Lasagna is one of the most loved baked pasta dishes in the world, and for good reason. It’s perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and Sunday feasts. It also happens to be one of my favourite dishes because it is pure comfort in every bite. If you’ve been searching for an original Italian lasagna recipe, this one comes straight from the source—Bologna, the birthplace of this rich and satisfying classic.
The traditional version from Emilia-Romagna is deeply savoury and creamy, with no tomato slices or stretchy mozzarella in sight. Instead, it’s layered with silky spinach pasta sheets (don’t skip these!), velvety béchamel, and a slow-cooked meat sauce made with one key ingredient: pancetta.
Fresh green spinach pasta sheets soaks up the sauce just enough, adding a subtle earthiness to every bite, along with a ragù that has simmered for hours to create perfection.
This is a recipe of patience and precision—where vegetables are finely diced, pancetta melts into the sauce base, and warm milk is stirred into béchamel with a hint of nutmeg. The result is a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth lasagna, six to seven glorious layers deep.
As an added bonus, the ragù makes a generous batch, perfect for freezing or enjoying again the next day.
This is your chance to earn the all-important title of lasagna master among friends and family—and if your circle is anything like ours, it’s a title that matters. Let’s make lasagna the authentic way, step by step.
Watch How To Make Original Lasagna From Bologna
This Italian Lasagna Recipe is the real deal
Vincenzo’s Plate Tips to Make Italian Lasagna Recipe
Cooking the spinach
There’s no need to add oil or water as fresh spinach releases enough moisture as it cooks. Once it wilts and softens, it’s ready to use. Then if at any stage of the cooking it dries out, add just a sprinkle of water to help moisten it.
Eggs in the mix
Use the whole egg—yolk and white. The whites add protein and help bind the dough perfectly. Crack eggs into a small bowl first to check for any sneaky shell fragments before adding them to the blender.
Dough It The Right Way
You can make the lasagna pasta dough by hand (like a nonna) or with a stand mixer. But please never use a blender! It messes with the texture and creates a weird web-like dough. Hand kneading takes 10–15 minutes, and your pasta (and future self) will thank you.
Try to Feel It Out
If your dough feels too dry or crumbly, wet your hands slightly and keep kneading. The moisture will help it come together. If it’s too wet and sticky, just sprinkle in a little flour. It’s all about feel.
The Bounce Test
How do you know your pasta dough is ready? Give it a gentle poke, if it bounces back and feels like soft playdough, it’s ready.
Lasagna Sheet Thickness
Roll your pasta until you can see your fingers through it. And when resting the sheets, lay them flat with space between. If they touch, they’ll stick (especially on warm days!).
The Right Blend of Meat
For this Italian lasagna recipe, a blend of beef and pork gives the best flavor balance. But if you are a veal lover like me you can also, use 300g (10.5oz) beef with 200g (7oz) veal.
Patience = Flavor
This bolognese cooks for 4 hours. Check in every 30 minutes, and for the final hour (lid off), stir often to prevent burning. If it starts to dry too quickly, lower the heat.
Any Wine Is Fine
You can use white wine… but red makes your sauce bolder and richer. Don’t worry, the alcohol evaporates. And pro tip: never add wine after the tomatoes as it’ll clash with the acidity.
Lid On or Off?
There are 2 ways to cook the Ragu. Lid on = juicy, rich sauce with locked-in moisture. Lid off = drier, more concentrated sauce (but needs more babysitting). For this Italian lasagna recipe, we’re going with lid on, mainly because there is low effort for a very high reward.
Go Slowly with the Bechamel
Don’t overthink it and trust your instincts. If the sauce thickens too quickly, add milk a bit faster. Always scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring to avoid lumps and keep things silky.
Give Space
Leave some room at the top of your Pyrex dish or baking tray. If it’s too full, your béchamel will hit the foil instead of your stomach!
How to serve Italian Lasagna Recipe
Carefully remove the foil and sprinkle a generous handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top. Pop the lasagna back into the oven, uncovered, at 180°C / 356°F for another 10 minutes. This is when the magic happens and those delicious golden, crunchy edges form.
Now here’s the hard part: resist the temptation to dig in straight away! Let the lasagna rest and cool slightly, this helps the layers settle and makes slicing much easier (and prettier!).
Use a tomato or bread knife to cut through the layers, then slide a flat turner underneath to lift each portion gently onto a plate. Finish with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top… because why not?
Italian Lasagna Recipe
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Deep frying pan
- Ladle
- Small bowl
- Immersion blender
- Scraper (optional)
- Plastic wrap
- Pasta machine
- Kitchen towel
- Food Processor (optional)
- 2 x large-sized pots
- Small-sized pan
- Whisk
- Large-sized bowl of water and ice
- Tongs
- Tray with baking paper
- 11 x 7.5 x 3 inches / 28 x 19 x 7.6 cm Pyrex dish
- Foil
Ingredients
Pasta Sheets
- 100 g / 3.5oz fresh spinach
- 500 g / 17.6oz all-purpose flour or 00 flour
- 4 large eggs
- Pinch of salt
Bolognese Ragù
- 500 g / 17.6oz pork mince
- 500 g / 17.6oz beef mince
- 100 g / 3.5oz pancetta, finely minced
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 bottle passata
- 100 g / 3.5oz tomato paste
- 400 g / 14.1oz peeled tomatoes
- 1 glass red or white wine
- 1 mug full cream milk, optional
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Bechamel Sauce
- 500 ml / 2.1 cups fresh milk
- 50 g / 1.75oz all-purpose flour
- 50 g / 1.75oz butter
- Pinch of nutmeg
Toppings
- Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
Making pasta sheet
- Place fresh spinach in a deep pan over medium-high heat with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 30 seconds, stirring until just wilted.
- Blend the spinach with eggs using a food processor or immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Dump the flour onto your clean work surface and make a well in the center. Pour the spinach mixture into the well and gently bring the flour in from the sides until a dough starts to form.
- Knead with the palm of your hand for 10–15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once rested, cut the dough into manageable portions. Dust with flour and roll through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting. Fold and roll 2–3 times to remove air bubbles, then continue rolling through thinner settings (up to level 5) until you have silky green sheets ready for lasagna.
- Cut the lasagna sheets to match the size of your Pyrex baking dish. Lay them on a clean kitchen towel, dust lightly with flour, then cover with another towel to prevent drying out.
Making the Ragù
- Add the pancetta to a food processor or use a sharp knife to mince it until finely chopped.
- Place a large pot over medium low heat and add 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Once warm, add the pancetta and let it sweat gently, releasing its flavorful fat.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Stir, then cover with a lid and cook the soffritto for about 10 minutes, checking and stirring every 2 minutes to prevent burning.
- After around 7 minutes, when the vegetables are soft and glossy, pour in a splash of red wine and mix it. Close the lid again and let the flavors combine for another couple of minutes.
- Drizzle in a little more EVOO, then add the ground beef and pork. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat thoroughly and mix it well with the soffritto.
- Once the meat begins to brown and turns grey, pour in the remaining wine and stir well. Season generously with salt and pepper, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Next, add the tomato paste and stir it through until fully incorporated. Pour in the passata and add the peeled tomatoes, using your laddle to gently break them up in the pot.
- Cover with a lid and cook the ragu on low heat for 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes, scraping the bottom to make sure nothing sticks.
- After 3 hours, remove the lid and continue cooking uncovered for another hour to reduce and intensify the flavor. Stir regularly and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Optional but recommended: For a silkier, more balanced sauce, add a splash of full cream milk and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
Making the Bechamel Sauce
- Place a small pan over medium-low heat and add the butter. Once melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the flour until smooth and well combined.
- Return the pan to the stove and begin adding the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
- As the sauce thickens, continue adding milk in small amounts, whisking gently until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Turn off the heat, then add a pinch of nutmeg. Mix well.
Boiling the Pasta Sheets
- Prepare a large bowl filled with cold water and ice and set it aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Mix to help it dissolve, then gently lower in two pasta sheets at a time and boil for about 30 seconds each.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the sheets and immediately transfer them to the ice water to stop the cooking. Lay the cooled sheets flat on a tray lined with baking paper.
Assembling the Lasagna
- Start by spreading a thin layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Then lay down the first pasta sheet, trying not to have any gaps.
- Spoon over a scoop of Bolognese sauce and spread it evenly from edge to edge, makinng it mostly even but not too generous!
- Add a few spoonfuls of béchamel and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top.
- Repeat the layering process: pasta, ragù, béchamel, and cheese, pressing each layer down gently as you move through to help the lasagna settle.
- For the final layer, place one last pasta sheet on top. Spread the remaining béchamel sauce generously across the surface to help seal the lasagna.
- Cover the dish with foil (making sure it doesn’t touch the top) and bake at 180°C / 356°F for 20 minutes.
Video
E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!
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This might just be the best lasagna recipe on the planet and if you love it, you have to try these too.
- GARLIC BREAD – Crispy, garlicky, and positively divine, this garlic bread is lasagna’s best friend on the plate.
- WHITE LASAGNA RECIPE – A rich and creamy spin on traditional lasagna that’s so satisfying, you might not even notice the tomato sauce is missing.
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