And best to leave a little room in your stomach and enjoy a small piece of tiramisu for dessert ;-).
If you like, make a bit more right away – the lasagna tastes really good the next day, too.
Lasagna
Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 600 g mixed ground meat (beef and pork)
- 2 small carrots
- 150 g celery root
- 2 onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250 ml red wine, dry
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1000 ml chopped tomatoes or coarse passata
- 1.5 tsp sugar
- salt, pepper
For the béchamel sauce
- 60 g butter
- 60 g all-purpose flour
- 750 ml milk
- salt, pepper, nutmeg
Other
- 12 lasagna sheets, more if needed, depending on the dish
- 125 g mozzarella
- 50 g Parmesan
Nutrition per serving, approx.: 829 kcal40 g protein60 g carbs44 g fat5 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Equipment
- lasagna dish
Instructions
- For the meat sauce, peel 2 small carrots and 150 g celery root, cut into very small cubes and set aside. If you have a food processor, you can use it to chop the vegetables quickly & easily.
- Cut 2 onions and 3 garlic cloves into small cubes as well.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion and garlic over medium heat until translucent.
- Add 600 g mixed ground meat (beef and pork) to the pan as well, season with salt and pepper and brown until crumbly.
- Add the prepared diced carrots and celery root and fry for about 5 more minutes.
- Add 3 tbsp tomato paste, stir and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Deglaze with 250 ml red wine and let it reduce briefly.
- Add 1000 ml chopped tomatoes or coarse passata and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.
- Finally, season generously with salt, pepper and 1.5 tsp sugar.
- For the béchamel sauce, melt 60 g butter in a sufficiently large pot.
- Sift 60 g all-purpose flour over it while stirring and cook until light brown.
- Gradually add 750 ml milk, whisking vigorously so that no lumps form and nothing burns.
- Once all the milk is in the pot, bring to a boil briefly and then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Don’t forget to keep stirring – béchamel sauce burns extremely quickly.
- Season generously with salt and pepper and finish with a pinch of nutmeg.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F), conventional oven (top and bottom heat).
- Cut 125 g mozzarella into thin slices and finely grate 50 g Parmesan. Set both aside.
- Spread a little béchamel sauce over the bottom of the lasagna dish. Depending on the dish, place 3–4 lasagna sheets on top.
- Spread ⅓ of the meat sauce over the lasagna sheets.
- Drizzle ¼ of the béchamel sauce over it with a spoon and cover with a new layer of lasagna sheets.
- Repeat 2 more times.
- Spread the last quarter of the béchamel sauce over the final layer of lasagna sheets.
- Distribute the mozzarella slices and Parmesan over the lasagna.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown.
Tips
- Season the meat sauce and the béchamel sauce generously, as some of the flavor gets lost during baking.
If you like, you can dot a few flakes of butter on top of the lasagna before baking. Personally, I prefer to skip the extra fat :). - If the top of the lasagna gets too brown, simply cover it with a little aluminum foil and finish baking.
- For years, I was incredibly annoyed that standard lasagna sheets never really fit into a lasagna dish. Every time, you had to overlap them or break them off or or or.
Luckily, some clever person put some thought into it and brought the -> perfect dish <- (Anzeige) to market. Exactly three lasagna sheets fit side by side, and it even comes with a handy lid that can also be used as a trivet. - Storage: Keep the lasagna in the fridge for 2–3 days or freeze it in portions for up to 3 months.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Lasagna
Can I make the lasagna ahead?
Yes, it’s great for that. The oven takes care of the final step. That way you can enjoy a relaxed meal.
Why should I season the sauces generously?
Some of the seasoning gets lost during baking. So season both the meat sauce and the béchamel boldly. If the top browns too fast, cover it with foil.
What goes well with lasagna?
A fresh salad is the perfect side, for example a fresh tomato salad with mint. For dessert, a small piece of tiramisu is lovely.
How do I best store lasagna?
Cover the cooled lasagna with foil or transfer it to a container. It keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days. To reheat, bake it covered at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20–25 minutes. Individual pieces also reheat well in the microwave.
Can I freeze lasagna?
Yes, lasagna freezes beautifully. Freeze it whole or in portions, well wrapped in foil or freezer containers. It keeps for about 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then bake it in the oven until hot.
