If you've never tried lasagna with béchamel sauce, this version changes everything. Skip the ricotta and layer silky white sauce with rich bolognese for the ultimate Italian comfort food. Whether it's a Sunday dinner or a make-ahead meal, this homemade lasagna will be a favorite in your kitchen for years.
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
My mom and Nonna both made lasagna this way growing up, and now it's my go-to for cozy family dinners, holidays, and any night that calls for something special.
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 a rich, silky, and saucy lasagna! If you love cheesy pasta bakes, try my pasta al forno next. It's another cozy favorite made with béchamel.
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What is béchamel sauce?
Béchamel is a creamy white sauce made from melted butter, flour, and milk, salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. In this lasagna, it adds a rich, velvety layer that balances the bold tomato-based bolognese for that signature silky finish.
It's the perfect thick and creamy base for baked mac and cheese, pesto chicken lasagna, or anything else that needs a rich touch of comfort.
Key Ingredients
- Ground meat (1 lb). Use ground turkey for a lighter bolognese or go with ground beef or pork for a richer, classic flavor. Sweet or hot Italian sausage will add a delicious kick to this lasagna.
- Red wine. Optional, but I never leave it out. It adds richness and robustness to the sauce. Use a dry Italian red wine like Chianti, Barbera, or Sangiovese. If you don't have one on hand, a dry Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir also works great.
- Crushed tomatoes. Using crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes gives the tomato sauce a better texture. I recommend San Marzano tomatoes when possible. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste for more flavor and depth.
- Milk. A classic béchamel sauce recipe uses whole milk. You can use less-fat milk, but the sauce may not be as thick.
- 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 to prevent sogginess. Fresh mozzarella works if you blot it with a paper towel first!
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
How to Make Lasagna with Béchamel (with Photos!)
This traditional lasagna recipe can be broken down into 3 parts: make the bolognese, make the béchamel, and assemble.
- Step 1: Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
- Step 2: Stir in the salt and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook for 10 minutes, breaking it up, until nicely browned.
- Step 3: Pour in the wine, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme & basil. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
- Step 4: Make the béchamel sauce: In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Simmer, whisking regularly, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Turn off the heat, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and stir in parmesan.
- Step 5: Spoon a thin layer of bolognese on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Step 6: Spread another layer of the bolognese over the noodles.
- 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 (noodles, bolognese, béchamel, parmesan) until you run out of noodles. Be sure to leave enough bechamel for the top layer.
- Step 8: Finish with the remaining béchamel, parmesan cheese, and a layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake until the top layer of cheese is golden and bubbling. Let rest for about 30 minutes and enjoy!
Sarah's Top Tips
- Using no-boil lasagna noodles saves you time and dishes!
- If you use fattier meat, like pork or beef, you may want to drain the grease before adding the rest of the ingredients so your sauce doesn't turn greasy.
- For best results, let the lasagna rest 20-30 minutes before cutting and serving so it doesn't fall apart!
- If you skip the red wine, swap in 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to add an extra depth of flavor.
- Use whole milk to get the authentic creaminess of the bechamel sauce.
⏲️Make Ahead & Freezer Tips
Lasagna is great for prepping ahead and freezes very well, both cooked or uncooked.
To freeze cooked lasagna: Let it cool completely, cover tightly and freeze it whole or in individual pieces.
To freeze before baking: Assemble the lasagna with raw noodles (no need to boil as they will soak up liquid from the sauces in the freezer), then cover tightly and freeze.
To bake after freezing:
Cooked: Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through or microwave single servings for about 2 minutes.
Uncooked: Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for up to four hours before baking. Then bake as instructed in the recipe card.
Storage and Reheating
Let lasagna cool completely before storing. If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge for about 4 days.
Reheat each slice in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes until warm.
Serving
Top your lasagna with some fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese before serving. I love serving mine with a scoop of my Nonna's classic Italian tomato sauce on the side, it's something my mom always did growing up, and now I do the same. Pair with my creamy homemade Caesar Salad or bright and crunchy chopped Greek salad.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Recipe
Lasagna with Béchamel (No Ricotta)
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See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
Bolognese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork
- ½ cup dry Italian red wine, (or 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, optional)
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Béchamel Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk, or milk of choice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Lasagna
- 9-12 Lasagna noodles, no boil or prepared according to package directions
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Bolognese
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until softened.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 yellow onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks
- Add garlic and 2 teaspoons of salt and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the ground meat and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.3-4 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 pound ground turkey, ground beef or ground pork
- Pour in red wine (or balsamic vinegar), scrape up any browned bits from the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme and basil.½ cup dry Italian red wine, 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons dried or 2 tablespoons fresh basil, 1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, salt and black pepper
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
Béchamel Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking.4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 cups whole milk
- Simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking regularly, until thickened.
- Turn off heat, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and stir in parmesan.salt and black pepper, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 375° F. Spread about ¼-1/3 cup of bolognese on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Add layer of lasagna noodles. Top with bolognese, then a layer of béchamel and a sprinkle of parmesan.9-12 Lasagna noodles, ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Repeat 2-3 more times until you run out of noodles. Cover the top layer with the remaining béchamel, parmesan and mozzarella.½ cup mozzarella cheese
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden and cheese is bubbling. Rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Sarah's Tips
- Use no-boil noodles for less prep and fewer dishes!
- Want a deeper flavor? Use Italian red wine like Chianti or Sangiovese - or go with balsamic for a quick sub.
- If using pork or beef, drain the grease before adding tomatoes.
- For the creamiest béchamel, use whole milk.
- Let the lasagna rest before slicing so your layers don't fall apart.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
⏲️ Make Ahead & Freezing Tips
- Lasagna freezes beautifully - cooked or uncooked - for up to 3 months.
- To freeze cooked: Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze whole or sliced.
-
To freeze uncooked: Assemble with raw noodles, wrap tightly, and freeze.
→ Thaw in fridge overnight or leave at room temp for up to 4 hours. Then bake as directed.
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Saucepan
- 9x13-inch Baking dish or casserole dish
Sarah's Favorite
Dutch Oven
This is my go-to when making sauces, soups, braised dishes and more! It's the most used item in my kitchen.
Emma says
This was really good ! I only had one big carrot, so I added half a zuchinni from the garden, and I threw in two layers of garden spinach as well. I grated my mozarella cheese and tasted a bit and it obviously had gone off - too bad, I just bought it this morning- so I had to sub a cheddar instead, to mix with the parm for topping. Also added red pepper flakes to topping, and fresh basil in last 20 min of cooking.
I like that you make your own tomato sauce, rather than use canned. . it was super flavorful, without using many ingredients.
First time making a lasagne with bechamel sauce- Yum !
Sarah Holt says
Hi Emma, love that you enjoyed it and were able to add things to make it to your liking! Adding a zucchini sounds great, I need to try that next time I make it 🙂
Peter DiSalvo says
SUPER GREAT! FAMILY LOVED IT!
Sarah Holt says
So happy everyone enjoyed it Peter!
Tina says
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.
Made some tweaks for our tastes but the spirit of the recipe remained.
Thanks so much for posting.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Tina, I'm so so happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much! Really glad you were able to make some tweaks to make it your own 🙂
Roger says
Hello Sarah Holt, and thank you for posting your lasagna recipe. We live in Lexington, Kentucky (we moved here from New York four years ago. My favorite Italian dish of all time (been to Italy six times), was in a now-closed restaurant ,Joe's, on MacDougal street in Greenwich village. I miss this place terribly. My favorite dish there was Crespelle (yup, Italian crepes), filled with a pured mixture of veal and beef, and top with a good amount of béchamel sauce. I would love to know of any suggestions ( even a recommendation of a frozen food product), where I could replicate this dish. Many thanks for any help you can provide. Warmly, Roger Pearson.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Roger, I, unfortunately, do not know where you can find a dish like this. There may be a recipe somewhere? I have to say this has given me an idea to check out and possibly try to recreate myself. Stay tuned!
Kevin Poole says
Best I’ve every made. My guests wanted to know if it was from some new gourmet restaurant.
We will be making four lasagnas for my sister-in-laws dinner party this weekend. ❤️
Sarah Holt says
Thank you so much for this! I am so so happy everyone loved it, lasagna is truly one of my favorite things to make and eat!
Nina Lee says
Great recipe! Also added mushrooms to the sauce!
Bob A. says
Great recipe. The only thing I changed was a cooked the ground beef separately and drained it before adding it to the crockpot with the veggies. Was afraid the ground beef would make it too greasy if I cooked it all together.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Bob, thanks so much for the great review and feedback. I think a fattier ground beef could definitely make it too greasy so this was a great idea!
Cate says
I only used the bechamel recipe as I cheated with pasta sauce but will try the bolognaise recipe soon because my husband LOVED the lasagna and said it was the best he had ever had in his life! That is a lot of years of having lasagna, so I reckon that the sauce recipe will be just as good! Thank you - you have converted me to this easy and beautiful bechamel sauce instead of cottage cheese which I have always used.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Cate, thank you so much for this positive review! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and hope you try it with bolognese soon. Bechamel is the best 🙂
Tania says
This was easy and delicious (although my sister said it needed more garlic).
Step 2 for the bolognese instructs to add salt and garlic. I checked the ingredients list, and there was no garlic quantity listed. I added three small cloves but probably could have added more.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Tania, I'm glad you loved it! Thanks for pointing this out, just added the garlic into the ingredients list. I usually use 3-4 cloves depending on size, but you can always add more if you love garlic 🙂
Tania says
Thank you Sarah. For Christmas dinner we ordered a pan of lasagna from a local Italian restaurant. My sister said "Your lasagna was better." I can't wait to make this again!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Tania,
This makes me so happy to hear! I'm glad you loved it. Happy New Year 🙂
laura says
Tell me, do you pre-cook the noodles or do they go in dry? especially if you are going to freeze it before baking?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Laura, I follow the directions on the box of the noodles I am using, some noodles say to pre-cook and others don't need to be boiled. However, if you are freezing, I would recommend not cooking the noodles beforehand. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Chloe Edges says
I must be odd because it would never have occurred to me to use anything other than a béchamel in a lasagne! I'm not actually the worlds biggest fan of the dish but your photos have made this look so appetising, I might have to give it another go!
Sarah Holt says
Hi Chloe, some people put ricotta in theirs instead but béchamel is so much better in my opinion! Thanks for the kind words 🙂
Beth Sachs says
This is ultimate comfort food! My kids loved it and asked for seconds #CookBlogShare
Sarah Holt says
Glad to hear! Thanks so much Beth
Jessica Formicola says
I love a good lasagna, and add in a béchamel sauce? YES please! I can't wait to try this!
Sarah Holt says
Béchamel makes the lasagna for sure!
Kathryn McGinnis says
Sarah
I used your recipe to feed a Italian family who are from Italy. I gave you the credit for the recipe. They loved it!!
Katy
Sarah Holt says
Hi Katy, omg that makes me so happy to hear!! So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
Gloria says
Lasagna is always a hit here. Love the sauce in this recipe. I know this would disappear in a flash for sure.
Sarah Holt says
I always go back for seconds!
Lizet Bowen says
People love it when I make your recipe. They always comment that there is something different, and I always say, it's the Béchamel Sauce! makes a big difference. Very delicious!
Sarah Holt says
Thanks so much Lizet!
Mahy says
Fabulous lasagna that looks truly amazing. I was wondering which recipe to go with but I think I am sure now 😉
Sarah Holt says
Really appreciate it Mahy, hope it comes out great!
Pam Greer says
This is the best classic lasagna recipe!! I love that perfectly crispy top!
Sarah Holt says
The crispy top is my favorite!!