Lasagne with Marinara Sauce
Is there anything better than hot, bubbling lasagne with marinara sauce fresh out of the oven? Especially with plenty of extra cheese melted on top for that drool-worthy cheese pull… heavenly!
This is my Lasagne 2.0. The first lasagne recipe I ever shared online used Dolmio white sauce (don’t kill me haha)! You lot deserve the best though, so this one has homemade béchamel. We all have Jess of JustJessFood to thank for the encouragement in posting my first ever recipe – the original Lasagne – back in 2019. And that’s where the story of sharing recipes online began.
This lasagne pairs perfectly with my homemade marinara sauce and extra cheese in individual portions. So portion it up, and serve each person their own bubbling delight! You can find the recipe for my marinara sauce here.
Next day lasagne is always better! So if you leave time for the lasagne to cool it will settle into its layers and make cutting it so much easier. Once portioned it up, you can freeze it for later, or add into individual oven proof dishes. Then top with fresh marinara sauce and load up on alllll the cheese before baking in the oven again to heat through.
More Information For The Lasagne with Marinara Sauce Recipe
The dried lasagne sheets need minimum of 40 minutes to soften. So if you’re using fresh refrigerated sheets, reduce the total oven cook time to approx 30-40 mins.
If you’re not baking in the oven straight away after making your ragu, and the mince and/or full lasagne has been refrigerated etc., bake for a total of 1.5hrs. The lasagne will require time to come to temperature first, before the required cooking thereafter.
If you’re looking to increase your vegetable intake, or add in some extra hidden veggies for the kids, then see below:
Mushrooms – simply cook with the onion, celery and carrots.
I also occasionally add a layer of thinly sliced courgette (zucchini) and mozzarella in the middle for an extra vegetable hit with bonus extra cheese layer.
Otherwise, check out my Ultimate Family Friendly Lasagne here, which packs a whopping 6 totally hidden different vegetables into the ragu.
I use a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top. But you can use anything you have to hand, like parmesan or grand padano.
Lasagne with Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
Beef Mince Ragu
- olive oil
- 2 carrots
- 3 sticks celery
- 2 onions
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 6 rashers smoked bacon 1/2 pack, but you can use a full pack if desired
- 5 garlic cloves or 1 x tbsp purée
- 500 g beef mince
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 250 ml red wine
- ½ tube of tomato purée
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
- 600 g passata
- 500 ml ham stock or beef stock (using 2 stock cubes)
Bechamel
- 50 g salted butter
- 40 g plain flour
- 650 ml milk
Other Ingredients
- salt & pepper
- lasagne sheets
- 100 g mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend
Instructions
- Chop 2 carrots, 2 onions & 3 sticks celery finely & cook in olive oil with 1 tsp chilli flakes, 1 tbsp mixed herbs and 5 garlic cloves or 1 x tbsp purée until softened
- In a separate pan, brown 500 g beef mince with 6 rashers smoked bacon (chopped) – season with salt & pepper– then add 250 ml red wine & reduce so alcohol cooks off
- Add beef mince & bacon to the cooked veg
- Then add 1/2 tube of tomato purée and fry for a couple of minutes before adding 600 g passata, 400 g chopped tomatoes and 500 ml ham stock
- Stir to combine and cook on low/medium heat for approx 90-120mins until flavour deepens, sauce thickens and consistency is ragu-like
- Béchamel: melt 50 g salted butter, then add 40 g plain flour– cook for 2 mins – then gradually add 650 ml milk in increments, whilst stirring/whisking continuously, until sauce thickens
- Layer up lasagne (meat, béchamel, lasagne sheets and repeat) and bake in oven at 180 for a total of 1 hour: 40 mins covered (with tinfoil or casserole lid), then add 100 g mozzarella and cheddar cheese blend on top, before baking for a further 20 mins uncovered
