• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Inside The Rustic Kitchen
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE Italian Food Club
  • Tips & Tricks
  • About Us & Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • My Recipe Box
  • About us
  • Subscribe!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Lasagne al Forno (Italian Beef Lasagna)

    Published: Mar 1, 2020, Last updated: Feb 9, 2021 by Emily This post may contain affiliate links.

    29615 shares
    • Facebook5
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    Recipe Print

    A classic recipe for homemade Lasagne al Forno (Italian Beef Lasagna) made entirely from scratch. There's truly nothing more comforting than a hot bubbling baked lasagna made with homemade beef ragu, bechamel sauce, silky pasta and topped with melted mozzarella cheese! This traditional Italian recipe will be a comfort food favourite.

    An overhead shot of lasagne al forno in a large baking dish

    Lasagne al Forno is the perfect meal for Sunday dinner, the rich beef ragu can simmer away while you prepare the bechamel sauce and if you feel like going all out you can even make homemade pasta too. 

    It's truly special.

    Is Lasagne Hard to Make?

    So here's the thing, lasagne may seem daunting to make from scratch but it's not difficult! Here's a breakdown of the elements;

    • Ragu or meat sauce - the beef ragu takes around 10-15 minutes to prep (cutting the veg, browning the meat etc) but once you've done that you leave it to simmer away for a few hours while you get on with your day, easy!
    • Pasta - if you're making homemade pasta then the prep time is increased significantly which is fine if you're having a fun day of cooking but if you want as less prep as possible then use pre-bought fresh lasagna sheets/noodles. You can use dried but I recommend using fresh, see my notes below on why.
    • Bechamel sauce - this lasagna is a traditional Italian version so it's made with bechamel sauce and NOT ricotta cheese. You'll see ricotta used in Italian-American recipes. Don't worry though making a bechamel sauce from scratch takes no more than 10 mins and it can be prepped in advance or just before you are ready to assemble the dish.
    • Assembling the dish - this is the fun part and takes around 10 minutes (if that). Just layer up the pasta, ragu, bechamel and top with cheese, simple!
    • Cooking the lasagne - it takes around 45 minutes to bake in the oven so you can see why from start to finish it takes a pretty long time but all that time is not spent in the kitchen. Once you've made this from scratch using all our tips you won't believe how simple it is!

    A close up of a slice of lasagne al forno on a plate

    Fun Fact - The Difference between Lasagna and Lasagne

    For the proper foodies that are curious about the different spellings, it's actually very simple.

    So in Italian, lasagna is one sheet of pasta or noodle and lasagne is more than one (plural).

    Because this pasta dish is made with more than one lasagna noodle it's referred to as lasagne or Lasagne al Forno in Italian but the whole dish is often known as lasagna everywhere else in the world.

    Whatever way you call it we are all talking about the same bubbling beautiful thing!

    How to Make Lasagne al Forno - Step by Step

    Il Soffritto

    The ragu starts like a lot of Italian sauces, stews and soups, with Il Soffritto.

    Il Soffritto is very simply, finely chopped carrot, celery and white onion sauteed slowly with a little olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft.

    This adds incredible depth of flavour to many dishes and can even be made in advance to add into weeknight meals for an extra flavour punch.

    Top Tip: Make a big batch and freeze it, you can cook it straight from frozen!

    How to Make the Ragu

    Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion and sweat slowly with a little olive oil in a large, deep skillet or pan (photo 1).

    Once you've sauteed the veggies, add the meat and brown whilst breaking it up with a wooden spoon (photos 2).

    Step by step photos for making beef ragu

    Add the red wine and reduce by half. Once the wine has reduced, add the sieved tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, 4 cups of the beef stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and leave to simmer on a low heat for 2.5-3 hours uncovered. Add the rest of the beef stock half way through (photos 3-6).

    How to Make Bechamel Sauce

    Add the butter to a saucepan and cook until melted and bubbling (photo 7).

    Add the flour to the melted butter and stir to form a paste. Let the flour cook for 1 minute (photo 8).

    Step by step photos for making bechamel sauce

    Slowly whisk half of the milk into the butter and flour constantly whisking to avoid any lumps. Once it has started to thicken add the rest of the milk, nutmeg, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper (photos 9-11).

    Continue to heat the sauce whilst stirring until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take off the heat and set aside (photo 12).

    How to Assemble the Lasagne

    To assemble the lasagne, spoon a small amount of ragu on the very bottom of the baking dish. Top with and even layer of lasagna pasta sheets (photos 13 & 14).

    Add a few more spoons of ragu so the pasta is completely covered followed by white sauce (photos 15-16).

    step by step photos for how to assemble a beef lasagne

    Repeat the layers of pasta, ragu and bechamel sauce finishing with a layer of pasta topped with bechamel sauce (you should have 4-5 layers of pasta). Cover the top layer of the lasagne with torn mozzarella and then bake in the oven until bubbling and golden (photos 17 & 18).

    Dried Vs Fresh Lasagna Sheets

    When making lasagne I always use fresh lasagna sheets or make my own homemade pasta if I have time.

    Fresh lasagna sheets have a much nicer texture than dried and it saves time having to pre-boil them.

    I also find that dried lasagna sheets curl up as they cook so you don't get a nice defined layer.

    Top Tips for Making Lasagne al Forno

    • The ragu needs at least 3 hours to simmer and there's a reason for that, the flavour is incredible and you just won't get the same depth of flavour by turning the heat up or using any shortcuts.
    • Don't cover the ragu as it's simmering or it won't concentrate in flavour enough. If you find the ragu has reduced and thickened too much add more water ½ cup (125ml) at a time.
    • You can make the beef ragu a day or two in advance to cut the prep time down.
    • I also recommend freezing beef ragu so you can thaw it overnight before making lasagne.
    • I only use parmesan in the white sauce but to make it extra indulgent you can add a good strong melting cheese such as gruyere or fontina.
    • If you want to make your own pasta then check out our Homemade Pasta Dough recipe.
    • Does your lasagna collapse on your plate? that means you've not reduced the ragu enough. Check out the video and step by step photos for reference of how your ragu and bechamel sauce should look.
    • If you want to use dried lasagna sheets then follow the packet instructions to see if you need to pre-boil them.

    A slice of beef lasagna on a plate

    Other Lasagna Recipes You Might Like;

    • Eggplant Lasagna with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
    • Butternut Squash Lasagna – Sage, Prosciutto & Goats Cheese
    • Lentil Ragu Lasagne

    If you've tried this Classic Beef Lasagne or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I'm getting up to.

    Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
    Save RecipeSaved!
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin
    5 from 55 votes

    Lasagne al Forno (Italian Beef Lasagna)

    A classic recipe for homemade Lasagne al Forno (Italian Beef Lasagna) made entirely from scratch. There's truly nothing more comforting than a hot bubbling baked lasagna made with homemade beef ragu, bechamel sauce, silky pasta and topped with melted mozzarella cheese! This traditional Italian recipe will be a comfort food favourite.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
    Servings 8 - 10 servings
    Calories 753kcal
    Author Emily Kemp

    Ingredients

    Ragu

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 cup  carrot finely chopped (1 large)
    • 1 cup stalk celery finely chopped (1 large)
    • 1 cup white onion finely chopped (1 large)
    • 1 lb ground beef (mince) (500g)
    • 1 lb ground pork (mince) (500g)
    • 2.5 cups sieved tomatoes tomatoes (passata) (540g)
    • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 1 cups red wine (250ml)
    • 6 cups beef stock (1.5 litres)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes and pepper

    White Sauce

    • 5 tablespoon butter (70g)
    • 5 tablespoon flour all-purpose (70g)
    • 4 cups full fat milk (1 litre)
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1 cup parmesan freshly grated (70g)
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt salt and pepper or  to taste

    Lasagne

    • 1 lb fresh lasagna pasta sheets (17 oz/500g)
    • 2 balls mozzarella (8 oz/250g)

    Equipment

    • 9x13 inch baking dish

    Instructions

    Ragu

    • Finely chop the carrot, onion and celery and saute the vegetables gently in a large frying pan with the olive oil. Once the vegetables are soft add the beef and pork mince and cook until browned.
    • If there is a lot of excess fat in the pan, spoon some out. Add the red wine and reduce by half.
    • Once the wine has reduced, add the sieved tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, 4 cups of beef stock (1 litre) and a pinch of salt and pepper.
    • Stir everything together and leave to simmer on a low heat for 2.5-3 hours uncovered. Add the rest of the beef stock half way through.

    White Sauce

    • Add the butter to a saucepan and cook until melted and bubbling.
    • Add the flour to the melted butter and stir to form a paste. Let the flour cook for 1 minute.
    • Slowly whisk half of the milk into the butter and flour constantly whisking to avoid any lumps. Once it has started to thicken add the rest of the milk, nutmeg, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper.
    • Continue to heat the sauce whilst stirring until thickened enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take off the heat and set aside.

    Assemble the lasagne

    • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
    • To assemble the lasagne, spoon a small amount of ragu on the very bottom of the baking dish. Top with and even layer of lasagna pasta sheets (cut the pasta sheets to fit your baking dish).
    • Add a few more spoons of ragu so the pasta is completely covered followed by 2 ladels of white sauce.
    • Repeat the layers of pasta, ragu and bechamel sauce until everything is used up making sure to keep enough of bechamel sauce for the very top layer (you should have 4-5 layers of pasta).
    • Cover the top layer of the lasagne with torn mozzarella and then bake in the oven for 45minutes or until bubbling and golden.
    • Let it cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • The ragu needs at least 3 hours to simmer and there's a reason for that, the flavour is incredible and you just won't get the same depth of flavour by turning the heat up or using any shortcuts.
    • Don't cover the ragu as it's simmering or it won't concentrate in flavour enough. If you find the ragu has reduced and thickened too much add more water ½ cup (125ml) at a time.
    • You can make the beef ragu a day or two in advance to cut the prep time down.
    • I also recommend freezing beef ragu so you can thaw it overnight before making lasagne.
    • I only use parmesan in the white sauce but to make it extra indulgent you can add a good strong melting cheese such as gruyere or fontina.
    • If you want to make your own pasta then check out our Homemade Pasta Dough recipe.
    • Does your lasagna collapse on your plate? that means you've not reduced the ragu enough. Check out the video and step by step photos for reference of how your ragu and bechamel sauce should look.
    • If you want to use dried lasagna sheets then follow the packet instructions to see if you need to pre-boil them.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 753kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 1159mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3158IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 417mg | Iron: 4mg
    Helpful Info for All Recipes
    • I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
    • When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
    • All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
    • All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
    • Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
    • Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
    • You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @insidetherustickitchen or tag #insidetherustickitchen! We'd love you see what you're getting up to in the kitchen!

    More Italian Pasta Recipes

    • An overhead shot of creamy tomato pasta with Italian sausage in a blue patterned bowl with a serving spoon at the side.
      Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
    • An overhead shot of butternut squash ravioli in a white bowl sitting on a wooden serving board.
      Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage and Brown Butter Sauce
    • An overhead shot of shrimp spaghetti in a rustic bowl sitting on a wooden surface with a glass of white wine at the side.
      Shrimp Spaghetti with 'Nduja and Lemon
    • Orecchiette pasta with a creamy tomato sauce in a rustic ceramic bowl topped with cheese
      Orecchiette with 'Nduja Sugo

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amy

      February 27, 2023 at 11:57 pm

      I made this after a trip to NYC where I had an amazing lasagne. This was almost identical. A big hit in my house. Would this freeze well? I work a lot it would be nice to have one on hand.5 stars

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 04, 2023 at 2:53 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it! As for freezing, lasagna is best frozen before baking but you can still freeze cooked lasagna. Just be sure to let it cool completely before freezing and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn. When you're ready to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake it in the oven until heated through. Enjoy!

        Reply
    2. Sharisse

      February 15, 2023 at 6:07 pm

      First time ever making a lasagne. It’s Valentine’s Day and instead of going out for a pre fixed dinner we decided to have a good hearty romantic dinner at home.
      My husband being Italian, he is one very fussy eater, especially when it comes to Italian cuisine since he grew up with his grandmas cooking! That’s a hard one to beat!!!
      He joking said before going to work this morning, “how about lasagne”
      Challenge accepted!!! Although he didn’t know at the time 🙂
      After searching for the perfect recipe, I decided to try this one based on the incredible reviews.
      And boy am I happy I did!
      A couple notes I have for anyone who is reading this is:
      ~If using diced or crushed canned tomatoes, after draining them, blend them to a smooth consistency before adding to meat. To avoid chunks of tomato in the finished lasagne.
      ~for béchamel sauce, be prepared to stir for at least 10-15 minutes. I found it wasn’t thickening enough I so I added more Parmesan and eventually it was absolutely perfect consistency before letting it rest.
      ~ I used “no boil” lasagne noodles so having some liquid in my meat sauce was perfect to help keep the lasagne moist.
      Lastly, I added my shredded mozzarella to the last, top layer of lasagne but it was a little dry once cooked. I think adding a thin layer of béchamel before the mozzarella would’ve kept it perfectly moist. (I think the recipe calls for it but I missed that when making mine)
      Oh and give yourself lots of time…. It’s not a quick meal by any stretch. It might help to pre make the ragu a day ahead which gives a lot more flavor the next day.
      Overall this was an absolute winner!! My husband fell in love all over again- lol
      I truly stole his heart this valentines. Thanks for this amazing recipe and for posting the reviews. I’m definitely keeping this on my short list!!!
      Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️5 stars

      Reply
    3. Rachael

      December 21, 2022 at 2:40 am

      I made this for Christmas last year and plan to make it this year. I've been to Italy a few times and this recipe tastes authentic.5 stars

      Reply
    4. Naomi

      December 11, 2022 at 7:19 pm

      This is the best lasagna recipe I have ever made. This will forever be my go to. I added a good heaping spoonful of minced garlic to the vegetable mixture. The ragu is so good I could just eat a bowl of it by itself!5 stars

      Reply
    5. elaine martell

      November 09, 2022 at 11:18 pm

      Can the lasagna be assembled and refrigerated for a day or is it best to assemble right prior to baking?

      Reply
      • Emily

        November 10, 2022 at 1:58 pm

        Hi Elaine, yes, you can assemble it the day before 🙂

        Reply
    6. Wendy

      October 29, 2022 at 2:45 pm

      This was delicious. I used Italian sausage and ground beef, and I used chicken stock rather than beef stock. The simmering for 3 hours made the meat so tender and delicious. My mozzarella was packed in water and I found the top of the lasagna was watery but just used a towel to take off the excess water.

      The lasagna held up perfectly and didn’t topple over. Thanks for a great recipe.5 stars

      Reply
      • Ryan

        February 14, 2023 at 12:19 am

        I prepped the day before. I drained and tore the mozzarella and stored in fridge overnight. I think that helped get rid of the residual moisture.5 stars

        Reply
    7. Patty

      September 01, 2022 at 7:59 pm

      Does substituting one pound of ground Italian sausage (either mild or spicy) for the ground pork change the “authenticity” of this dish, or do you advice sticking with the ground pork? Also, are the mozzarella balls 8 oz total weight, or each? Sounds delicious and I hope to try it soon!

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 06, 2022 at 11:41 am

        Hi Patty, it's not traditional to add sausage in this particular lasagna but it would still be delicious...I would go for mild though! Yes, 8oz in total of mozzarella, Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
      • Joe S

        October 13, 2022 at 10:29 pm

        I'm with you Patty--the mild sausage was amazing. This recipe is a keeper!5 stars

        Reply
      • Angie

        December 12, 2022 at 2:30 am

        This was amazing! A lot of work with homemade pasta sheets but so worth it. Thank you for the recipe.5 stars

        Reply
    8. Claire

      August 15, 2022 at 7:37 pm

      The best lasagne I have ever had, period. Even better than our local Italian places. Absolutely worth the time put in. I added some minced garlic and diced jalapenos to the onion/carrot/celery mixture. And used spicy sausage in place of the ground pork and that gave it the perfect spice. Can't wait to make it again!5 stars

      Reply
    9. Shirley Wood

      August 14, 2022 at 5:42 pm

      Made this recipe to the letter and it was delicious. This will be our new go to lasagne! It really does pay off letting the ragu simmer for 3 hours.5 stars

      Reply
    10. Kendahl

      August 13, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      Can you use almond milk instead for the bechamel?

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 17, 2022 at 4:55 pm

        I'm sure you could use unsweetened almond milk to make the bechamel but I've never tried it, let me know how it goes!

        Reply
    11. Kathy

      July 16, 2022 at 2:01 am

      So you just layer the fresh lasagna sheets without pre-boiling them at all? I've always wondered if this would work but didn't want to try and have all my hard work go to waste! I find the pre-boiling is the part of making fresh pasta I don't like!

      Reply
      • Emily

        July 18, 2022 at 11:23 am

        Hi Kathy, no need to pre-boil fresh lasagne sheets before layering. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    12. Catia

      June 16, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      I loved the recipe, takes a bit of time but all good things take time 🙂
      I added some sauted vegetables between the layers and let me tell you: Amazing!! 🙂

      Thank you so much for a great recipe 🙂 x5 stars

      Reply
    13. Benjamin

      June 02, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      I've been using this recipe, or variations of this, for so long now. I usually also give some wine to the sofrito as well and let them soak it in, to give extra flavor.
      Absolutely lovely recipe, never had a bad date with this one 😉 And italian-approved by colleagues at work.

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Benjamin

        June 02, 2022 at 8:34 pm

        Uh - and I also add about 100gr of bacon in before adding the veggies - really intensifies the deep flavor!

        Reply
        • Brian

          June 22, 2022 at 2:52 pm

          Now that is a good idea, Next time, I'm adding bacon too, thanks

    14. Robin

      May 31, 2022 at 1:49 pm

      I served this dish at a dinner party this weekend and it was loved by all! First time for me making the Ragu from scratch and it was easy as well as delicious. I think next time I'll grate the mozzarella instead of tearing it though and it took a little longer in my oven to brown properly. Very Very delicious!5 stars

      Reply
      • Brian

        June 22, 2022 at 2:54 pm

        I have the same problem, I tear the Mozzarella up but it doesn't melt properly, or brown, I sprinkled some grated parmesan over the top, that helped, but, yeah, maybe grating the Mozzarella is a better idea.

        Reply
        • Ruben

          March 20, 2023 at 10:07 am

          Not sure how you'd grate fresh mozzarella though. The low-moisture variety, sure, but be advised that's a rather different cheese.

          Speaking of moisture, if you tear your mozz in advance and leave it on a plate with some paper towels (perhaps overnight), that will get rid of some of the excess moisture and should help with melting & browning. Tearing the cheese into smaller pieces may also help (as the moisture can then evaporate more easily given the larger surface area). I didn't do anything to dry them but just used small pieces and got pretty good browning.

    15. Ashley

      April 29, 2022 at 10:59 pm

      How would doubling the recipe work out to make two pans of lasagna?

      Reply
      • Emily

        May 03, 2022 at 3:11 pm

        You can double both the ragu and white sauce without issues 🙂

        Reply
    16. Grant

      April 20, 2022 at 3:13 pm

      my meat sauce is a very liquid, like a soup. Why?

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 20, 2022 at 3:35 pm

        You just need to reduce it more. Turn up the heat to a simmer and let the Ragu reduce to the right consistency.

        Reply
        • Ariana

          May 25, 2022 at 7:16 am

          It is a really good recipe- I let the ragu simmer for 2.5h and it was still very good ( but listen to the lady here ahahah). I would reduce the amount of beef stock and substitute with some other broth or just water as it smelled a bit too much like beef stock (maybe because I didn’t let it simmer enough but still). Overall the recipe is a 10/10 really good stuff-it made the hardest person to like something ask for a second portion.

    17. Cheyenne

      April 14, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      I can already tell this will be amazing—but I have a question! What can I sub the red wine with? We don’t use wine in my house 🙂5 stars

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 18, 2022 at 6:34 pm

        You can just leave it out, no need to replace it with anything 🙂

        Reply
        • Kristin

          May 22, 2022 at 9:52 pm

          This looks amazing, can’t wait to make it. I’m just wondering, I’d like to prep this and put it in the freezer, would you recommend cooking it before freezing or putting it into the freezer uncooked? Would you use dried or fresh pasta sheets in this case? Thank you!!

        • Emily

          May 23, 2022 at 3:45 pm

          Ciao Kristin, if freezing I'd use fresh lasagne sheets and put it in the freezer uncooked 🙂

    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Ciao, we're Emily and Nathan. Our years living in Italy taught us how to cook authentic and delicious Italian food. We're here to help you put a beautiful meal on the table with tried and tested recipes you can trust. more about us!

    As seen in

    A collage of high profile online publication logos

    Popular Recipes

    • an overhead shot of a tiramisu in a dish with a slice out
      Tiramisu - Authentic Recipe!
    • Mushroom Ravioli With Parmesan Cream Sauce
    • Eggplant Parmigiana (Parmigiana di Melanzane)
    • Close up of an Italian beef ragu in a bowl
      Italian Beef Ragu - A Classic Recipe
    • An overhead shot of lobster ravioli in a bowl
      Lobster Ravioli with Vodka Cream Sauce
    • Italian tomato sauce in a saucepan with two slices of ciabatta bread
      Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce - Quick, Easy & Delicious

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us & Contact
    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Accessibility Statement

    My Recipe Box

    • Sign up for email updates and save all your favourite recipes!

    Recipes

    • Pasta
    • Mains
    • Desserts

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Copyright © 2022 Inside the Rustic Kitchen

    • 5
    29615 shares