Lasagna With Béchamel

Lasagna with béchamel is a classic style of lasagna that is comforting, delicious and layered with a creamy béchamel sauce instead of ricotta cheese.

Whenever I make this lasagna you can be sure that my daughter will be sitting at the table come breakfast time with a giant slice the following morning. The crazy part is that she normally doesn’t even like lasagna. It is that good. Hot or cold. Lasagna with béchamel sauce adds a creamy flavorful touch to the heartier meat sauce. This paired with the soft layers of lasagna pasta, there is no other way to make a classic lasagna, or any lasagna for that matter.

If you have never made it with béchamel sauce, you are surely in for a treat. And might I say, there’s no going back. Making any lasagna is a bit of a labor of love as the cooking process can take a little more time with all the steps involved. This is especially so if you are like me and like to make fresh pasta sheets.

However, it is worth every whisk, dirty pot, and chopped vegetable needed to make this insanely delicious, classic Italian lasagna recipe. Whether you make the lasagna sheets or not, this recipe is the real deal.

If serving this Lasagna with Béchamel to guests, a great dessert to serve after is this Easiest Homemade Tiramisu as it will keep with the theme of Italian cuisine.

Lasagna with Béchamel Is….

• An authentic Italian lasagna. In both Northern and Southern Italy, lasagna is made with béchamel sauce over ricotta cheese
• Comforting and delicious
• Filled with a flavorful classic béchamel sauce recipe that creates a delicious creamy consistency 
• Enjoyable hot or cold and is the BEST lasagna recipe
• A kid favorite
• Hearty and filling
• Packed with flavor from a blend of meats, herbs, garlic 

Ingredients

Herbs- The recipe uses dried herbs with a blend of thyme, bay leaves, sea salt, and Italian seasoning. You can substitute fresh if you like but keep in mind the ratio of fresh to dried is 3 to 1. So you will need 3 times the amount of fresh herbs for the lasagna.

Meat- This lasagna calls for a blend of lean ground beef and ground Italian sausage that creates a flavorful meat sauce that compliments the béchamel perfectly.

Cheese- The lasagna is topped with a layer of mozzarella cheese that will get nice and bubbly when baked. Creating a nice crust to top off the lasagna.

Milk- The milk in this recipe is used for making the creamy béchamel sauce. I suggest using whole milk or at the very least 2% milk as using anything with less fat will result in a runnier sauce. Not what we are going for in this.

Fats- You will need butter and olive oil. The butter will be to make our creamy béchamel sauce while the olive oil is used to sauté the veggies.

Vegetables- We will be using a blend of onion, carrots, and celery along with crushed tomatoes to create our meat sauce. The vegetables add flavor and sweetness while the tomatoes are the base for the meat sauce.

Pasta- You can use store-bought or make fresh lasagne sheets. I love to use this sourdough pasta recipe for mine. 

What You Will Need To Make It

10 sheets of lasagna pasta

1 lb Italian sausage

1 lb lean ground beef

2 cups mozzarella cheese

3 small carrots

1 small onion

2 stalks of celery

1- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp of tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp olive oil

Béchamel Sauce

3 cups whole milk

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

cracked black pepper

Tools

9 x 13 Baking Dish

Whisk

Directions

Finely chop the carrots, onions, and celery. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil and begin cooking the vegetables. Add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper to them as they cook along with a bay leaf.

Cook the vegetables until the onions begin to have a translucent look.

Add the meat to the skillet with the vegetables. Sprinkle in the dried Italian seasoning, thyme, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper. Break down the meat as it cooks with a wooden spoon and stir the contents of the pan to combine. Allow the meat to cook until browned. When ready remove from heat and strain off excess grease. Return the meat mixture to the pan.

Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic cloves. Pour over the crushed tomatoes and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a separate saucepan begin melting the butter for the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and begin whisking to incorporate the flour into the butter. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Add the salt, nutmeg, and cracked black pepper. The sauce is ready when it has a thick creamy consistency. Remove the meat and béchamel sauce from the heat. Create an assembly line with the dry noodles, meat sauce, and béchamel.

Add a cup of the sauce to the bottom of the baking dish. Then lay the lasagna noodles over it in an even layer. Add more meat sauce and spread half the béchamel sauce over the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. 

Add another layer of lasagna pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake at 375℉ for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

Cooking Notes

• It is not necessary to boil the lasagna noodles before baking. They cook in the juices while in the oven.
• Be sure to add a cup of the sauce to the baking dish before layering, helps the noodles not stick to the bottom
• If using fresh herbs, make sure to adjust the amount used. It is about a 3 to 1 ratio. So for every 1 part dried, you will need 3 times the amount since dried herbs are stronger.
• You can make fresh lasagna sheets for this or store bought works fine too.

How To Store

I find the best way to store leftover lasagna in the same baking dish is by wrapping it in either aluminum foil or plastic wrap. That way I can reheat it easily the following day. 

FAQ

Can I use just ground beef for this?

Any ground meat will work. Of course, the taste will be changed as Italian sausage has a distinct flavor. But I have made this with both ground beef only and ground turkey. It is still a delicious lasagna! I would also like to try ground lamb at some point. 

Can I freeze Lasagna with Béchamel?

You can. Lasagna freezes well. Use a casserole dish with an airtight lid if possible. To freeze, allow the lasagna to cool completely. This is very important! Wrap it tightly with several layers of plastic wrap to help protect it during freezing. It should last up to 3 months in the fridge. 

To defrost, remove the lasagna from the freezer and allow it to defrost at room temperature. This can take several hours. You want the center to be thawed before warming. You can also take it from the freezer and pop it into the fridge the day before heating. To reheat, when thawed bake at 350℉ until warmed through. 

What is béchamel sauce?

Béchamel is a classic white sauce made from a blend of flour, and butter that is made into a roux. The roux is whisked with milk and some simple spices to whip up a creamy white sauce that is perfect for pasta dishes. To make the best rich béchamel sauce, use whole-fat milk over low-fat milk. 

Shop This Post

9 x 13 Baking Dish

Cuisinart Pot Set

Wooden Measuring Spoons

Linen Apron

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

Pin For Later

If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!