Abruzzese Almost-Bolognese (Lasagna al Ragù w/Porcini Béchamel)

This melty, cheesy, saucy, beefy lasagna al ragù uses whole sheets of golden fresh egg pasta layered with tomato and beef white wine sauce, creamy porcini béchamel, grated Grana Padano, and mozzarella cheese. It’s full of flavor and it’s much quicker than making authentic Lasagna Bolognese (which you should also definitely try when you have a bit more time). I almost over-baked this one while I was vacuuming the house, but it still turned out incredibly delicious. As always, I’ve included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post. 

Where Does This Lasagna Recipe Come From?

The inspiration for this recipe is based on a delicious Italian “lasagna al ragù” that L’s sister made me for my birthday (see photos below). She used her Bimby to make the beef and tomato white wine sauce (which I thought tasted slightly similar to Bolognese ragù but much brighter), and layered in fresh lasagna sheets, béchamel, and blanketed everything with shredded mozzarella, and Grana Padano cheese. It was so, so good. She claims that she “doesn’t know how to cook”, but after eating this, I don’t believe it. When I can’t stop thinking about a dish, I usually end up recreating it in some way. So, thank you, E. for the inspiration for this post♡.

⇓ Delicious Lasagna al Ragù That E. Made For My Birthday ⇓

⇓ 3 of Our Favorite Artisanally-Made Products from Abruzzo, Italy ⇓

Why We Love This Lasagna Recipe

• It’s cheesy, melty, creamy, tomatoey, and beefy
• Uses 3 of the highest-quality, artisanally-produced ingredients from Abruzzo, Italy
• Using a pressure cooker makes a ragù-like sauce in minutes instead of hours 
• Fresh egg pasta sheets add a nice “chew” to each bite
• White wine intensifies the fruitiness of the tomatoes in the sauce
• Milk adds a creamy richness to the tomato sauce
• Kiddos love it as much as adults
• It’s easy but tastes like you spent hours making it
• Great make-ahead and freeze meal (baked or unbaked)
• Perfect for anyone who loves lasagna Bolognese, but doesn’t have 3 1/2 hours to make the ragù

Abruzzese Almost-Bolognese Lasagna Ingredients

There are 2 simple, classic components to this lasagna recipe (and they’re both super easy to make).

• Tomato & Beef White Wine Sauce (ground beef, Pera d’Abruzzo Italian tomato passata, extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, and milk)
• Porcini Béchamel (creamy white sauce infused with onion and porcini mushrooms and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg)

For the Tomato & Beef White Wine Sauce

• quality Italian tomato passata (sub finely chopped tomatoes)
• extra virgin olive oil
• onion
• garlic
• ground beef
• quality dry white wine (like Pecorino, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon)
• whole milk

For the Porcini Béchamel Sauce

• butter
• flour
• milk
• dried porcini mushrooms
• onion
• freshly grated nutmeg
• salt

For the Rest of the Lasagna

• egg pasta lasagna sheets, fresh or dried
• grated mozzarella cheese
• grated Grana Padano cheese (sub Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese)

How to Make Abruzzo Almost-Bolognese (Lasagna al Ragù with Porcini Béchamel)

I use a pressure cooker to make the sauce for this lasagna because it cuts out hours of time needed to create a ragù-like sauce. However, if you don’t have a pressure cooker, just use a sauce pot, or dutch oven with a lid to make it. Just be sure to cook the sauce longer to allow the flavors time to develop and for the milk to fully incorporate. 

1. Make the pasta sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pressure cooker (or Instapot, or Bimby) over medium heat, add the smashed garlic and onions and cook until onions are tender and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the ground beef and cook through (about 5 minutes more). Add the white wine and cook stirring periodically until the liquid is absorbed and the pot sizzles (about 10 minutes). Add the tomato passata and milk, and season with salt to taste. Close the pressure cooker and bring it to high pressure. As soon as high pressure is reached, set a timer for 25 minutes, and reduce the flame to its lowest setting while still maintaining high pressure. After 25 minutes, turn the heat off and allow for a natural release. *If using a regular sauce pot to cook the sauce, see recipe notes for time and technique. 
2. Infuse the milk for the béchamel sauce. While your tomato sauce is cooking, add the milk, onion, and dried porcini mushrooms to a small pot and heat the mixture over medium heat until scalding, but not boiling. Turn off the heat and season the mixture with salt and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Allow the mixture to steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and heat it back up so it’s nice and hot. *If desired, infuse the milk with the mushrooms and onion up to overnight, strain it, and reheat the mixture just before making the béchamel sauce or use an immersion blender to purée the mixture for an even deeper flavor.
3. Make the porcini béchamel sauce. Melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the flour a little at a time while simultaneously whisking constantly to incorporate it into the butter and to remove any lumps. Continue whisking the roux (flour-butter mixture) constantly over medium heat until fragrant, slightly darker in color, and the raw flour is cooked (about 4 minutes). Pour in the hot milk mixture in a steady stream while whisking vigorously to avoid and/or remove any lumps. Continue whisking and cooking over medium-high heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon (about 3 minutes). The sauce will continue to thicken slightly after it’s removed from the heat. Adjust seasonings adding more salt or nutmeg if needed and cover the sauce with a piece of parchment paper or sustainable plastic wrap until ready to assemble the lasagna. This will prevent it from forming a “skin”.
4. Assemble the lasagna. Add a ladle full of ragù to the lasagna baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top the sauce with sheets of slightly overlapping lasagna noodles. Add a little more sauce, spread it out, and sprinkle the top with Grana Padano and mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of lasagna noodles, a little more tomato sauce, and top it with a thin layer of béchamel sauce. Add another layer of lasagna noodles, then tomato sauce, Grana Padano, and mozzarella cheese. Continue repeating these layers ending with the last layer of lasagna noodles, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, and mozzarella cheese. 
5. Bake the lasagna. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven for 45 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes longer if needed until it’s hot and bubbling and the cheese is golden brown. During the last 5 minutes or so of baking time, you may turn the broiler function on to get brown the mozzarella cheese. Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

How to Make Abruzzese Almost Bolognese (Lasagna al Ragù) step-by-step recipe photos

Making the Ragù

Making the Porcini Béchamel Sauce

Assembling & Baking the Lasagna

 

How to Store Homemade Lasagna and Meal Prep it For Easy No-Fuss Dinners

If you don’t have a large family, you may need to store a few pieces of leftover lasagna. Or you may be a large family looking to meal prep this lasagna for easy weeknight dinners. Below are the best ways to store leftover lasagna and also meal prep directions.

• Refrigerate Leftover Lasagna. Cover leftover lasagna and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired (see below for how to reheat lasagna). 
• Freeze Leftover Lasagna. Portion leftover slices of lasagna, wrap them with parchment paper (or freezer paper), and place them into a freezer bag or other airtight container. Freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the lasagna, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating (see below for how to reheat lasagna). 
• MealPrep Unbaked Lasagna. Assemble the lasagna, and place a piece of parchment paper (or freezer paper) directly in contact with the top layer covering the entire surface of the lasagna (this helps keep ice crystals from forming). Wrap the lasagna well in sustainable cling film and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the lasagna, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating (see below for how to reheat lasagna). 
• MealPrep Baked Lasagna. Bake the lasagna as instructed and allow it to completely cool to room temperature. Place a piece of parchment paper (or freezer paper) directly in contact with the top layer covering the entire surface of the lasagna (this helps keep ice crystals from forming). Wrap the lasagna well in sustainable cling film or aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat the lasagna, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating (see below for how to reheat lasagna). 

The Easiest & Best Way To Reheat Leftover Lasagna So It Tastes Just-Baked

 

Here are the best ways to reheat leftover lasagna so it tastes like it was just baked and never dries out. Of course, you may also reheat lasagna in a microwave for up to 1 minute or until hot.

• To reheat lasagna on the stovetop. Add a little olive oil to a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) set over medium heat and add lasagna slices.  Cover them with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook until the lasagna is melty and warmed through. Contrary to what I’ve read online, reheating lasagna on the stovetop has never (ever) dried out the lasagna. In fact, I prefer this method because it’s not only quicker than preheating the oven and then re-baking the lasagna for 30 minutes, it’s always melty and delicious with little bits of cheese that crisps up on the sides around the bottom which tastes great (see below photos of reheated lasagna in a crêpe pan). 
• To reheat lasagna in the oven. You can choose three different temperatures to reheat leftover lasagna in the oven. First, add desired slices to an oven-proof baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Then bake at any of the below times and temperatures depending on how quickly you want to eat (FYI, I usually reheat at 375°F/190°C for 25 minutes):
  • Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 325°F/160°C for 40 minutes, or until warmed completely through.
  • Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes, or until warmed completely through.
  • Bake lasagna covered with foil in a preheated 375°F/190°C for 25 minutes, or until warmed completely through. Pro tip — Add a little extra tomato sauce to the bottom of the baking dish before adding the lasagna slices, then sprinkle the tops with a little extra mozzarella or parm before reheating. 

A Few More Delicious Pasta Dishes 

If you love pasta as much as we do, we’ve added a few of our tried and true family favorites for you to try below. 

• Italian Prosciutto Cotto and Mozzarella Lasagna (Lasagne con Prosciutto Cotto e Mozzarella)
• Anniversary Pasta (Spicy Shrimp Tomato-Alfredo Sauce w/Rigatoni)
• Italian Duck Ragù with Bigoli (Bigoli al Ragù d’Anatra)
• Classic Lasagna Bolognese (authentic Italian recipe)
• Italian Speck & Asparagus Lasagna (w/Asparagus Béchamel & Zucchini Crema)
• Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo Pasta Recipe (w/Parmigiano Cream Sauce)
• Baked Ziti with Ragù (from Scratch)
• 15-Minute Shrimp Pasta w/Garganelli (the Italian Way)
• Spaghetti alla Carbonara (Cook Pasta Like A Roman)
• Tagliatelle al Ragù (Northern Italian Beef Ragù w/Pasta)
• Mama A’s Eggplant & Zucchini Parmigiana (Pinterest & Food52 Golden Recipe Grand Prize Winner)
• Triple Shrimp Trighetto Pasta (Creamy Shrimp Pasta)
• Asparagus & Prosciutto Cotto (Ham) Lasagna (w/Asparagus Bechamel)
• Mama A’s Eggplant & Zucchini Parmigiana (Pinterest & Food52 Golden Recipe Grand Prize Winner)

Let’s get started!

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