🌟 Lasagna

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

Main material

• Lasagna Pasta – about 12-15 slices (make sure it’s ready to use and pre-cooked)
• Minced Beef – about 400g
• Minced Pork – about 200g (can be mixed for a more fragrant taste)
• Onion – 1 (chopped)
• Garlic – 3–4 cloves (minced)
• Carrot – 1 (finely diced)
• Celery – 1 piece (finely chopped)
• Chopped Tomatoes – 2 cans (approximately 800g)
• Tomato Paste – 2 tablespoons
• Olive Oil – 2–3 tablespoons
• Red Wine – 1/2 cup (optional, to enhance flavor)
• Basil – a little (dried or fresh)
• Oregano – a pinch (dried spice is best)
• Salt and black pepper – to taste

Béchamel Sauce

• Butter – 50g
• Flour – 50g
• Milk – 500ml
• Salt and black pepper – a pinch
• Nutmeg – a little (optional, adds more flavor)

Cheese layer

• Mozzarella cheese – about 200g (shredded)🧀
• Parmesan cheese – about 50g (grated)

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👩🏻🍳 Cooking process

Step 1: Cook the Ragù

1. Heat a wok over medium heat, add olive oil, and sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until fragrant and soft.
2. Add ground beef and pork, stir-fry until they change color and break up slightly.
3. Add red wine and cook for a while until the alcohol evaporates (optional).
4. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and oregano and mix well.
5. Simmer over low heat for 30–40 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the flavors blend.
6. Finally, taste and add salt and black pepper.

Step 2: Cook the Béchamel

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add flour and stir well until golden brown to form "Roux".
3. Slowly add the milk, stirring as you go to avoid lumps.
4. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 3: Prepare the lasagna

• If it is a no-cook lasagna : you can use it directly.
• For traditional lasagna : Parboil in salted water and drain.

Step 4: Assemble the Lasagna

1. Place a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Place lasagna sheets.
3. Spread a layer of white sauce and sprinkle some cheese on it.
4. Repeat the steps of "meat sauce → noodles → white sauce → cheese" and stack them layer by layer.
5. Spread white sauce on top and sprinkle a lot of Mozzarella + Parmesan cheese on top.

Step 5: Baking

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Bake in the oven for about 35–45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
3. After taking it out of the oven, let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting it so that it won’t fall apart.

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💡 Editor's Tips

• The meat sauce should be cooked slowly . The longer it cooks, the more flavorful it will be. The sauce will be more concentrated and the flavor will be deeper.
• Keep stirring the white sauce 👉 Don't stop, otherwise it will clump.
• Rest after baking👉 Lasagna needs to be left alone for a while after it comes out of the oven so that it will have a nice layered texture when you cut it.
• You can add spinach, mushrooms, or eggplant for a variety of variations.
• A must-try for cheese lovers 👉 Add more cheese on the top and bake until it is stringy!

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🎯 Summary

Lasagna is truly one of Italy's signature dishes, combining the richness of meat sauce 🍅, the creaminess of béchamel 🥛, and the stringy texture of cheese 🧀—every bite is a perfect combination. I think the best part is: despite the many steps involved, the moment it's successfully baked is incredibly satisfying, and the whole kitchen is filled with fragrant aromas. It's so comforting to eat and warm up afterward. 💕