Lasagne with homemade bechamel sauce

This lasagna is full of flavor, layers of lasagna noodles, a rich beef and tomato sauce, and a creamy cheese sauce. We always love to eat lasagna with a piece of garlic bread and salad on the side.

I love cooking my lasagna from scratch, so I can customize it to suit my family’s tastes. It takes effort and time; therefore, it is best suited for a weekend. Despite the effort that it takes, it is well worth it! So, whenever you cook a lasagna, make it up a huge portion of leftovers. You can also make a large portion of lasagna to freeze them for later use. Remember to cover the lasagna adequately. If you freeze it, make sure to thaw the lasagna before baking. Try my lasagna recipe, and let me know what you think!

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You will need:

For the meat sauce

• cooking oil
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 grams of ground beef
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes
• 50 grams of tomato paste
• 1 cup of water
• 1 beef broth cube
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt and pepper

For the white or Bechamel sauce

• 25 grams of butter
• 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-liter milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper
• pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, optional

For the lasagna

• uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Procedure:

For the meat sauce

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add minced garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add in meat and cook until browned and no longer pink.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally.
4. Add shredded or diced carrots, sugar, and oregano, then stir well.
5. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth cube. Stir well again.
6. Add water and season again with salt and pepper.
7. Cover and cook over medium-low heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir regularly.

For the white or Bechamel sauce

1. Melt butter in a non-stick saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook for two minutes.
3. Gradually add milk and mix until it is incorporated.
4. Continue to do this until all the milk has been added, and whisk until lump-free. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides until the sauce is thick and creamy—season with salt and pepper.
5. Turn the heat up and bring it to a boil. Cook for 6 – 8 minutes, stirring regularly until it has thickened.
6. Stir in the shredded mozzarella. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

For the lasagna

1. Preheat the oven according to the lasagna noodle packaging.
2. Pour some bechamel sauce into the bottom of a lasagna dish.
3. Layer some of the pasta strips over the top.
4. Spoon some meat sauce on the noodles, then spoon some bechamel sauce on the meat.
5. Repeat this step until all the ingredients have been used, ending with bechamel sauce for the top layer.
6. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake according to the package’s direction or until the top is golden and crisp around the edges and the filling is bubbling.
8. Let rest for 10 – 20 minutes before serving.
9. You can serve the dish with garlic bread and salad on the side.