Lasagne al Forno — Classic Italian Recipe with Ragù, Béchamel and Parmigiano

Ingredients (serves 6–8)

• 12 lasagne sheets (fresh or dried)
• 600 g ground meat (beef and pork mix)
• 500 ml béchamel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
• 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
• 100 g grated Parmigiano
• 150 g grated mozzarella
• 1 small onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 100 ml red wine
• 3 tbsp olive oil, salt, black pepper, nutmeg

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the ground meat and brown it until golden, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate for 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper; lower the heat and let the ragù simmer slowly for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread a thin layer of ragù on the bottom of a ceramic baking dish, then a layer of lasagne sheets, then béchamel and a little grated Parmigiano. Repeat the layers (3–4 layers) until the ingredients are used up.
5. Cover the final layer generously with béchamel, the mozzarella and the remaining Parmigiano.
6. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the surface turns golden and the edges are lightly crisp. Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Servings: 6–8.