Yumiam recipe · Italian classic
Lasagne al forno
A ragù simmered for two hours, a béchamel instead of ricotta, and dried sheets that cook in the sauce. The Sunday dish that still feeds you on Monday.
Lasagne al forno is layered from dried pasta sheets, a long-simmered meat ragù and béchamel, then baked for forty minutes at 180 °C. Ricotta plays no part: the béchamel is what keeps it moist, and the sheets need no pre-boiling as long as the sauce stays loose.
- Béchamel, not ricotta — this is the northern Italian version.
- The ragù simmers uncovered for two hours, with a glass of milk near the end.
- Dried sheets go in raw — they cook in the sauce, which must stay loose.
Method
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Start the base
Dice the carrot, onion and celery very finely, then soften them in olive oil over low heat for ten minutes, without letting them colour.
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Brown the meat
Turn the heat up, add both meats and let them colour without stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
The detail that decides it: meat releasing water boils instead of browning. Wait for the bottom of the pan to dry before you stir.
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Simmer for two hours
Add the tomatoes, drop to a bare simmer and leave uncovered for two hours. Pour in 200 ml of the milk for the last half hour.
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Make the béchamel
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook for two minutes without letting it colour. Pour in the litre of hot milk a little at a time, whisking, then let it thicken for five minutes over low heat.
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Build the layers
Alternate ragù, dry sheets, béchamel and Parmesan, starting and finishing with sauce. Aim for five layers.
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Bake and rest
Forty minutes at 180 °C, then fifteen minutes out of the oven before cutting.