Lasagne al Forno with Ragu and Bechamel
Layers of slow cooked ragu, creamy bechamel and parmesan between pasta sheets, baked until bubbling with a golden top.
Made with Slow cooked ragu and White bechamel sauce. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.60 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make the ragu and the bechamel sauce first (see the base recipes). Warm both gently so they spread easily. If the bechamel has set firm in the fridge, whisk it with a splash of milk over a low heat until pourable.
- 2
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Butter a deep baking dish of about 30 x 20 cm.
- 3
Stir the nutmeg into the bechamel. Spread a thin layer of your ready made ragu over the base of the dish, then cover with a layer of pasta sheets, breaking them to fit.
- 4
Spoon over a third of the remaining ragu, then a quarter of the bechamel, and sprinkle with a little parmesan. Add more pasta sheets and repeat the layers. Finish with a layer of pasta, the rest of the bechamel and the remaining parmesan, making sure the top sheets are fully covered so they do not curl and dry.
- 5
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the top is golden and the edges bubble.
50 min - 6
Rest for 15 minutes before cutting, so the layers set and the portions hold their shape.
Tips
- Make sure the pasta is always touching sauce. Dry corners stay hard, so push the sheets right to the edges and cover with sauce.
- Both sauces should be loose enough to spread but not runny. If the ragu is thick, stir in 100 ml hot water. If the bechamel is stiff, loosen it with milk.
- Resting for 15 minutes is the difference between neat squares and a puddle on the plate.
Storing and freezing
Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge once cooled within 2 hours, or 3 months frozen in portions. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Do I need to pre-cook the lasagne sheets?
Not with 'no pre-cook' dried sheets, as long as the sauces are fairly loose and the top is covered. The sheets absorb the liquid as they bake. Fresh pasta also needs no pre-cooking.
Can I assemble lasagne the day before?
Yes. Build it, cool it, cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Bake from cold, adding about 15 minutes, until steaming hot in the centre.
Why is my lasagne watery?
Usually the ragu was too thin or the lasagne was cut straight from the oven. Simmer the ragu until it holds a spoon trail and rest the bake for 15 minutes before serving.
More made with slow cooked ragu
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.