Lasagna with ground meat: classic, zucchini, eggplant
A successful lasagna with ground meat relies on three points: three layers of sauce for a structure that holds its shape, a bolognese reduced for at least 30 minutes, and a béchamel thin enough to cook the dry pasta sheets. Allow 500 g of meat, 12 sheets, and 50 cl of béchamel for a six-person dish, then 45 minutes at 180 °C. For another table, our chart shows how much ground meat to allow per person.
The dish is very forgiving, except for two things: a sauce that is too dry, which leaves crispy sheets, and a sauce that is too liquid, which results in a lasagna that collapses when cut. Here are the proportions, the layer-by-layer assembly, and the zucchini and eggplant versions where the vegetable replaces the pasta.
The meat sauce, the real heart of the lasagna
Everything depends on the bolognese. Brown 500 g of ground meat over high heat, in a single layer, in a very hot casserole: it must brown, not boil. An 8 mm grind holds up better during the 45 minutes in the oven than an industrial fine grind, which breaks down into a puree in the sauce.
Then add:
- an onion and a grated carrot;
- two cloves of garlic;
- 400 g of tomato pulp and a tablespoon of paste;
- half a glass of water.
Let it reduce for 30 minutes uncovered. The sauce is ready when the spoon leaves a furrow that does not close immediately.
The choice of cut follows the same logic as for a stuffing: chuck or top round with 15 or 20% fat, ground at the last moment. The beef and lamb mixture, which is more tender, also works very well here. The appliances that give this regular texture are gathered in our collection of meat grinders.
Béchamel, sheets, and layered assembly
The béchamel is made with 50 g of butter, 50 g of flour, and 60 cl of milk, including nutmeg. It is deliberately thinner than that of a gratin, because it is its extra water that cooks the dry sheets. There is no need to pre-cook store-bought sheets, provided that each one touches sauce on both sides. While it thickens, the onion, garlic, and carrot for the next batch of sauce are chopped in a few seconds with a vegetable chopper. Homemade cannelloni also combine beef filling, tomato sauce, and béchamel.
The assembly always follows the same order:
- a base of béchamel;
- sheets, bolognese, béchamel, repeated three times;
- a final layer of sheets covered with béchamel alone and 80 g of grated cheese, never meat, which would dry out.
Bake for 45 minutes at 180 °C, covering with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes if the surface browns too quickly, then let rest for 10 minutes: it is the resting that allows for clean slices.
| Version | What replaces what | Cooking peculiarity | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic bolognese | Nothing, the reference recipe | 45 min at 180 °C, rest 10 min | The family dish for six people |
| Zucchini and ground meat | The sheets, replaced by grilled zucchini strips | Zucchinis drained with salt then dry-grilled | A lighter version, without pasta |
| Eggplant and ground meat | The sheets, replaced by roasted eggplant slices | Eggplants pre-cooked 15 min in the oven | The taste closest to moussaka |
| Mixed vegetables and pasta | One layer of sheets every two | No change in time | The compromise when hosting |
| Without béchamel, with ricotta | The béchamel, replaced by 400 g of ricotta thinned with milk | Add 10 cl of milk, the ricotta absorbs less | Faster, more tangy |
Zucchini or eggplant lasagna: the vegetable instead of pasta
These are the two most sought-after variations, and they face the same obstacle: the water from the vegetable.
- For zucchini, cut 3 mm strips with a mandoline, salt them for 15 minutes, pat dry, then dry-grill them in a pan or on a plancha. Raw, they would release their water in the dish and water down the sauce.
- For eggplant, cut half-centimeter slices lengthwise, lightly oil them and roast them for 15 minutes at 200 °C before assembly. The pre-cooked flesh becomes tender and absorbs the sauce instead of releasing it. Moussaka and stuffed eggplant have their own article: eggplant and ground meat.
In both cases, reduce the béchamel to 40 cl, since the vegetables do not absorb like dry sheets, and allow 35 minutes in the oven instead of 45. The principle is the same as for the stuffing detailed in our recipe for stuffed zucchini with ground meat.
The mistakes that ruin the dish, and freezing
Four flaws often recur.
- crispy sheets: the béchamel was too thick or a sheet was not in contact with the sauce;
- the lasagna collapses: sauce not reduced enough, or cut without the 10 minutes of resting;
- the layer of meat is dry: a bolognese that is too lean, under 12% fat;
- the top is burnt with a lukewarm center: oven too hot. Stay at 180 °C and cover at the beginning of cooking.
Lasagna freezes very well: assembled raw, it keeps for two months and goes from the freezer to the oven, 1 h 15 at 170 °C. In cooked portions, it reheats for 25 minutes at 160 °C. If you hesitate between a cream or béchamel binder, our comparison of the ground meat pasta gratin compares the two.
Can you prepare lasagna the day before?
For a meal where you are hosting, preparing the dish in advance simplifies the day a lot.
Yes, and the dish benefits from it: assembled, wrapped in film, and kept for 24 hours in the refrigerator, the layers hold up better when cut. Allow 55 minutes at 180 °C instead of 45. Assembled raw, they also freeze for two months and go directly into the oven.
Three layers, thirty minutes of reduction, ten minutes of resting
For a lasagna that holds its shape, remember these three numbers: a bolognese reduced for 30 minutes with an 8 mm grind, three layers of sheets assembled between two sauces, and 10 minutes of resting before cutting. The zucchini and eggplant versions follow the same construction, provided you drain or pre-cook the vegetable. Grinding the meat yourself at the last moment gives you this texture that withstands the oven, instead of a pureed sauce.
All our meat and vegetable grinders are gathered on Hachoir Cuisine.