Sorry about that, Dan. We wrote it in Celcius without thinking. That’s roughly 400 degrees Fahrenheit. We fixed it in the text to clarify. Thanks for pointing that out!
What a wonderful looking blog and recipe. My son spent some time in Italy and came back cooking Italian dishes, which I love. I do have a quick comment about the third paragraph, last sentence: “you’re secret is safe with us” you may want to change the you’re (contraction for you are) to your for correct usage.
Hi KyneWynn,
Thank you for the nice comment and thank you for pointing that out to us! We have many experts here but the copy editing must have slipped through the cracks – we’re on it!
Hi Val,
It makes a 20cm x 30cm casserole dish of lasagna, so one lasagna (the average size). If this is the only meal, we’d say four people with abundant portions. If there are other treats and eats we’d say it can easily serve 6 people.
Just read your ragu recipe does not have the good flavors that Rosa put in her sauce.
she was out baby sitter and maid for three years we lived in Naples. FRESH Basil. Oregano, Rosemary, Garlic, Italian seasoning The Herbs were harvested from the pots on the patio so they were FRESH. THREE Days of low simmer cooking. Build the Lasagna bake and enjoy
Traditional bolognese does not have garlic or herbs or even a lot of tomato though often there is milk. It is primarily a meat sauce and too many other flavours hide that. Rosa was making a different sauce though i am sure it tasted great.
Great recipe! I used it more as a guide and incorporated my own ingredients and spices into the Ragu Sauce and Pasta Dough. The Bechamel sauce is really good and did not change that at all. Thank you for sharing! I even made a canine version (subsituted the Ragu Sauce for a “dog-friendly” version). 🙂
Sorry to disappoint you but we do not use passata to make the sauce, we use tomato paste and we make the “true” lasagne in a different way, similar but not really as you explained. I come from Modena and we make lasagne e tortellini since the dark ages. 😛
Hi Debo,
The lasagna is made with copious amounts of Besciamella sauce (bechamel) which is essentially a heavy cream. It melts and fuses the noodles together and takes the place of the cheese. Also, we recommend a ton of Parmesan, not a sprinkle, but of course that’s all about taste! Buon appetito
We just returned from Italy and had lasagna in Rome that was amazing. I grew up I. An Italian house and thought I had good lasagna all those years. I couldn’t understand what exactly was different with what I had in Rome, but it must have been the bechamel sauce. So creamy and melted cheese li!e. It was delicious. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I was lucky enough to have fresh-made Lasagne when in Bologna in 2014. I’ve never forgotten that luscious meal. This is the closest thing I have found. Excellent recipe, and I add Parmesan between layers. My family raved for days.
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago for my family. My daughter asked if I could make it once a week from now on. I have made many lasagnas over the years. This is truly the best one I have ever made….and so simple. Thanks for this fabulous recipe!
This says 250 grams of passata sauce. How many cups is this?
I tried converting online and am getting about 1-1/2 cups. This doesn’t sound like enough liquid for 2 pounds of meat. Can you help? I’d really like to try this recipe.
Hi Pam,
True Italian ragù actually has very little tomato sauce in it – Italians prefer to let the quality meat, fat and spices take center stage. The lasagna isn’t dry thanks to the bechamel sauce put between each noodle!
The pasta making portion of this recipe and ragu sound remarkable like Marcella Hazan in other words authentic. Add the Atlas 150mm or 180mm pasta press and good eats.
I think any quality ragu with complex flavors should have minced, sautéed
Mushrooms and more crushed tomatoes… simmer for 6 hours with a cup of Minced carrots and two cups of minced onions…. have had people say they could cry because it was better than when in italy
Sorry, this is not a true mainland Italian sauce. You lost me at ground beef. The meat should be something with bone; slow cooked in the sauce. Pork ribs, lamb shanks etc.
No basil, no oregano, no garlic, no ricotta? I am skeptical. Carrots and celery just don’t seem to do it in a lasagne, but I’m tempted to give it a shot just to see how it comes out.
Hi Geneva,
Classic Italian lasagna is very simple: just a simple soffritto made of diced carrots, celery and onion, meat and later bechamel sauce with some parmesan cheese (no ricotta)! We promise it’s delicious 🙂
Thank you very much for your amazing recipe! Grazie mille! I just made it for my family- we’ve never eaten such a delicious lasagna:) so simple and it really works. I used to think that lasagna was quite a boring watery ready thing from supermarkets… but it’s not! Dalla Russia con amore:) to your lasagna!
I just finished making this using the recipe as is (although I must admit I too was tempted to add some fresh basil and more tomato paste or passata – but decided not to fiddle with it in the end.) It’s fantastic – thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m guessing (not being Italian) that different regions may have different “authentic” recipes, which may account for some of the comments above. To one person’s comment – next time I make it I think I will try swapping out the ground meat for a slow cooked meat on the bone…I suspect it will be even more tasty! (BTW I’m confused about using ricotta in lasagna – I don’t think Im aware of people doing that in Australia – is it a substitute for the bechamel?)
I am just about to make this but can only use fresh bought pasta sheets, how much should I buy? Am I right in thinking that the finished layer is pasta sheet besciamella sauce and then ragu? My own recipe finishes with a pasta sheet!
Looking forward to this recipe.
Thank you
Just made this today. I stared the ragu at 9:00 and baked the lasagna at 6:00 pm.
This is the BEST lasagna that I’ve ever had . I’ll never use any other lasagna recipe.
Thank you so much for this!
This recipe is very close to one I used to make years ago but I lost it. Thanks to you it is found again, the only difference is that i would melt ricotta in the beschamel sauce. Other than that it is perfect. Had a group for dinner and it is usually a good sign when it is quiet while they eat with a small groan on occasion. They were fighting for the remaining lasagna. I LOVE this recipe!!!
This is how my sweet husband from Genoa taught me to make lasagna forty some years ago? My sister in laws family is from Bologna and her sauce is very similar. It’s fantastic there should not be basil, oregano or other herbs in this. Thanks for posting a real Italian recipe! Gigi
I’m looking forward to making this as my Italy loving family are joining us for Xmas. I want to freeze it. If I can source fresh am I to understand that I don’t cook it beforehand but make sure it is thawed and then cooked. With precooked pasta sheets I cook, freeze and the reheat after thawing? Looking forward to reply. Thanks. We loved Bologna!
Hi Diana,
Sorry for the delay, but you’re right, you don’t cook it beforehand. Just make it up, freeze it and then the night before you want to cook it take it out to defrost completely in your refrigerator before cooking.
For Christmas, are there traditional side dishes you’d suggest serving with the lasagna? Wine recommendations? This recipe seems very similar to my mother-in-law’s (that no one can find) so looking forward to seeing (and tasting!) how similar it actually is! Thank you!
Hi Marla,
Sorry that it’s not for Christmas, but generally lasagna is a one-plate meal. Remember, Italians separate their food into appetizers, a “primo” of pasta or rice and a “secondo”of meat or fish. You could serve your lasagna as a primo and then make meat and veggies for a secondo. Any nice, strong red wine would work well!
I definitely wish I had doubled this recipe as it’s barely enough meat and sauce to fit a regular sized lasagna pan! Hopingnit still tastes good when I bake it. I couldn’t find anywhere in the recipe how many servings it made so I just assumed it would make enough for a regular lasagne pan.
Have been to Italy many times , the lasagne does vary from region to region , i suppose it goes back to what was available at the time , you certainly could not afford to waste anything ,i think with most cooking , slow and long bring out the flavours , have you ever had a stew etc the next day ,how much better it tastes ,will try this recipe .
200 degree oven for baking, 20 minutes, does not sound correct?
Sorry about that, Dan. We wrote it in Celcius without thinking. That’s roughly 400 degrees Fahrenheit. We fixed it in the text to clarify. Thanks for pointing that out!
great article! why not write traditional recipes of Apulian cuisine? you can take a cue from my website Apulia Destination.
Sounds wonderful…thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful looking blog and recipe. My son spent some time in Italy and came back cooking Italian dishes, which I love. I do have a quick comment about the third paragraph, last sentence: “you’re secret is safe with us” you may want to change the you’re (contraction for you are) to your for correct usage.
Hi KyneWynn,
Thank you for the nice comment and thank you for pointing that out to us! We have many experts here but the copy editing must have slipped through the cracks – we’re on it!
You don’t say how many it serves. A house full for xmas need to know
Hi Val,
It makes a 20cm x 30cm casserole dish of lasagna, so one lasagna (the average size). If this is the only meal, we’d say four people with abundant portions. If there are other treats and eats we’d say it can easily serve 6 people.
Would you be able to make this ahead of time and freeze it?
Hi Michelle,
Yes absolutely! We suggest not cooking it and allowing it to unthaw completely before cooking it.
‘allowing it to unthaw” = cook while frozen or allow to thaw
Hi G,
Yes excuse us, we mean allowing it to thaw!
Just read your ragu recipe does not have the good flavors that Rosa put in her sauce.
she was out baby sitter and maid for three years we lived in Naples. FRESH Basil. Oregano, Rosemary, Garlic, Italian seasoning The Herbs were harvested from the pots on the patio so they were FRESH. THREE Days of low simmer cooking. Build the Lasagna bake and enjoy
Traditional bolognese does not have garlic or herbs or even a lot of tomato though often there is milk. It is primarily a meat sauce and too many other flavours hide that. Rosa was making a different sauce though i am sure it tasted great.
Great recipe! I used it more as a guide and incorporated my own ingredients and spices into the Ragu Sauce and Pasta Dough. The Bechamel sauce is really good and did not change that at all. Thank you for sharing! I even made a canine version (subsituted the Ragu Sauce for a “dog-friendly” version). 🙂
Sorry to disappoint you but we do not use passata to make the sauce, we use tomato paste and we make the “true” lasagne in a different way, similar but not really as you explained. I come from Modena and we make lasagne e tortellini since the dark ages. 😛
Am I missing something? This lasagna doesn’t have cheese other than a sprinkle of Parmesan?
Hi Debo,
The lasagna is made with copious amounts of Besciamella sauce (bechamel) which is essentially a heavy cream. It melts and fuses the noodles together and takes the place of the cheese. Also, we recommend a ton of Parmesan, not a sprinkle, but of course that’s all about taste! Buon appetito
We just returned from Italy and had lasagna in Rome that was amazing. I grew up I. An Italian house and thought I had good lasagna all those years. I couldn’t understand what exactly was different with what I had in Rome, but it must have been the bechamel sauce. So creamy and melted cheese li!e. It was delicious. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
It looks absolutely delicious, I’m looking forward to making it. Thanks for the recipe.
I was lucky enough to have fresh-made Lasagne when in Bologna in 2014. I’ve never forgotten that luscious meal. This is the closest thing I have found. Excellent recipe, and I add Parmesan between layers. My family raved for days.
I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago for my family. My daughter asked if I could make it once a week from now on. I have made many lasagnas over the years. This is truly the best one I have ever made….and so simple. Thanks for this fabulous recipe!
This says 250 grams of passata sauce. How many cups is this?
I tried converting online and am getting about 1-1/2 cups. This doesn’t sound like enough liquid for 2 pounds of meat. Can you help? I’d really like to try this recipe.
Hi Pam,
True Italian ragù actually has very little tomato sauce in it – Italians prefer to let the quality meat, fat and spices take center stage. The lasagna isn’t dry thanks to the bechamel sauce put between each noodle!
The pasta making portion of this recipe and ragu sound remarkable like Marcella Hazan in other words authentic. Add the Atlas 150mm or 180mm pasta press and good eats.
I think any quality ragu with complex flavors should have minced, sautéed
Mushrooms and more crushed tomatoes… simmer for 6 hours with a cup of Minced carrots and two cups of minced onions…. have had people say they could cry because it was better than when in italy
Sorry, this is not a true mainland Italian sauce. You lost me at ground beef. The meat should be something with bone; slow cooked in the sauce. Pork ribs, lamb shanks etc.
No basil, no oregano, no garlic, no ricotta? I am skeptical. Carrots and celery just don’t seem to do it in a lasagne, but I’m tempted to give it a shot just to see how it comes out.
Hi Geneva,
Classic Italian lasagna is very simple: just a simple soffritto made of diced carrots, celery and onion, meat and later bechamel sauce with some parmesan cheese (no ricotta)! We promise it’s delicious 🙂
Love it !
But i used more tomatoes than what it
Calls for and 1/2 lb of minced mushrooms… came out incredible
Thank you very much for your amazing recipe! Grazie mille! I just made it for my family- we’ve never eaten such a delicious lasagna:) so simple and it really works. I used to think that lasagna was quite a boring watery ready thing from supermarkets… but it’s not! Dalla Russia con amore:) to your lasagna!
I just finished making this using the recipe as is (although I must admit I too was tempted to add some fresh basil and more tomato paste or passata – but decided not to fiddle with it in the end.) It’s fantastic – thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m guessing (not being Italian) that different regions may have different “authentic” recipes, which may account for some of the comments above. To one person’s comment – next time I make it I think I will try swapping out the ground meat for a slow cooked meat on the bone…I suspect it will be even more tasty! (BTW I’m confused about using ricotta in lasagna – I don’t think Im aware of people doing that in Australia – is it a substitute for the bechamel?)
Some people like to accompany lasagna with ricotta but personally we prefer besciamella for the filling!
I am just about to make this but can only use fresh bought pasta sheets, how much should I buy? Am I right in thinking that the finished layer is pasta sheet besciamella sauce and then ragu? My own recipe finishes with a pasta sheet!
Looking forward to this recipe.
Thank you
We like to finish the top sheet with more besciamella and ragu to keep it all moist!
Just made this today. I stared the ragu at 9:00 and baked the lasagna at 6:00 pm.
This is the BEST lasagna that I’ve ever had . I’ll never use any other lasagna recipe.
Thank you so much for this!
This is what we had at a winery in the Tuscany region. I was amazed how delicious it was. I will never use ricotta in my lasagne again!
This recipe is very close to one I used to make years ago but I lost it. Thanks to you it is found again, the only difference is that i would melt ricotta in the beschamel sauce. Other than that it is perfect. Had a group for dinner and it is usually a good sign when it is quiet while they eat with a small groan on occasion. They were fighting for the remaining lasagna. I LOVE this recipe!!!
This is how my sweet husband from Genoa taught me to make lasagna forty some years ago? My sister in laws family is from Bologna and her sauce is very similar. It’s fantastic there should not be basil, oregano or other herbs in this. Thanks for posting a real Italian recipe! Gigi
I’m looking forward to making this as my Italy loving family are joining us for Xmas. I want to freeze it. If I can source fresh am I to understand that I don’t cook it beforehand but make sure it is thawed and then cooked. With precooked pasta sheets I cook, freeze and the reheat after thawing? Looking forward to reply. Thanks. We loved Bologna!
Hi Diana,
Sorry for the delay, but you’re right, you don’t cook it beforehand. Just make it up, freeze it and then the night before you want to cook it take it out to defrost completely in your refrigerator before cooking.
For Christmas, are there traditional side dishes you’d suggest serving with the lasagna? Wine recommendations? This recipe seems very similar to my mother-in-law’s (that no one can find) so looking forward to seeing (and tasting!) how similar it actually is! Thank you!
Hi Marla,
Sorry that it’s not for Christmas, but generally lasagna is a one-plate meal. Remember, Italians separate their food into appetizers, a “primo” of pasta or rice and a “secondo”of meat or fish. You could serve your lasagna as a primo and then make meat and veggies for a secondo. Any nice, strong red wine would work well!
I definitely wish I had doubled this recipe as it’s barely enough meat and sauce to fit a regular sized lasagna pan! Hopingnit still tastes good when I bake it. I couldn’t find anywhere in the recipe how many servings it made so I just assumed it would make enough for a regular lasagne pan.
Have been to Italy many times , the lasagne does vary from region to region , i suppose it goes back to what was available at the time , you certainly could not afford to waste anything ,i think with most cooking , slow and long bring out the flavours , have you ever had a stew etc the next day ,how much better it tastes ,will try this recipe .