Homemade Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce

This Homemade Lasagna recipe is made with béchamel sauce and bolognese for an easy cheesy comfort food everyone will enjoy! Make this classic lasagna for Sunday dinner. No ricotta cheese is needed.

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I made this over the weekend. It was the best lasagna I’ve ever had and certainly ever made. We all loved it…and the house smelled heavenly. - Tina

Overhead view of a white baking dish full of lasagna with slices of basil.

In the U.S. lasagna is usually made with ricotta cheese, but this delicious recipe uses a rich bechamel sauce instead. Adding béchamel to lasagna bolognese makes an ultra-creamy and saucy lasagna!

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🌟Why You’ll Love this Recipe
What is béchamel sauce?
🥘Ingredients
📖Substitutions & Variations
🔪How to Make Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce
⏲️Make Ahead of Time
💭Recipe FAQs
👩🏻‍🍳Sarah's Top Tips
🥣Storage and Reheating
🥗Serving
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
📋 Recipe
💬 Comments

🌟Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Simple ingredients. This recipe uses simple and fresh ingredients such as ground meat, milk and San Marzano tomatoes.
Rich and savory. Adding béchamel sauce takes this authentic Italian lasagna to the next level. If you are a fan of this creamy cheese sauce, try my old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese next.
Make ahead. This recipe can be easily made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

What is béchamel sauce?

Béchamel sauce is a building block of French cuisine. It is a creamy white sauce made from a roux of butter and flour, with milk, salt and nutmeg. The sauce is thick and creamy and can be used as a base for other sauces, and in dishes such as mac and cheese and lasagna.

For this lasagna recipe, the béchamel is layered with bolognese to make the best lasagna recipe ever! You can also use béchamel sauce to make a white lasagna vegetarian lasagna or my pesto chicken lasagna.

🥘Ingredients

Ground meat. Use ground turkey for a lighter bolognese sauce and ground beef or pork for a richer flavor.
Red wine. Use a dry red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Wine gives the sauce added richness and robustness.
Crushed tomatoes. Using crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes gives the tomato sauce a better texture. I like using San Marzano tomatoes when possible. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more flavor and depth.
Nutmeg. A pinch of nutmeg adds a warm, nutty flavor to the creamy bechamel sauce. Leave it out if you prefer.
Mozzarella cheese. Use a low-moisture mozzarella, as fresh mozzarella can cause the final dish to be watery.

See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.

📖Substitutions & Variations

Use a store-bought meat sauce, a meatless red sauce or even a tomato-free sauce like my Nut-Free Pesto.
Sweet or hot Italian sausage will add a delicious kick to this lasagna.
If you prefer to cook without alcohol, leave out the wine or add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar instead.
A classic béchamel sauce recipe uses whole milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk will work. If you use non-dairy milk, the bechamel may not thicken as well as it does with cow's milk. Lactose-free milk works great here if needed.

🔪How to Make Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce

This traditional lasagna recipe can be broken down into 3 parts: make the bolognese, make the béchamel, and assemble.

Step 1: Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Ground turkey with sautéed mirepoix in a large pot.

Step 2: Add the salt & garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the meat and cook for 10 minutes, until browned.

Cooked ground turkey with vegetables and tomatoes in a large pot.

Step 3: Pour in red wine (if using), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme & basil and stir to combine everything. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes.

Step 4: Make the béchamel by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk the flour in until it turns a light golden brown. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Bring the sauce to a simmer and whisk regularly for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg & then stir in parmesan cheese.

Lasagna noodles layered on top of bolognese sauce in a baking dish.

Step 5: Spoon a thin layer of bolognese on the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles.

Bolognese sauce layered on top of lasagna noodles in a baking dish.

Step 6: Spread another layer of the bolognese over the layer of pasta.

Layered lasagna with pasta noodles, bolognese sauce, and cheese.

Step 7: Next, add a layer of béchamel. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on top. Repeat the layers two to three more times until you run out of noodles, adding ingredients in even layers. Be sure to leave enough bechamel for the top layer.

A tray of lasagna with shredded mozzarella on top before baking.

Step 8: Add the remaining béchamel and parmesan cheese plus the mozzarella cheese to the top. Bake until the top layer of cheese is golden and bubbling. Let rest for about 30 minutes and enjoy!

⏲️Make Ahead of Time

You can prepare lasagna ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer depending on how long you want to store it. Lasagna freezes very well. It can be frozen cooked or uncooked for 2-3 months.

To freeze cooked lasagna: let it cool completely, cover and store it whole or in individual pieces.

To freeze the lasagna uncooked: leave the lasagna noodles raw (do not boil) as they will soak up the liquid from the sauces in the freezer. Defrost uncooked lasagna in the fridge overnight or on the counter for up to four hours before baking. Then bake as instructed in the recipe card.

💭Recipe FAQs

What kind of lasagna noodles should I use?

I've used both gluten-free lasagna noodles and traditional lasagna noodles. Follow the preparation directions on the box of noodles you use. Some noodles need to be pre-boiled and some do not. I recommend no-boil or oven-ready noodles for less work.

Do I need to let my lasagna rest after cooking?

Yes, it is better to let the lasagna rest before serving as it helps each piece to hold its shape. Let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes, before serving, preferably longer.

How thick should béchamel be after cooking?

The béchamel should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is too thin, it will not hold its shape when you layer it in the lasagna and can make it runny and watery. If the sauce is too thick, it will be difficult to spread over the noodles.

A slice of lasagna on a stack of plates with a baking dish full of lasagna in the background.

👩🏻‍🍳Sarah's Top Tips

Using no-boil lasagna noodles saves you time and dishes!
If you skip the red wine, substitute for 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to add extra depth of flavor.
If you use fattier meat, like pork or beef, you may want to drain the grease before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Use whole milk to get the authentic creaminess of the bechamel sauce.
For best results, let the lasagna rest 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving so it doesn't fall apart!

🥣Storage and Reheating

Let lasagna cool completely before storing. If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 4 days.
You can also freeze leftover lasagna as a whole or as individual pieces for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat each slice in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes until warm.