Lasagna with Béchamel Sauce (without ricotta)

Step 1

Heat a large pot under medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and onions. Saute until fragrant, for a minute or two, avoid browning. Then add ground beef

Step 2

Saute ground beef until it is no longer pink. Add carrot and celery, and saute for about one minute.

Step 3

Add the liquids - peeled tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Heat it on medium high heat and let it come to a boil.

Step 4

Add the rest of the seasonings - basil, oregano, beef bouillon, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Lower heat to medium heat and let it cook for another ~10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Step 5

Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 6

Add butter to a medium pot and heat under medium heat.

Step 7

Once butter is melted (avoid browning butter), add flour to pot. Using a whisk, whisk to combine. Mixture will be slightly clumpy.

Step 8

Immediately add milk into the pot and bring to medium high heat so that it comes to a boil. Whisk continuously until mixture is smooth and thickens.

Step 9

Once mixture reaches desired thick consistency, add salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.

Step 10

Pre heat oven to 375°F

Step 11

Bring a thin layer of bolognese sauce to the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" dish.

Step 12

Start layering with three sheets of rectangular lasagna sheets (see Note 1), then add 1/3 of the bolognese sauce, and then 1/3 of the béchamel sauce.

Step 13

Repeat Steo 2 two more times. There should be a total of three sets of lasagna sheets/bolognese sauce/béchamel sauce layers.

Step 14

The top layer should be béchamel sauce. Sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese to top it off.

Step 15

Bring casserole dish to oven and place a cookie sheet under the casserole dish to catch any potential drippings. Bake for 45 minutes, then (optional) broil for 2 minutes to brown the top.

Step 16

Remove dish from oven and let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into lasagna.

Step 17

Garnish with parsley and serve! Enjoy!