This melty, cheesy, saucy, beef lasagna with tomato and white wine sauce and porcini béchamel 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).
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About This Lasagna Recipe
The inspiration for this recipe is based on a delicious Italian "lasagna al ragù" that Luca'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 That Luca's Sister Made For My Birthday ⇓
Why We Love This Lasagna Recipe
- It's cheesy, melty, creamy, tomatoey, and beefy
- Uses 3 high-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
- Kids 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 ½ hours to make the ragù
⇓ 3 of Our Favorite Artisanally-Made Products from Abruzzo, Italy I Use in This Recipe
Beef Lasagna with Porcini Béchamel 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 Beef Lasagna with Porcini Béchamel Step-by-Step
If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a sauce pot or Dutch oven with a lid - just cook the sauce longer to allow the flavors to develop and the milk to fully incorporate.
Make the Ragù
Step 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot or Bimby) over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and onions and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and cook through, about 5 minutes more. Add the white wine and stir 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. Once high pressure is reached, set a timer for 25 minutes and reduce the heat to its lowest setting while maintaining pressure. After 25 minutes, turn off the heat and allow a natural release.
*If using a regular sauce pot, see recipe notes for time and technique.
Infuse the Milk with Aromatics
Step 2. While the ragù cooks, add the milk, onion, and dried porcini mushrooms to a small pot. Heat over medium until scalding but not boiling, then turn off the heat. Season with salt and freshly grated nutmeg. Let steep for at least 20 minutes, then strain through a fine mesh strainer and reheat until hot before using.
NOTE: For deeper flavor, infuse the milk with the mushrooms and onion overnight in the fridge. Strain and reheat just before making the béchamel, then use an immersion blender to purée the mixture instead of straining.
Make the Porcini Béchamel Sauce
Step 3. Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour a little at a time, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Keep whisking over medium heat until the roux is fragrant and slightly darker in color and the raw flour smell is gone, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour in the hot milk in a steady stream while whisking vigorously. Continue whisking over medium-high heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. The sauce will thicken a little more off the heat. Adjust salt and nutmeg as needed. Press a piece of parchment paper or sustainable cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Assemble the Lasagna
Step 4. Spread a ladle of ragù across the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of slightly overlapping lasagna noodles. Spread on a little more sauce and sprinkle with Grana Padano and mozzarella.
Add another layer of noodles, more tomato sauce, then a thin layer of béchamel. Continue layering - noodles, sauce, and cheese - finishing the top layer with noodles, tomato sauce, Grana Padano, and mozzarella.
Bake the Lasagna
Step 5. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F / 190°C for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more, or until hot, bubbling, and golden. For extra browning on the mozzarella, turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat as desired (see reheating instructions below).
Freeze leftover slices. Wrap individual portions in parchment paper or freezer paper, place in a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal prep - unbaked. Assemble the lasagna and press a piece of parchment paper or freezer paper directly onto the top layer, covering the entire surface (this prevents ice crystals from forming). Wrap well in sustainable cling film and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, remove the lasagna from the fridge about 1 hour before baking to take the chill off, and bake as instructed adding a few extra minutes if needed.
Meal prep - baked. Bake as instructed and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Press a piece of parchment paper or freezer paper directly onto the top layer, covering the entire surface (this prevents ice crystals from forming). Wrap well in sustainable cling film or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Best Way To Reheat Leftover Lasagna
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.
Stovetop (preferred method). Add a little olive oil to a well-seasoned cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the lasagna slices, cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook until melty and warmed through.
Contrary to what you may read online, this method never dries out the lasagna. It's quicker than reheating in the oven, and the cheese gets melty with crispy bits around the edges on the bottom - which tastes amazing (see photos below).
Preheated Oven. Place desired slices in an oven-proof baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Choose the preheat temperature based on how quickly you want to eat (I usually go with 375°F/190°C for 25 minutes):
- 325°F / 160°C - 40 minutes, or until warmed through
- 350°F / 180°C - 30 minutes, or until warmed through
- 375°F / 190°C - 25 minutes, or until warmed 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 Parmigiano before reheating.
More Easy Lasagna Recipes
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.
Let's get started!
📖 Recipe
Lasagna w/Beef Ragù & Porcini Béchamel (Almost Bolognese)
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings depending on hunger level
Description
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. As always, I've included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post.
Ingredients
- 24 ounces tomato passata (700g) (sub finely chopped tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30g)
- 1 small onion (3 ⅝ ounces) (100g)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 pound ground beef (450g)
- 3 ½ ounces dry white wine (like Pecorino, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon) (100g)
- 1 cup whole milk (235g)
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (35g)
- 4 tablespoons flour (35g)
- 2 cups milk (490g)
- 2 dried porcini mushrooms, or more to taste (0.75g)
- ¼ of a small onion
- freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (2.5g)
- 1 pound egg pasta lasagna sheets, fresh or dried (500g)
- 3 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese (400g)
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese (100g) (sub Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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".
- 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.
- 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!
Notes
If using a regular sauce pot to make the sauce, once you add the tomatoes, bring everything up to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the milk and cook another 45 minutes, or until well incorporated into the sauce. Be sure to stir the sauce occasionally and keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't reduce too much.
I end up with just about ½ cup of the porcini béchamel leftover that I don't use in the lasagna. You can use it all if you want, reserve it for another use, or even freeze it for up to 3 months.
See the main post for storage and reheating instructions.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 2.4g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
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