Lasagna

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There’s nothing quite like a slice of lasagna to warm you up on a cold day. It’s like the hug you didn’t know you needed, pure comfort food. Every bite is rich, delicious, and feels like home. Making lasagna is truly a labor of love, but the best part is that you can prepare it the day before and simply pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. And trust me, all that time and effort is worth it with that very first bite.

Overview of Making Lasagna

1. Create the Ragu (meat sauce)

The heart of every great lasagna is the ragù. We start ours with a mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots) and a ton of garlic. For the meat, we use a combination of ground pork sausage and beef, but you can switch things up and even use lamb if you'd like. Add some wine, stock, tomatoes, and herbs, then let everything simmer for about 2.5 hours. By the end, you'll have an absolutely delicious, rich, and flavorful ragù that takes this lasagna to another level.

2. Create the Cheese Sauce (Mornay)

One of the biggest reasons this lasagna tastes so good is the cheese sauce. It starts with a simple combination of butter, flour, and milk, along with a few spices and, most importantly, Parmesan cheese. When layered with the ragù, this creamy, cheesy sauce adds an incredible depth of flavor that brings the entire dish together.

3. Prepare the Lasagna Sheets

If you want to save some time, you can absolutely use store-bought lasagna sheets and cook them according to the package instructions. Trust me, your lasagna will still taste amazing! But if you want to go the extra mile and feel like a true Italian Nonna, I'll also show you how to make fresh pasta sheets completely from scratch.

4. Layering the dish

Layering is the fun part! You can have as many layers as you'd like, but there are a few important things to remember. Always start with a layer of meat sauce and Mornay sauce, followed by a full layer of lasagna sheets. From there, build as many layers as you want, but make sure to finish with a generous layer of Mornay sauce and cheese on top for that beautiful, golden, cheesy crust.

5. Baking the Lasagna

Baking takes about 45 minutes, with part of the time covered and the rest uncovered to get that beautiful, golden, cheesy crust. One important tip: always place a baking tray underneath your lasagna dish. There will likely be some bubbling and overflow, and trust me, this will save you a lot of cleanup afterward!

Recipe

Yields: 9-12 squares