the lasagna you use Bolognese sauce.

Lasagna with Pesto: Typical of Liguria, for this version you layer the lasagna with Pesto instead of ragu’, and add some green beans and a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino among the layers. This is a very fresh dish, ideal for spring and summer.

Carnival Lasagna: This is a typical lasagna from Naples which alternates layers of meat sauce, boiled eggs, ricotta cheese, meatballs and cured meats.

If you are intolerant to gluten, check on my previous post how to make gluten-free lasagna noodles.

If you are looking for other yummy dishes, you might also like Pappardelle made from scratch, Pumpkin Stuffed Pasta Shells and Eggplant Parmigiana.

What to serve with Lasagna

Lasagna is a meal onto itself, but at Christmas we can indulge a bit more!

You can start with an appetizer of Olive Ascolane or Prosciutto Dip, followed by this rich and hearty meal.

How to store Lasagna

Lasagna is easy to store and you can freeze it for up to 8 weeks. To warm it up, just remove it the night before and let it thaw in the refrigerator. Bake it cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes at 350°F (180°C) in the oven. My preference is not to use the microwave to warm up lasagna as it modifies the texture of the entire dish.

Which wine to pair with Lasagna

The best wine to pair with Lasagna is Sangiovese from Tuscany. Its round body and notes of tomato and thyme cuts well through the creaminess and savory flavor of the lasagna.

Another option would be a Brunello di Montalcino, which is an aged Sangiovese wine. It is an important wine, which I would drink for a holiday meal as it has deep notes of leather and dried herbs which is great with a rich dish such as Lasagna.

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Please let me know how you like Lasagna in the comments! I really would love to hear from you, and hope you will love making Lasagna and share this meal with your loved ones!

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