Beef Lasagna w/Tomato White Wine Sauce and Porcini Béchamel

Name: Lasagna w/Beef Ragù & Porcini Béchamel (Almost Bolognese)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 24 ounces tomato passata (700g) (sub finely chopped tomatoes); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30g); 1 small onion (3 5/8 ounces) (100g); 2 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 pound ground beef (450g); 3 1/2 ounces dry white wine (like Pecorino, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon) (100g); 1 cup whole milk (235g); 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (35g); 4 tablespoons flour (35g); 2 cups milk (490g); 2 dried porcini mushrooms, or more to taste (0.75g); 1/4 of a small onion; freshly grated nutmeg, to taste; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (2.5g); 1 pound egg pasta lasagna sheets, fresh or dried (500g); 3 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (400g); 1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese (100g) (sub Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese)

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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).

A portioned square of "almost lasagna bolognese" pasta bake with beef ragu, porcini bechamel, mozzarella cheese, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

closeup a whole lasagna after just being baked with melty cheese all over the top and the sunlight hitting it

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Why We Love This Lasagna Recipe
Beef Lasagna with Porcini Béchamel Ingredients
How to Make Beef Lasagna with Porcini Béchamel Step-by-Step
Storage
Best Way To Reheat Leftover Lasagna
FAQ
More Easy Lasagna Recipes
📖 Recipe

adding fresh lasagna sheets to cover the ragù

the ragù all spread out across the lasagna sheets

Side view of a portioned square of "almost lasagna bolognese" pasta bake with beef ragu, porcini bechamel, mozzarella cheese, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

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 ⇓

a rectangular foil baking dish filled with melty, tomatoey lasagna

A square of delicious lasagna from Ely on a plate

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

three bottles of Abruzzo Italy's finest products: Cirelli Pecorino white wine, Timando Extra virgin olive oil, and La Giara Pear Tomato Passata

a large rectangle of lasagna sprinkled with grated cheese

All the ingredients needed to make the tomato and white wine beef ragù plus fresh refrigerated lasagna egg sheets

Labeled ingredients for traditional Italian bechamel sauce including whole milk, butter, flour, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and black pepper arranged for lasagna.

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)

just baked golden brown bubbling, cheesy lasagna

a large rectangular piece of lasagna in a pasta bowl

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

extra virgin olive oil with 2 large garlic cloves in a pressure cooker pot

extra virgin olive oil with 2 large garlic cloves and chopped onions in a pressure cooker pot

extra virgin olive oil with 2 large garlic cloves and chopped onions cooked until tender and translucent

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.

pouring white wine into the pot with ground beef

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.

bright red La Giara Tomato Passata added to the beef and white wine mixture

adding milk to the beef and tomato mixture

milk just added to the tomato and beef mixture in a pool in the center

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.

The pressure cooker fully closed and being brought to high pressure to cook the tomato sauce.

fineshed and beautifully bright red ragù

Infuse the Milk with Aromatics

adding the dried porcini to the milk and onion mixture

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.

pouring the hot porcini and onion infused milk into the roux to create the bechamel sauce

showing how the bechamel should coat the back of a spoon

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.

For more on the base sauce, troubleshooting lumps, and other flavor variations, see my classic béchamel sauce post for all the details.

Assemble the Lasagna

the ragù all spread out across the bottom of the dish

fully covered with two large lasagna sheets

grated mozzarella added all across the top

adding a layer of porcini bechamel and spreading it out over the top of the ragù

grated Grana Padano added all across the top

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

lasagna al ragù covered with aluminum foil and ready to be baked

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

Portioned slice of leftover refrigerated lasagna about to be reheated.

Two slices of portioned leftover refrigerated lasagna topped with extra mozzarella about to be reheated in the oven.

A square of ham and mozzarella lasagna reheating on a small crêpe pan.

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.

FAQ

What white wine goes in (and with) this lasagna?

For the sauce, use a quality dry white like Pecorino, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon blanc. The wine cooks into the tomato and beef sauce and intensifies the fruitiness of the tomatoes. To drink alongside, a light, crisp Italian white works well, or a low-tannin red like Sangiovese or Valpolicella if you prefer red like most Italians do, with a meaty, cheesy bake.

Is this the same as lasagna Bolognese?

No, and the name is deliberate. This is what I call my "almost Bolognese" lasagna. A true lasagna alla Bolognese is built on a slow-simmered stove-top, authentic ragù, while this one is quicker (using the pressure cooker) and made with different ingredients altogether. This one has no pork, it adds garlic, it uses regular fresh egg lasagna sheets instead of the traditional spinach pasta, it is layered with porcini bechamel instead of classic bechamel, and it includes mozzarella, which a traditional lasagna Bolognese never would. It is still a satisfying, comforting bake, just its own thing completely. If you want the slow-simmered classic, see my authentic lasagna Bolognese.

Can I make this lasagna without a pressure cooker?

Yes. If you don't have a pressure cooker, make the sauce in a regular sauce pot or Dutch oven with a lid. Just cook it longer over low heat so the flavors develop, and the milk fully incorporates, then assemble and bake as written.

Can I make it ahead or freeze it?

Yes, this lasagna is a great make-ahead, baked or unbaked. Assemble it, press parchment or freezer paper directly onto the top to prevent ice crystals, wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, take the chill off for about an hour, then bake. Baked leftovers keep in the fridge up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.