National Lasagna Day is recognized nationally every year on July 29th. YUM! Maybe you’ll celebrate by going out to a nice Italian restaurant or maybe you’ll be brave and try this yummy lasagna recipe I’m about to share with you.
I never knew there was a National Lasagna Day until just recently, and when I found out I knew I had to write about it because every year at Christmas my mom makes a delicious homemade lasagna that my family drools over. So this year I will be having Christmas in July by making a version of her recipe! This Classic Lasagna recipe is adapted from my The Newlyweds’ Cookbook, by Ryland Peters and Small that I received as a wedding gift 5 years ago. It combines a creamy white besciamella sauce and a meaty ragu sauce, that taste just like my moms recipe. This recipe takes a little while to make, but it is so worth it!
Classic Lasagna
Ingredients
- 12 sheets dried lasagna
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt and ground black pepper
Besciamella Sauce
- 12 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups of milk
Ragu Sauce
- 6 oz. pancetta
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, trimmed and finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 16 oz. lean ground beef
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 and 1/2 cups beef broth or water
- freshly grated nutmeg
To make your besciamella sauce. Start by melting butter is a medium saucepan. Once the butter starts bubbling, lower the heat and add the flour and cook for 5 minutes without letting it brown. Take the pan off the burner and whisk in the milk. Once all the butter, flour and milk have been whisked together put it back on the burner and slowly bring it to a boil, whisking constantly. Once it starts to boil ass salt and gently simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
For the ragu sauce, start by cutting the pancetta into small pieces. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned. Add your chopped onion, carrot and celery and brown. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the ground beef and brown until just changing color, but not hardening. Add the tomato paste, mix well and then add in the wine and broth. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring the ragu to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours.
Cook the sheets of lasagna according to the package directions. Lay flat on clean dish towels to dry.
Using a 9 x 13 inch buttered baking dish, spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce to cover the bottom. Cover with 3 sheets of lasagna and spread 1/3 of the besciamella. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of besciamella. You should get 3 or 4 layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until the top is brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6.
Serve with a yummy salad and warm Italian bread!
Mangiamo! (Let’s eat in Italian)
