This delicious Lasagne of Love by Nigella Lawson is a comforting, hearty meal that’s perfect for any occasion. With layers of rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and melty cheese, it’s sure to satisfy. You can easily adjust the recipe with ingredients you have on hand, making it a flexible favorite!
Ingredients Needed
For the Meat Sauce:
- 2 large-ish onions (approx. 350g / 2¾ cups chopped)
- 3 – 4 x 15ml tablespoons olive oil
- 125ml full-fat milk
- 4 x 15ml tablespoons tomato purée
- 2 carrots (approx. 250g)
- 1 stick of celery
- 4 fat cloves of garlic
- 150g rindless pancetta (or bacon)
- A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (approx. 20g)
- 1 x 15ml tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ⅛ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 350g minced beef
- 350g minced pork
- 250ml red wine (good enough to drink) or red vermouth
- 500ml beef stock
- 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt)
- 3 fresh bay leaves
For the Béchamel:
- Vegetable prep detritus from meat sauce above
- 1 litre full-fat milk plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes (or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt)
- A good grinding of white pepper
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 100g unsalted butter
- 100g plain flour
- 3 x 15ml tablespoons (approx. 40g) freshly grated Parmesan
For Assembling:
- 18-20 dried lasagne sheets
- 1 ball mozzarella (not bufala)
- 5 x 15ml tablespoons (approx. 40g) freshly grated Parmesan
How To Make Lasagne Of Love
- Prepare the onions: Chop the onions and set the peeled skin aside for the béchamel. In a large, heavy-based casserole or pan, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly coloured.
- Prepare the vegetable mixture: While the onions cook, stir the tomato purée into the 125ml of milk and set aside. Peel and chop the carrots, and place them in a food processor with celery, garlic, pancetta (or bacon), parsley, and thyme. Blitz everything until finely chopped, or chop by hand.
- Cook the vegetable mixture: Once the onions are ready, increase the heat to medium-high. Add the vegetable mixture from the processor to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chilli flakes.
- Brown the meat: Add the minced beef and pork, turning the heat to high. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the meat is browned. If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil.
- Add liquids and cook: Pour in the wine (or vermouth), allow it to bubble, and then add the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato and milk mixture, salt, and bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer, taste for seasoning, then cover and place the pot in the oven at 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F for 1 hour.
- Prepare the béchamel: While the meat sauce cooks, place the vegetable peelings, 1 litre of milk, salt, pepper, and bay leaves into a pan. Heat until just below boiling, then turn off the heat and cover. After 45 minutes, strain the milk into a jug, topping up with more milk if needed.
- Make the roux: Clean out the béchamel pan and melt the butter in it. Stir in the flour to form a roux, and cook for 2 minutes. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the infused milk until smooth. Return the pan to low heat, whisking for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, and set aside.
- Check the meat sauce: After 1 hour in the oven, stir the meat sauce, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Assemble the lasagne: In a 24 x 35 x 6cm dish, start by layering meat sauce, followed by lasagne sheets. Repeat layers, alternating béchamel and meat sauce, until all the ingredients are used up. End with a final layer of lasagne sheets, then pour the reserved liquid from the meat sauce over the top. Let the lasagne sit for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Bake the lasagne: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F. Top the lasagne with finely chopped mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes (or 1 hour if refrigerated). Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Let it stand for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the long cooking time: Let the meat sauce cook for a full hour in the oven. This ensures the flavors fully develop and gives the sauce a rich, deep taste.
- Use full-fat milk for béchamel: For the creamiest, smoothest béchamel sauce, always use full-fat milk. It helps create a luxurious texture that pairs perfectly with the lasagne.
- Layer carefully: When assembling, make sure each layer is well-spread and covers the pasta sheets completely. This helps ensure even cooking and a balanced flavor in every bite.
- Rest before serving: Let the lasagne sit for 20-30 minutes after baking. This helps the layers set and makes slicing easier, giving you neat, perfect pieces.
- Make extra sauce: If you love a saucy lasagne, keep a little extra meat sauce on hand to add on top when serving. It enhances the flavor and keeps the lasagne moist.
How To Store And Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: Let the leftover lasagne cool to room temperature, then cover and store it in the fridge. It will keep for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: If freezing, allow the lasagne to cool fully, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil before freezing. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Cover the lasagne with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes until heated through. If you like a crispy top, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/9th of the recipe)
- Calories: 550
- Total Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
- Sodium: 800mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 45g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Sugars: 8g
- Protein: 30g
Try More Nigella Recipes:
- Nigella Lawson Chicken Lasagna
- Nigella Lawson Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
- Nigella Roast Vegetable Soup Recipe
- Nigella Spinach And Ricotta Lasagne
Nigella Lasagne Of Love
Description
This delicious Lasagne of Love by Nigella Lawson is a comforting, hearty meal that’s perfect for any occasion. With layers of rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and melty cheese, it’s sure to satisfy. You can easily adjust the recipe with ingredients you have on hand, making it a flexible favorite!
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
For the Béchamel:
For Assembling:
Instructions
- Prepare the onions: Chop the onions and set the peeled skin aside for the béchamel. In a large, heavy-based casserole or pan, warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the onions for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly coloured.
- Prepare the vegetable mixture: While the onions cook, stir the tomato purée into the 125ml of milk and set aside. Peel and chop the carrots, and place them in a food processor with celery, garlic, pancetta (or bacon), parsley, and thyme. Blitz everything until finely chopped, or chop by hand.
- Cook the vegetable mixture: Once the onions are ready, increase the heat to medium-high. Add the vegetable mixture from the processor to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chilli flakes.
- Brown the meat: Add the minced beef and pork, turning the heat to high. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the meat is browned. If necessary, add another tablespoon of oil.
- Add liquids and cook: Pour in the wine (or vermouth), allow it to bubble, and then add the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, tomato and milk mixture, salt, and bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer, taste for seasoning, then cover and place the pot in the oven at 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F for 1 hour.
- Prepare the béchamel: While the meat sauce cooks, place the vegetable peelings, 1 litre of milk, salt, pepper, and bay leaves into a pan. Heat until just below boiling, then turn off the heat and cover. After 45 minutes, strain the milk into a jug, topping up with more milk if needed.
- Make the roux: Clean out the béchamel pan and melt the butter in it. Stir in the flour to form a roux, and cook for 2 minutes. Off the heat, slowly whisk in the infused milk until smooth. Return the pan to low heat, whisking for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat, stir in 3 tablespoons of Parmesan, and set aside.
- Check the meat sauce: After 1 hour in the oven, stir the meat sauce, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Assemble the lasagne: In a 24 x 35 x 6cm dish, start by layering meat sauce, followed by lasagne sheets. Repeat layers, alternating béchamel and meat sauce, until all the ingredients are used up. End with a final layer of lasagne sheets, then pour the reserved liquid from the meat sauce over the top. Let the lasagne sit for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Bake the lasagne: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/400°F. Top the lasagne with finely chopped mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes (or 1 hour if refrigerated). Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Let it stand for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don’t skip the long cooking time: Let the meat sauce cook for a full hour in the oven. This ensures the flavors fully develop and gives the sauce a rich, deep taste.
- Use full-fat milk for béchamel: For the creamiest, smoothest béchamel sauce, always use full-fat milk. It helps create a luxurious texture that pairs perfectly with the lasagne.
- Layer carefully: When assembling, make sure each layer is well-spread and covers the pasta sheets completely. This helps ensure even cooking and a balanced flavor in every bite.
- Rest before serving: Let the lasagne sit for 20-30 minutes after baking. This helps the layers set and makes slicing easier, giving you neat, perfect pieces.
- Make extra sauce: If you love a saucy lasagne, keep a little extra meat sauce on hand to add on top when serving. It enhances the flavor and keeps the lasagne moist.
Nigella Lasagne Of Love