Lasagna Bolognese (with No Boil Noodles)

This Lasagna Bolognese is one of my family’s favorite comfort food dinners! It’s made with a hearty bolognese sauce and bechamel sauce, and everything is assembled easily with oven-ready no-boil lasagna noodles.

This lasagna is so cozy and layered with so much cheesy goodness. Truly so comforting and incredibly delicious! It is also make-ahead and freezer friendly.

• Oven-ready lasagna sheets: I like to use Barilla’s brand. For a large 9×13 inch lasagna, you need a 9-ounce box or about 15 sheets.
• Shredded mozzarella: Use whole milk shredded mozzarella, which melts better than part-skim.
• Parmesan cheese: I’d recommend freshly grated.
• Ground beef and Italian sausage: I recommend using ground beef and Italian sausage with the casings removed.
• Celery, onions, carrots: The “sofrito” combination that will be the base for the Bolognese sauce. Dice everything finely so it melts into the sauce.
• Fresh garlic: Can’t skip this one. Adds so much flavor.
• Diced pancetta: This is the secret ingredient! Adds depth of flavor throughout from the rendered fat.
• Red wine: I’d recommend using Pinot Noir for this recipe. It has good balance.
• Crushed canned tomatoes: You can also use canned whole peeled tomatoes, but blend them first.
• Thyme and bay leaves: Adds a subtle flavor. Fresh or dried are fine. Instead of fresh thyme, you can also use dried Italian seasoning.
• Whole milk: Used primarily both the bechamel sauce.
• Unsalted butter and all-purpose flour: The roux for the bechamel sauce. This will thicken then milk to make the bechamel.
• Nutmeg: A pinch of grated or ground for warm flavors.

Quantities for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card down below.

Step 1 | Make the bolognese sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large pot, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage until browned. Remove from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, cook the diced onions, carrots and celery over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Scrape the brown bits and add a splash of wine to deglaze if needed.

Add the pancetta and cook for a few minutes to let the fat render (lots of flavor!). Then, add garlic and thyme, and cook until fragrant for another few seconds. Stir in the red wine and simmer until about half reduced.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Return the cooked ground meat, season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 30-35 minutes with the lid partially covered. Finish with a half cup of whole milk to balance out flavors.

Step 2 | Make the bechamel sauce

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add in the flour, whisking constantly until it smells a bit nutty, about 3 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t burn.

Gradually add the milk, stirring to break up any lumps. It will start to thicken with the heat. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste.

Step 3 | Assemble the lasagna

In a 9×13-inch baking pan, spread a thin layer of bolognese sauce. Add a single layer of oven-ready sheets on top. Spoon more bolognese over, followed by a layer of bechamel sauce and shredded mozzarella. Repeat about 3 more times to get a few layers.

The final layer should be three lasagna sheets fully covered with the remaining sauces, a thin layer of mozzarella and freshly grated parmesan cheese. The pasta sheets need to be fully covered in the sauce so that they cook properly.

Step 4 | Bake

Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place it on a large sheet pan (to catch any spills) and bake for 30 minutes at 375 F. Uncover and bake for another 8 minutes until bubbly and melted on top. Broil for 1-2 minutes until beautifully golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. And there you have it, an amazing lasagna bolognese!