Lasagna with Ragù & Béchamel

Italian Markets, Black Kitchens: A Lasagna Story

Some recipes test your skill. This one tests your restraint. In this quiet method, salmon is gently poached in olive oil infused with lemon peel and fresh dill.

The heat never bubbles, the oil never rushes — it just coaxes. The result is tender, translucent flakes that fall apart with a sigh. Finished with a butter sauce of dill, parsley, and tarragon, it is a study in patience and precision — the difference between heaven and hell on a plate.

Watch my video to follow along step-by-step.

Lasagna

Ingredients

Meat Sauce (Ragù)

• Pancetta, diced — ¼ cup

• Olive oil — 3 tbsp (45 ml), as required

• Onion, finely grated — 1 cup (150 g)

• Carrot, finely grated — ½ cup (75 g)

• Celery, finely grated — ½ cup (75 g)

• Ground beef (80–85%) — 1 lb (450 g)

• Ground pork — ½ lb (225 g)

• Tomato paste — 2 tbsp (30 g)

• Dry wine (red or white) — 1 cup (240 ml)

• Crushed tomatoes — 3 cups (720 ml)

• Beef or chicken broth — 1½ cups (360 ml), as needed

• Nutmeg — pinch

• Black pepper — to taste

• Sea salt — to taste (add at the end)

• Parmesan rind — 1 piece, 2–3 in (5–7 cm), loose in the pot

Herb & Garlic Sachet (remove at the end)

• Cheesecloth (double layer) + kitchen twine

• Garlic — 2–3 large cloves, skin on, lightly crushed

• Rosemary — 1 small sprig (7–8 cm)

• Thyme — 4–6 sprigs

• Bay leaf — 1–2

• Black peppercorns — 10–12, lightly cracked

Béchamel (White Sauce)

• Unsalted Butter — 6 tbsp (80 g)

• Plain flour — 2/3 cup (80 g)

• Whole milk — 4 cups (1 L), warmed

• Sea salt — ¾ tsp

• White pepper — pinch

• Nutmeg — ground, or freshly grated to taste, not optional

Pasta & Cheese

• Lasagna sheets — fresh or no-boil; if using dried, see Method

• Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano if available), finely grated — 1–1½ cups (100–150 g)

Optional Finish

• Whole milk — ½ cup (120 ml) to balance sauce (only if needed)

Method

1. Render pancetta. Medium–low heat until fat releases and edges just start to crisp. Leave fat in the pan; add a little olive oil only if the pan looks dry.

2. Sweat the grated soffritto. Add onion, carrot, celery. Low heat, 6–8 minutes, no color. Transfer soffritto to a bowl and set aside.

3. Brown the meat. Raise heat to medium–high. Add ground beef + ground pork together and sear until deeply browned and moisture has cooked off. Do not move on until you see real color and fond. Break up meat into small pieces.

4. Tomato paste in a clear spot. Push meat to the sides to clear a hot patch of pan. Add tomato paste to the bare metal; cook ~2 minutes to brick red. Stir into the meat.

5. Return soffritto; deglaze. Add the reserved soffritto back. Pour in wine and scrape up the fond; reduce by about half.

6. Tomatoes, sachet, rind. Add tomatoes (see ingredient note below), nestle in the herb/garlic sachet, and drop in the Parmesan rind (loose). Add nutmeg and black pepper.

7. Slow simmer. Simmer gently 2 hours, lid ajar, to a slow “plop.” Remove and discard sachet and rind. Salt at the end. If the sauce tastes sharp, stir in the optional ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk to round it.

8. Make the béchamel. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 minutes without colour. Ladle in hot milk gradually, whisking smooth. Simmer 3–4 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

9. Prepare the pasta. Fresh or no-boil sheets can be used as is. If using dried sheets, boil in well-salted water until 2 minutes shy of done. Drain and lay flat on a lightly oiled sheet pan.

10. Assemble 9×13-inch (23×33 cm dish).
    Thin swipe of ragù (to prevent sticking) → pasta → thin layer of ragù → thin layer of béchamel → ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan.
    Repeat to five pasta layers. Finish with ragù, béchamel and grated Parmesan.

11. Slow bake. Cover the dish with parchment, then foil (not tight on the surface). Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 70–80 minutes (ceramic dishes often require 80–90 minutes; metal dishes may finish in 65–75 minutes). Uncover and bake 15–20 minutes more at 300°F (150°C) to dry the surface. For added colour, optionally raise to 375°F (190°C)for 5–8 minutes or use a brief, watched broil.

12. Resting. Remove from the oven and rest for 30 minutes. This sets the layers and ensures clean slices.

13. Serve. Slice with a sharp, long knife. Wipe the blade between cuts for the neatest presentation.

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Sauce: Refrigerate 3–4 days or freeze 2–3 months.

• Assembled (unbaked): Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add 20–30 minutes to the covered bake if starting from cold.

• Leftovers: Cool completely. Refrigerate 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat covered at 300°F (150°C) until hot through.

📌 Larder Notes

• The sachet gives clean aroma without herb flecks. Do not squeeze it when removing.

• The Parmesan rind adds salinity and body. Always taste and add salt at the end.

• Grated soffritto releases more water; keep heat low and do not chase colour.

• Measure cheese lightly between layers to avoid greasiness; let reduction and resting do the structural work.

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