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Serving of lasagna on a ladle, and lasagna pan on a gray background.

No-Boil Lasagna Bechamel with Mushroom Bolognese

Aida
Homemade no boil lasagna bechamel with mushroom bolognese. Two traditional sauces in the world's favorite casserole. What's not to love? 
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
Servings 5
Calories 1082 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

Bolognese:

  • 6 tablespoons oil
  • 1 onion larger, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 16 ounces ground beef
  • 10.5 - 12 ounces portabello mushrooms
  • 7 ounces tomato sauce
  • Herbs and spices to taste parsley, celery, basil, oregano, salt, pepper or about ½ teaspoon each
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Bechamel:

  • 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 16 ounces milk warm
  • 7 ounces heavy cream warm
  • ½ tablespoon salt

Other ingredients:

  • 14-16 ounces cheese gouda, edam, or other hard yellow cheese, grated
  • No boil lasagna sheets I used 12 sheets sized 3.5x7 inches*

Instructions
 

Bolognese:

  • In a large pan, heat up oil over medium (2 min). Add onion and garlic and simmer until crystalized (3-5 min). 
  • Add ground beef and simmer until no longer pink, stirring occasionally (5 min). 
  • Add mushrooms, stir well and simmer until mushrooms sweat (6-7 min). 
  • Stir in tomato sauce, herbs, spices and sugar. Simmer (2-3 min), and remove off heat. The sauce should have more liquid than the usual bolognese. 

Bechamel:

  • In a large, wide pan melt butter on low to medium (2 min). 
  • Add flour and whisk vigorously to prevent lumps from forming while forming a paste (1-2 min). The mix should achieve a golden color and be smooth. 
  • Stir (or whisk) in milk.
  • Stir (or whisk) in heavy cream and salt. Continue stirring (2-3 min) and watching the thickness. When the sauce is about the thickness of tomato sauce, or thinner it is done.* Remove off heat. 

Assembly:

  • Line bottom of a baking pan (9x13 inch or 22x33cm) with lasagna sheets.* Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). 
  • Add a layer of bechamel (roughly ¼ of the sauce), and evenly distribute, covering lasagna sheets completely. 
  • Add a layer of bolognese (roughly ¼ of the sauce) over bechamel, and evenly distribute. 
  • Top bolognese with cheese (¼ of grated cheese). Repeat steps 1-4 three more times, but don’t put the cheese on the top most layer right away. (Layer 1: lasagna sheets, bechamel, bolognese, cheese; layer 2: lasagna sheets, bechamel, bolognese, cheese; layer 3: lasagna sheets, bechamel, bolognese, cheese; layer 4: lasagna sheets, bechamel and bolognese.) Bake 15 minutes. 
  • Take lasagna out and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. 
  • Serve warm.  

Video

Notes

*Bechamel step 3: If the sauce is too thick add more milk. If it’s too thin simmer longer or add a little more roux. However, for this recipe it’s preferable that bechamel runs on a thinner side. 
*Assembly step 1: The number of sheets will depend on the type of lasagna you buy. We needed 3 sheets each layer, and had 4 layers for the total of 12 no boil lasagna sheets.
Ingredient notes: Sheet size: adjust these to your pan. I used 12 sheets (3 per a layer) sized 3.5x7 inches as these fit my pan. Bolognese meat: Sub with ground turkey or pork. For a stronger taste, add 2-3 ounces diced bacon to the beef. Bechamel: Sub the sauce with ricotta but be aware that the texture is gritty and dry, especially when baked. Mushrooms: Sub with cremini, shiitake or a mix of. Not a fan of mushrooms? Sub with diced zucchini. Cheese: Sub with parmesan for a more Italian taste. Otherwise, use gouda.  For freshest taste shred cheese at home. 
Method notes: Regular vs no boil sheets: You can easily substitute no boil for regular sheets. You simply skip the boiling step, and layer them as they are. Make ahead: Assemble lasagna just before baking. Bolognese can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Bechamel should be made just ahead of the assembly. Storage: Keep leftover lasagna in the fridge up to 2 days in a tightly sealed plastic wrap. Freezing: After baking, allow it to cool down, put into freezer bags (or containers), then freeze. You can cut it up or freeze it whole up to 1 month. To bake, thaw lasagna completely. Bake for 20 minutes, add cheese on top, and bake another 5-10 minutes. Reheating: Heat in the oven (highly preferred!) or microwave. If it was frozen, let thaw completely before baking. 
Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition

Sodium: 1952mgSugar: 11.7gFiber: 2.2gCholesterol: 242mgCalories: 1082kcalSaturated Fat: 34.8gFat: 71.8gProtein: 62.1gCarbohydrates: 46.7g
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