Put this quick and easy lasagne on regular rotation in your household – layers of pasta, bolognese and cheese sauce are generously topped with tasty cheese and parmesan, then baked until golden and bubbling. Large enough to feed a crowd, this family-friendly lasagne can be served on its own or with a side of green leafy salad, or garlic bread.
How to make Louise's lasagne: key tips
This rich and satisfying dish is made up of layers that are very easy to prepare. A small trick to ensure that your lasagne pasta sheets don’t stick to the baking dish is to spread a spoonful of bolognese sauce over the base of your dish and then arrange the first sheets on top. When adding your layers of bolognese, make sure you spread the sauce right to the edges of the baking dish – it’s the moisture from this sauce, along with the cheese sauce that soaks into the pasta to make it lovely and tender. Don’t forget to rest your lasagne for around 15 minutes before you serve it to firm up a little, otherwise it will be a bit sloppy when you go to cut your portions – you want the filling to stay within the layers and not fall out all over the dinner plates. You can also freeze portions of cooked lasagne to thaw and reheat on busy weeknights.
Key ingredients in Louise's lasagne recipe
It doesn’t get much more family friendly and budget friendly than bolognese sauce, and this bolognese-laden lasagne will appeal to all ages. If you want to get ahead, you can always make a double batch of the beautifully rich bolognese sauce and freeze one half for your next lasagne. The cheesy béchamel sauce also adds wonderful moisture to this bake and a gorgeous cheesy hit, while the selection of dried herbs deepen the flavour and make this dish irresistibly Italian. You can use fresh herbs, if you like (see our Notes below).
Lasagne is a very versatile dish, which means you can make it many different ways to suit your family and tastes. Vegetarians will love this pumpkin, spinach and ricotta lasagne, and you could also have fun with a Mexican lasagne or try a classic lasagne in a slow cooker.
If, like me, Italian pasta dishes are a weeknight staple, here are loads more pasta recipes for you to try out on your family in the coming weeks.
This recipe was originally submitted by Keeleygrace, a member of the Australia’s Best Recipe community. Introduction and additional recipe notes by Natasha Shaw.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs oil
- 700 g beef mince
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 x 400 g canned diced tomatoes
- 100 g tomato paste
- 2 tbs dried oregano *to taste
- 1 tbs dried basil leaves *to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary *to taste
- 1 pinch salt and pepper *to taste
Cheese sauce
- 60 g butter
- 1/3 cup plain flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup tasty cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan shredded
- 1 pinch salt and pepper *to taste
Lasagne layers
- 250 g lasagne sheets
- 1/2 cup tasty cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan shredded
Method
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Step 1Bolognese sauce: Heat oil in a large saucepan.
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Step 2Add mince, onion and garlic. Cook until meat is browned.
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Step 3Add remaining bolognese ingredients.
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Step 4Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
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Step 5Cheese sauce: Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat.
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Step 6Stir in flour until smooth, and cook gently, stirring, for 30-60 seconds.
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Step 7Add milk, stir and bring to a simmer.
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Step 8Stir constantly until smooth and thickened.
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Step 9Add remaining cheese sauce ingredients.
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Step 10Stir over heat until cheese melts.
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Step 11Spray a rectanglular baking dish with oil.
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Step 12Arrange 3 lasagne sheets over the base.
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Step 13Spoon one third of the bolognese sauce over pasta sheets. Spread evenly to the edges of the dish.
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Step 14Spoon one third of the cheese sauce evenly over the meat layer.
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Step 15Repeat these layers twice.
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Step 16Top with remaining pasta sheets and cheese sauce.
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Step 17Top with shredded and Parmesan cheese
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Step 18Bake at 180C for 50 minutes, covering with foil when top is a light golden brown.
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 baking dish
Recipe Notes
How long can you keep Louise's Lasagne?
Store leftover lasagne in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Portions can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can I use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs?
Definitely. If you have some leftover fresh rosemary, basil or oregano in the fridge, then by all means use them. And if you have these herbs growing in the garden, all the better! Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh, so use about three times more fresh herbs than the amount of dried herbs shown in the ingredient list.
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