This classic lasagna with béchamel recipe is made with creamy béchamel sauce and rich and meaty bolognese sauce. Homemade lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and an easy dinner recipe the whole family will love!
Lasagna is usually made with ricotta cheese, but this delicious recipe uses a rich béchamel sauce instead with parmesan cheese. Adding béchamel to lasagna bolognese makes an ultra-creamy lasagna that is so much better in my opinion!
I use my turkey meat sauce recipe in this lasagna, but you can also make it meatless or use a marinara-style sauce like Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce or even use tomato-free sauce like my Nut-Free Pesto.
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. It’s made with simple and fresh ingredients.
- Rich and savory. The addition of béchamel sauce takes this lasagna to the next level.
- 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 classic Italian lasagna recipe, the béchamel is layered with bolognese meat sauce to make the best lasagna recipe ever!
You can also use béchamel sauce to make a white lasagna or vegetarian lasagna.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground turkey - I use ground turkey for a lighter bolognese sauce. However, ground beef, ground pork, and Italian sausage can be substituted for a more rich meat sauce.
- Red wine - Use a dry red wine, like cabernet sauvignon. Wine gives the sauce added richness and robustness. You can leave it out if you prefer to cook without alcohol. Option to add in 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar instead.
- Crushed tomatoes - Using crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes gives the tomato sauce a better texture. I like using San Marzano tomatoes when possible.
- Flour - Use all-purpose flour. You can substitute for gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- Milk - Classically made with whole milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk will do.
- Nutmeg - Adds vibrant flavor to the béchamel.
- Lasagna noodles - Use white, wheat, or gluten-free lasagna noodles. Follow the preparation instructions on the box. Some lasagna sheets do not need to be precooked before adding them to the lasagna.
- 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.
Instructions
This traditional lasagna recipe can be broken down into 3 parts: make the bolognese, make the béchamel, and assemble.
How to make bolognese sauce for lasagna
Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery (mirepoix) and sauté until the onion is translucent for about 5 minutes.
Next, add in the 2 teaspoons of salt & minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the ground turkey (or meat of choice) and cook for 10 minutes, until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally.
Pour in red wine (optional), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme & basil and stir to combine everything.
Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to medium-low & simmer for 45 minutes. After simmering, taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Once the bolognese is done, cook lasagna noodles (if they need to be pre-boiled) according to the package directions
See Simple Dairy-Free Turkey Bolognese for instructions on how to make this bolognese sauce with a slow cooker or instant pot!
How to make Béchamel sauce for lasagna
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns a light golden color. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and whisk regularly until it thickens, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg & then stir in parmesan cheese.
How to layer lasagna
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spoon a thin layer (about ¼ - ⅓ cup) of bolognese on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
Spread a layer of the bolognese over the layer of pasta, then add a layer of béchamel (approximately ⅓ cup 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 an even layer. Top the last layer of lasagna noodles with the last of the béchamel sauce. Add the remaining parmesan cheese and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese to the top of the sauce.
Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden and the cheese is slightly bubbling. Let rest for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
I've used both gluten-free lasagna noodles from Jovial Foods and traditional lasagna noodles. Make sure you follow the preparation directions on the box of whatever kind of noodles you use. Some noodles need to be pre-boiled and some do not. I recommend no-boil noodles for less work.
You can prepare lasagna ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer depending on how long you want to store it. It can be frozen cooked or uncooked for 2-3 months. This is also perfect if you have leftovers. If you are freezing the lasagna uncooked, leave the lasagna noodles raw. If cooking after freezing, defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for up to four hours before baking. Then bake as normal.
Yes, it is better to let the lasagna rest before serving. I know you want to cut right into the lasagna as soon as it comes out of the oven. However, letting it rest, helps each piece to hold its shape. Let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes, before serving, preferably longer.
Storage and Reheating
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for about 4 days.
Reheat by the slice in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
You can also freeze leftover lasagna as a whole or as individual pieces. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave.
Chef Tips
- Try using no-boil lasagna noodles to save time (and dishes)!
- If you skip the red wine, substitute for 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to add in extra depth of flavor.
- If you use a less lean meat, like pork or beef, you may want to drain the grease before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- You can make the bolognese in a slow cooker or instant pot. See Simple Dairy-Free Turkey Bolognese for the full instructions.
- For best results, let the lasagna rest 20-30 minutes before serving, although I know you'll want to dig in immediately!
What to serve with béchamel lasagna
Try serving this lasagna with a salad like Prosciutto, Burrata and Grilled Peach Salad.
Great side dish ideas to serve with lasagna: Roasted Garlic Air Fryer Carrots, Sheet Pan Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts, Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes or Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans.
For dessert, I would go with a Cranberry Lemon Tart or Simple Honey and Olive Oil Oat Flour Cake.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
Simple Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
🍳Recipe
Classic Lasagna with Béchamel Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Baking dish or casserole dish
- Saucepan
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 red wine, optional
- 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, to taste
Béchamel Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk of choice
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Lasagna
- Lasagna noodles
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Bolognese
- Heat olive oil & butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery and sauté until the onion is translucent about 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the 2 teaspoons of salt & minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the ground turkey (or meat of choice) and cook for 10 minutes, until browned, crumbling and stirring occasionally.
- Pour in red wine (optional), deglaze the bottom of the pot & allow to cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme & basil and stir to combine everything.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to medium-low & simmer for 45 minutes.
- Once the bolognese is done, cook lasagna noodles (if they need to be pre-boiled) according to package directions
Béchamel Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until it turns a light golden color. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and whisk regularly until it thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg & then stir in parmesan cheese.
Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Using a 13x9 inch baking pan, spoon a thin layer (about ¼-1/3 cup) of bolognese on the bottom of the pan.
- Add a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread a layer of the bolognese over the layer of noodles, then add a layer of béchamel (approximately ⅓ cup). Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese on top.
- Repeat the layers two to three more times until you run out of noodles. Layer the top layer of lasagna noodles with the last of the béchamel sauce, remaining parmesan cheese and ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until golden and cheese is slightly bubbling. Let rest for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Try using no-boil lasagna noodles to save time (and dishes)!
- If you skip the red wine, substitute for 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to add in extra depth of flavor.
- If you use a less lean meat, like pork or beef, you may want to drain the grease before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- You can make the bolognese in a slow cooker or instant pot. See Simple Dairy-Free Turkey Bolognese for the full instructions.
- For best results, let the lasagna rest 20-30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Lolo says
Hi, thanks for recipe - can an uncooked lasagna be frozen?
Sarah Holt says
Hi Lolo, I sent you an email the other day but yes, you can freeze it for about 3 months. Just defrost in the fridge and then bake as normal. Hope that helps!
Britney says
I have made this a couple of times and we have loved it! It tasted even better on the days we ate it as leftovers. I’ll be making this for dinner on Christmas Eve and can’t decide if I should assemble it the night before and wait to bake it till time of, or bake it and just reheat it time of.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Britney, I'm so happy that you and your family love this recipe! I am also making this for Christmas Eve and I am going to make it and cook it the day before and then reheat it on Christmas Eve. If you want to just assemble it the day before, just cover it in the fridge and then cook it as normal when you are ready. Either way works!
Vickie Walker says
It was a runny mess. Very disappointed. I used no bake noodles but soaked them in water before hand. I have used them before and they did not soften. The white sauce did not have any way to give the dish structure like when you use eggs in the ricotta. It tasted good but could not find the noodles hardly. Very sad.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Vickie, I just sent you an email. I'd love to help you figure out what went wrong here 🙂
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!!