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Lasagne al Forno – plated and served
PastaLunchDinnerItalian

Lasagne al Forno

Layers of ragù, creamy béchamel and Parmesan, baked golden brown to a perfect crust.

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Preparation
40 min
Cook/bake time
45 min
Total
1 hr 35 min
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
691 kcal
Servings
6
Prep
40 min
Cooking & baking
45 min
Resting
10 min

Only 1 hr 25 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.

The queen of baked dishes: layers of slow-braised meat ragù alternate with silky béchamel and pasta, topped with plenty of Parmesan that turns into a crispy crust in the oven. It takes some work, but every layer pays off. A lasagna that brings silence to the table.

Why this works

Dry pasta sheets are starch that needs liquid to swell, and they draw it from the sauces around them. If a spot is not covered, it stays hard there, while it cooks perfectly two centimeters away. For the same reason, the resting time after baking is worth it: in the first ten minutes, the remaining moisture is distributed, and the lasagna can be sliced instead of falling apart.

Step-by-step instructions

Conventional · 180 °Cor Fan 160 °C

  1. Cook the ragù

    Sauté a sofrito of onion, carrot and celery in olive oil until soft. Brown the ground beef well, toast the tomato paste with it and deglaze with red wine. Add the tomatoes and let everything simmer for at least 45 minutes until thick.

  2. Stir the béchamel

    Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the milk and stir into a smooth, creamy sauce. Season with nutmeg and salt.

  3. Layer

    First put some ragù in the baking dish, then alternate layers of lasagna sheets, ragù, béchamel and Parmesan. Finish with a layer of béchamel and plenty of Parmesan, and add mozzarella if you like.

  4. Bake

    Bake the lasagna in a preheated oven at 180 °C top/bottom heat for 40 to 45 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and gently bubbling.

  5. Let rest

    Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This short break is worth it, because it is the only way to get clean pieces that do not fall apart.

Our best tips

  • Enough sauce is crucial: if the sheets are not completely covered, they will stay hard. Better to use a little more béchamel.
  • Do not skip the resting time after baking, this is the only way the lasagna keeps its shape when sliced.
  • Cook the ragù the day before, then the assembly goes quickly the next day.

Tasty variations

Vegetarian

Instead of ground meat, layer fried zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms, just as hearty.

With spinach and ricotta

A green variation: leaf spinach and ricotta between the béchamel layers.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 portion)
Calories691 kcal
Protein36 g
Carbohydrates41 g
– of which sugar14 g
Fat40 g
Fiber3 g

Where the 691 kcal come from

per serving
Not counted: olive oil, salt, pepper

These lines have no quantity (“to taste”) or no table value, so they are missing from the total.

Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it

We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:

  • Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
  • Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
  • Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
  • Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.

A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.

How we calculate nutrition →

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pre-cook the lasagna sheets?

Not with modern sheets, if there is enough sauce, they draw the liquid during baking. Important: work generously with ragù and béchamel, otherwise corners will stay hard.

Why does my lasagna fall apart?

Usually too little resting time. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes after baking so the layers can set. Then it can be portioned cleanly.

Can I prepare lasagna in advance?

Ideal for guests: layer completely, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Plan about 15 minutes longer before baking, as it goes into the oven cold. Also suitable for freezing.

How many calories are in a portion of Lasagne al Forno?

One of six portions is around 590 kcal. The biggest lever is the béchamel: with low-fat milk and a little less butter you save noticeably, without the layers becoming dry.

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