This classic Italian Lasagna made with béchamel sauce is an insanely delicious, hearty, and cheesy lasagna recipe that you need in your life this Fall and Winter.
There’s nothing as comforting and satisfying as this classic lasagna with béchamel sauce. That’s right, white creamy sauce layered in with lasagna pasta sheets and bolognese meat sauce. Without ricotta but topped with loads of mozzarella cheese.
Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce – the best lasagna!
I am obsessed with lasagna, especially when it comes to lasagna with creamy béchamel sauce.
Nothing against ricotta. In fact, I love ricotta in a lot of things! Like this Baked Ziti, Spinach Lasagna, or even in sweet items like this yummy Italian cheesecake recipe.
But lasagna with béchamel sauce? Definitely the far superior lasagna.
Something about that creamy, yet still fairly light cream sauce sandwiched between chewy pasta and tomato meat bolognese sauce just takes lasagna from good to amazing.
Lasagna with béchamel sauce is also the more traditional Italian way of making lasagna. Here in the United States, most lasagna that you come across doesn’t have béchamel sauce in it, which is really unfortunate, because I personally believe béchamel sauce takes a lasagna from good to great.
This béchamel lasagna recipe is inspired by:
- My favorite childhood Italian restaurant’s lasagna: One of our favorite special-occasion restaurants growing up is this cute little Italian place with dim lighting, soft music, and white table cloths. My favorite thing on their menu is their melt-in-your mouth lasagna (yes, lasagna made with the best béchamel sauce).
- All the glorious lasagna in Italy: Italy is one of my favorite countries to visit and I have also completely fallen in love with their food and pasta. This lasagna recipe is a nod to all the incredible Béchamel Lasagna I’ve had the chance to indulge in in Italy.
I modeled this lasagna with béchamel sauce recipe after some of the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted, and I truly think it is some of the best lasagna recipe out there!
Kitchen Tools
To make this delicious lasagna recipe with béchamel sauce, you will need:
- 1 large pot – for the bolognese meat sauce
- 1 medium pot – to make the béchamel sauce
- 1 whisk – to mix up the béchamel ingredients
- 1 deep 9″ x 13″ baking dish – to assemble the lasagna in
Ingredients
There are basically three key groups of ingredients when making Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce:
For the béchamel sauce (white sauce):
- Butter – use unsalted butter and then add salt to taste to have a good control of the amount of salt in your béchamel
- milk – use 2% milk or whole milk for a creamier texture.
- flour – this is used as the thickening agent for the sauce
- salt – adjust accordingly to open up the flavors.
For the bolognese meat sauce (red meat sauce/ragu):
- peeled tomatoes (canned) – the base of the traditional red sauce.
- tomato paste (canned) – tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor without adding too much liquid. You do not want your lasagna to sit in a pool of liquid when it bakes, so definitely use tomato paste and avoid substituting with something else.
- basil – a classic Italian herb. You can use dried or fresh basil
- oregano – classic Italian herb #2….again you can use dried or fresh oregano.
- garlic – so important to really flavor the sauce. Use fresh garlic cloves and mince it, and avoid using garlic powder.
- onions – white, sweet or yellow onions work well
- carrot – finely minced. You can do this by hand or with a food processor.
- celery – finely minced. You can do this by hand or with a food processor.
- beef bouillon – powder or paste is fine. If you don’t have it, chicken bouillon will work too. This is to bump up the flavor profile in the bolognese sauce.
- salt and pepper – to really open up the flavors in the sauce. Adjust to taste at the end as needed!
Others:
- lasagna pasta – there are actually two types of lasagna pasta:
- pre-boiled lasagna noodles: unless specified, most lasagna noodles will need to be boiled briefly before layering into the casserole. Be careful not to over-boil the lasagna noodles!
- oven-ready lasagna noodles – these noodles are still hard but can be layered into the casserole without pre-boiling or even soaking them. I love using these because they are so much easier, plus one less pot to wash! Make sure these noodles are well covered in sauce when layering them if not they will not be fully cooked in the oven.
- mozzarella cheese – this is used to top off the lasagna at the end!
How to make it
Lasagna may seem like a daunting task to take on, but let me assure you it is not as difficult as it seems!
My goal is to break this recipe into a few key parts so you will find this more digestible (pun intended).
In all seriousness, follow along and you will see that you can totally make this delicious Lasagna Béchamel Sauce. And when you taste the fruit of your labor, you will know why I say this is totally worth it!
Bolognese Meat Sauce
First, make the meat sauce by sautéing the aromatics and beef in a pot first, then adding carrots and celery and sauté until they are tender.
After that, add the tomatoes and tomato paste, followed by the other seasonings including basil, oregano, beef bouillon, salt and black pepper.
Bring everything to a boil, lower to medium low heat and cook till the sauce thickens.
Bolognese sauce should come out chunky and not watery.
Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce) for Lasagna
Next, let’s make that glorious béchamel sauce that I have been raving about non stop.
Bring a medium pot onto the stove, and melt the butter on medium heat.
Add flour, followed by milk.
Whisk the sauce and keep stirring while it cooks. Whisking will remove the clumps formed by the flour and continuous stirring will prevent the béchamel sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Béchamel sauce should come to a boil and then slowly thickens (lower to medium low heat once it boils). Add salt and adjust to taste. P/S: You’ll need quite a bit of salt and you’ll find that it will really open up the flavors of the béchamel.
When sauce is done, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Lasagna Pasta
Cook the lasagna pasta according to instructions. Easier still, use oven-ready, no-need-to-precook pasta and save yourself a pot!
Assembling lasagna
Once the béchamel sauce, meat sauce, and pasta are prepared, it’s time to start assembling your lasagna with béchamel sauce!
You will need a deep 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Start with a thin layer of red sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole dish.
Then add on these layers (in this order):
- Lasagna noodles (bottom)
- Bolognese sauce
- Béchamel sauce (top)
Then repeat the layers.
There should be a total of three sets of the noodle-bolognese-béchamel layers.
Once all the layers are completed, last but not least, sprinkle the top with shredded mozzarella cheese before sending it into the oven to bake.
When it is done, Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce should be bubbly, gooey, slightly charred on the top. 😍
Let it sit for 20 minutes so that the layers would settle and the lasagna cools.
Takes a little patience to wait on this yummy Béchamel Lasagna, but it’ll be easier to cut into it that way – trust me. 😉
How to Serve
My favorite thing to serve with this lasagna with bachemel sauce? Red wine. It pairs together like a dream.
A simple bread and salad side is also goes perfectly with pasta.
More delicious recipes to pair this with:
– Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
– Cheesy Garlic Rolls
– Honey Butter Rolls
– Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Balsamic Vinegar
– Italian Caprese Salad (by Savor The Best)
Reheating and Storage
If you want to make this lasagna a few days ahead, I recommend cooking it entirely, letting it cool, and then freezing it whole. Bring lasagna to a complete defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the oven (you probably want to cover it halfway through baking
If you have refrigerated leftovers, simply cut out slices you want to eat and reheat in the microwave. Good news is lasagna keeps and reheats in the microwave really well!
Tips and Tricks
A few things to note while you make this classic béchamel Lasagna:
- Drain Excess Grease: A fattier ground beef can bring access liquid to the sauce so drain the excess grease from the meat before adding carrots and celery when making the bolognese sauce.
- Consistency of Bolognese Sauce: Bolognese sauce should be nice and thick so that lasagna will not turn out watery. Cook bolognese sauce for longer if it is still runny – take your time to let all the flavors meld together!
- Whisk Bechamel While Cooking: When making béchamel sauce, whisk continuously using a whisk so that lumps are removed and sauce will be smooth. Whisking also prevents burning at the bottom of the pot. Once sauce thickens, remove from heat promptly to prevent it from thickening further.
- Layering Lasagna Well: When layering the lasagna, if using oven-ready lasagna sheets, make sure they are well covered in sauce if not they will not soften when baked.
- Catch Drippings in Oven: If lasagna is filled up to the brim, place a cookie sheet underneath the casserole dish in the oven to catch drippings.
- Let Lasagna Cool Before Cutting: Let your cooked lasagna sit for 15-20 minutes so it can set before cutting it. This will make it much easier to cut into without the insides oozing out too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Or, you can use half and half if prefer.
Yes! Nutmeg is a common add to béchamel sauce and can really open up the flavors so feel free to add it if you’d like and have it at hand. It is not necessarily to go out of the way to get the ingredient if you don’t already have it.
Yes you can layer everything ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to two days before cooking it in the oven. Let it sit in room temperature for an hour or two before baking. If it is still cold when you bring it to the oven you will need to extend the cook time.
You can also layer and freeze, but with how large the casserole is it will take a while to defrost completely, and you want to defrost completely before baking the lasagna.
Not necessary! I don’t usually, and don’t find the tops burning. But you can if you’d like.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
Other delicious Italian Recipes
If you like this lasagna recipe, you will probably enjoy these as well!
- The Best Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Basil and Balsamic Vinegar
- Lemon Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Baked Ziti
- Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce (without ricotta)
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Medium pot
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 5-8 cloves garlic
- 1 medium white onion
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 cup carrot finely minced
- 1 cup celery finely minced
- 28 oz canned peeled whole tomatoes
- 6 oz canned tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp beef bouillon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Béchamel Sauce
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups 2% milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Other
- 9 lasagna sheets boiled or oven ready
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped, garnish
Instructions
Bolognese Sauce
- Heat a large pot under medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and onions. Sauté until fragrant, for a minute or two, avoid browning. Then add ground beef.
- Sauté ground beef until it is no longer pink. Add carrot and celery, and sauté for about one minute.
- Add the liquids – peeled tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Heat it on medium high heat and let it come to a boil.
- Add the rest of the seasonings – basil, oregano, beef bouillon, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Lower heat to medium heat and let it cook for another ~10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Béchamel Sauce
- Add butter to a medium pot and heat under medium heat.
- Once butter is melted (avoid browning butter), add flour to pot. Using a whisk, whisk to combine. Mixture will be slightly clumpy.
- Immediately add milk into the pot and bring to medium high heat so that it comes to a boil. Whisk continuously until mixture thickens and is smooth.
- Once mixture reaches desired thick consistency, add salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.
Assemble Lasagna
- Pre heat oven to 375°F.
- Bring a thin layer of bolognese sauce to the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" dish.
- Start layering with three sheets of rectangular lasagna sheets (see Note 1), then add 1/3 of the bolognese sauce, and then 1/3 of the béchamel sauce.
- Repeat Step 2 two more times. There should be a total of three sets of lasagna sheets/bolognese sauce/béchamel sauce layers.
- The top layer should be béchamel sauce. Sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese to top it off.
- Bring casserole dish to oven and place a cookie sheet under the casserole dish to catch any potential drippings. Bake for 45 minutes, then (optional) broil for 2 minutes to brown the top.
- Remove dish from oven and let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into lasagna.
- Garnish with parsley and serve! Enjoy!
Where are the measurements for the lasagna for crying out loud??!! Really? No measurements for the sauces, herbs??
Hello Alice! The recipe card with all the measurements is at the bottom of the post.
assembly correction!!!……where it sais to add a “thin layer” of the bolognese on the bottom of your oven dish, this is actually the first 1/3 of your bolognese mixture as if you follow the instructions you will be laying mozerella on the meat not the white sauce..not complaining mearly correcting a minor issue
Hi there! The thin layer at the bottom is actually not the first 1/3 of the bolognese. The instructions are correct.
This was so satisfying and delicious. It was my first time making a lasagna from scratch and I am so impressed with how the béchamel turned out! It was so smooth and creamy and balanced very well with the flavor and texture of the bolognese. I added a couple teaspoons of nutritional yeast to my béchamel with the salt and pepper to add a slight cheese flavor.
That’s wonderful! Congrats on your first from-scratch lasagna! 🙂 Thank you for sharing and I’m thrilled it went so well.
I made this with Jovial Gluten Free Lasagne….amazing, delicious, made exactly has written except instead of topping with mozzarella, I just used grated Parmesan. Thank you for the recipe , in my opinion, a much better way to eat lasagna.
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And thanks for sharing about the GF options!
I have made a lot of lasagna over the years. This recipe is probably the best one I have tried and will be my go to unless something more SPECTACULAR comes along.
I used the noodles requiring boiling first. They were the right ones to use. I used Lactose free butter, milk and cheese so my lactose intolerant daughter could eat it.
My wife loved it as it did not appear greasy from cheese fat. All in I can only say that this recipe is a WINNER! Thank you for your efforts!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe as much as we do!
Recipe is great but 20 minutes prep and cooking is for maybe really experienced/larger kitchen. Between prep and cooking (not counting cooking in oven) it took me 2 hours. I’m not a novice (I make meals weekly) but the bechamel alone took almost 15 minutes. Recommend this if you have the time but make sure you have it before you start. I was finally able to put it in the oven and won’t be eating until after 10 PM. 😅
That’s fair! 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe though!
Can you premake this 1-2 days before?
Yes!
Can you freeze this lasagna, and if so, when is the best time to do it? (After assembly, before baking OR after baking?)
You can do it either way! Regardless, I would bring it to a defrost overnight before baking it/reheating it.
I just made this tonight – I have never made a lasagna from scratch! I don’t have an Italian bone in my body (I’m of Irish descent).
It came out great and I will definitely make this again!!
The only comment I would make is that it took me MUCH longer than 20 minutes for the prep. To make the bolognese sauce, make the bechemel and assemble the layers took me at least an hour (and I am an experienced cook). This is good for a Sunday dinner when I have more time.
That said, my family and I loved this and we will definitely keep this in the repertoire.
Thank you for sharing your recipe and I will check out out more from your site.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this and will be making again! 🙂
Love a lighter lasagna. Going to add a layer of spinach. What is your favorite brand of lasagna please?
I love Rummo! They don’t have the pre-bake sheets though but their pasta is fabulous!
My go to recipe for lasagna. We make it a lot. I very much dislike the lasagna with ricotta and this is very similar to how I grew up eating it living in Geneva growing up. I do my own variation of the bolognese but really not much different. The proportions for the bechamel are perfect for the right quantity. It takes a while to make it but it’s so fun and well worth it for the best Sunday dinner! I did buy the “frozen kind” which I am sure everybody knows about but no more! This is much cheaper and so much better! Thanks for sharing it!
I’m so glad! It really is SO much better!
No cooking temp???
It’s in the recipe card 🙂
I had a friend in high school whose step mom (from South Africa) made hands down the best lasagna ever… and this is it! I have been talking about it for over 20 years now and dreaming about how that creamy white sauce changed lasagna for me forever! I am so excited to have this recipe, Thank you! The only difference is I swear she put a little tiny bit of salsa in her meat sauce, but I was only 16 so who knows! Have you ever come across that? Thank you for choosing to post your lasagna recipe! I am forever grateful!
I have not come across the salsa add, but I know some people add a touch of nutmeg into the bachemel sauce! I’m so happy to hear that you found this recipe!
This recipe is great! Ive used it several times, thank you! 🤩
I do add 4 noodles in each layer and Mozzarella cheese in each layer as well.
Try it, you’ll love it! 🥰 😋
Thank you Jane! I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed this recipe!
Best lasagna I’ve ever made, and I’ve made plenty. I actually used a Soubise rather than a béchamel. More flavor. I also added some red wine to the bolognese to boost flavor. It turned out delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for sharing the tips and modifications! Happy to hear you enjoyed this!
This sounds like the basis of what I was taught by my Mum, she’s older & making your meals from scratch was just the only way to do it back then, when it came to me making mine, I added red wine & a TON of garlic & it was the only way I did it, then came Dolmios, a pasta sauce brand here in AU & NZ & it was like a revelation…
No longer did you have to chop & sweat & beat until you were too tired to eat it after you’d finished cooking it, nooo it came in pretty glass jars, not only the bolognese but the bechamel sauce too!
I gave some to my Mum but didn’t tell her what I’d done differently & she loved it! So I got into the trick of using all the jars as it was just SO much easier when working full time – they make Mac n Cheese sauce too, along with many others.
But a little while ago my Mum gave me some of hers – M n C
& omg but it tasted SO damn good & I had another revelation, that jars & packets are still all good, but sometimes it’s nicer to go to the trouble of making it from scratch, & that’s exactly what I’m going to do & I’ll use your recipe & get back to you with my results!
BTW speaking of Mac n Cheese… you should try making it in Texas muffin tins, as the outside goes all crisp & crunchy & the insides gooey & as for the top, pure stretchy cheese bliss with a tossing of panko crumbs!
One last thing… (yes I am going to stop talking!) I have a semi secret I keep for some of my white sauce pasta, which includes the 2 above, freshly grated nutmeg, not too much, but not too little either, & people will be trying to work out what’s added that’s different, in a good way!
Thank you for sharing your blissfully yummy recipes with all of us!
Thank you so much for the detailed review!
Hi! I usually make this lasagna, so good!
I also wanted to comment on your new website, love it!!
Thanks SO much, Danielle! Love hearing from you! I hope it will be much easier for everyone to navigate and find recipes. p/s: so glad this recipe is a regular for you 🙂
I thought this recipe was pretty good with the exception of amount of bechamel. I think you could get by with 2 cups of milk , 1/4 cup of flour and 2 tbsp of butter. I had a lot left over, which was a waste.
Thanks for sharing, Rebeca!
Best lasagna I’ve ever made!! I used an Italian blend of spices instead, and made my meat sauce with jarred as I had no tomatoes or paste. I would say I used closer to 4/5 cups of milk for the beshamel but it was more than enough. I also added shredded marble cheese after each bechamel layer. So delicious, my 10 yr old who “hates lasagna” ate it up, and my husband says it my best recipe!
Yay! I love hearing that! Thanks so much for sharing!
Dont you cover it?
You don’t have to, but can if you want to!
Made this recipe for dinner and the family really enjoyed it. Followed the recipe and didn’t change an ingredient. Yes, it does take some time but it’s well worth it.
Thank you
Thanks for the review Linda! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe. It’s one of my favorites for many years.