Best Lasagna Tomato Sauce Recipe
An Easy Homemade Classic
Star Rating (1196)
Lasagna Tomato Sauce Recipe
There are countless variations of delicious lasagna recipes. But the one thing all recipes have in common is a tomato sauce base.
In this recipe, you will learn how to make your own delicious classic lasagna homemade sauce (red sauce).
Another very common component of the classic lasagna recipe is the addition of bechamel sauce (white sauce).
Although some of the Southern Italian lasagna recipes do not use bechamel sauce, traditional bolognese lasagna recipes from Northern Italy almost always include bechamel sauce.
I have included the traditional Italian recipes for both sauces here!
I have also included the full lasagna recipe as well as the assembly instructions and cooking times and temperature.
This is the only lasagna recipe you will ever need – be sure to save this recipe for the next time you make lasagna with this homemade tomato sauce (some people call it “homemade meat sauce”)
Best Italian Lasagna Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredient list:
- 1-500gm can of Tomato Purée
- 2 tablespoons high-quality Olive Oil
- 2-3 can of fresh basil leaves (remove after cooking sauce)
- 1/2 white or yellow onion chopped into small pieces
- 1 medium carrot chopped into small pieces
- sea salt
- black pepper
Preparation Instructions:
Step 1.) Chop 1/2 onion and medium carrot into small diced-size pieces
Step 2.) In a deep saucepan, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil and turn on medium-high heat
Step 3.) Put chopped onion, carrot, and ground pepper into olive oil – sautè until lightly golden
Step 4.) Pour full can of tomato puree into sautèd onions and carrots and toss in 3 fresh basil leaves
Step 5.) Fill the empty can of tomato purèe half full of water and add to the pan washing out any excess purèe as well
Step 6.) Add generous salt to taste while stirring sauce regularly with a wooden spoon
Step 7.) Cook for 20-30 minutes. Allow the sauce to cool. Remove basil leaves (or leave them in if you like).
Italian Béchamel Sauce
Ingredient list:
- 500 ml (2 cups) of milk
- 50 g (1,7 ounce or ¼ cup) of unsalted butter
- 50 g (1,7 ounce or 4 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- A little bit of freshly grated nutmeg (less than 1/4 teaspoon)
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese 1/2 cup (optional)
*pro tip: the key to this recipe is to use equal amounts (in weight) of butter and flour
Optional Variations:
- runny bechamel: 30 g (1 oz) of flour + 30 g (1 oz) of butter
- classic bechamel: 50 g (1,7 oz) of flour + 50 g (1,7 oz) of butter
- thick bechamel: 70 g (2,40 oz) of flour + 70 g (2,40 oz) of butter
Preparation Instructions:
Step 1.) Melt butter on low heat in a medium saucepan
Step 2.) To the melted butter add sifted flour slowly to the butter whisking as you add the flour to keep it smooth
Step 3.) Slowly add the milk while whisking continuously – continue whisking and cooking on medium heat for 10-15 min making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan
Step 4.) Add salt to taste and add ground nutmeg (Italians grate fresh nutmeg into sauce – very small amount!)
Step 5.) If you want to add the optional parmesan cheese – do it as you take the sauce off the heat – allow the sauce to cool to room temperature
If you already have your own lasagna recipe, you now have the recipes for both types of sauces and you’re all set!
But if you also need a classic Italian lasagna recipe, there is one of my favorite ones listed below! It is a “Bolognese style” lasagna that uses both of the sauces listed above.
“Lasagna alla Bolognese”
Ingredient List:
- Approx 1 1/2 – 2 boxes of dried regular lasagna noodles from the grocery store (or use fresh homemade – or premade egg pasta)
- Approx 1 to 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese (of desired for topping mix with the remainder of the parmesan cheese)
- 6 oz. ground beef (85% lean)
- 6 oz. ground veal (you can use ground turkey, pork, or use all beef total of 12oz of meat)
- Homemade bechamel sauce (recipe and instructions above)
- Homemade lasagna sauce (recipe and instructions above)
To prepare this easy lasagna recipe follow these easy assembly instructions:
Assembly Instructions:
Step 1.) Brown 12 oz ground beef or beef and veal or pork combination large skillet and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 to 2 cups of red wine while browning. Drain fat. Add to finished red sauce or keep separately.
Step 2.) Grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese set aside.
Step 3.) Boil lasagna noodles to “al dente” (3/4 of the way cooked) in a large pot with salted water, dry and cool.
Step 4.) In a casserole dish, spread a generous layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish.
Step 5.) Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the sauce.
Step 6.) Arrange an even layer of the al dente pasta or the homemade pasta at the bottom of the dish.
Step 7.) Next spread another layer of tomato sauce (less than the bottom of the dish) over the pasta.
Step 8.) If you have not added the meat to the red sauce, sprinkle the meat generously over the layer of pasta.
Step 9.) Next, add a thick layer of bechamel sauce keeping about 1″ away from the edges of the dish.
Step 10.) Spoon several spoonfuls of red sauce over the pasta, meat, and bechamel sauce, then add a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Step 11.) Continue with layers of cheese, and layers of pasta and sauces – repeating Steps 6 through 10 – continue layering for 3 to 6 layers depending on the size of your dish and the number of ingredients you have!
Step 12.) For the top layer, coat with both sauces and the mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
Step 13.) Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F. (190 C.) for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 min before serving.
Enjoy the best Lasagna of your life!
And give yourself a pat on the back for creating this wonderful Italian classic!
Bravo!
Because this classic recipe is not the fastest dish to make, as there are a number of steps, many Italian families save this dish for special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas Eve.
Even though this is the perfect dish for special occasions, there’s no reason not to treat you and your family to this real Italian treasure for Sunday dinner even though it does take extra time to prepare – it’s totally worth it!
This easy homemade lasagna dish can also be cooked in a dutch oven! Makes fabulous leftovers – store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
The History of Lasagna:
Although most people attribute lasagna to Bologna (where I live) because of the “Bolognese Sauce” which is from here and goes into many different pasta dishes. But did you know that lasagna actually originated in Napoli (or “Naples” in English) which is where my grandparents are from?
One of the first references to modern-day lasagne can be found in a 14th-century English cookbook that highlighted a dish with layers of pasta without tomatoes. Later, another reference was made to lasagne in an Italian cookbook in the 1880s that featured tomato sauce.
The dish eventually evolved into the traditional lasagna of Naples called “Lasagna di Carnevale” made with local sausage, fried meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, ricotta or mozzarella, and Neapolitan Ragu. One of the most popular variations of this lasagna dish is called “Lasagna al Forno.”
This variation originates from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna and is made with ricotta or mozzarella, thick Ragu, bechamel sauce, wine, onion, oregano, and green sheets of pasta made with spinach.
Today, the traditional “Lasagna alla Bolognese” from Bologna is one of the most popular variations in the world.
Some Additional Secrets to Making the Best Lasagna Dish at Home
While packing your lasagna with vegetables and lean meats adds nutritional value, using no-boil noodles will improve the taste. They are typically thinner than the dry noodles and absorb the tomato sauce well. Also, you won’t have to wait for the noodles to cook.
Using pork sausage instead of ground beef for your tomato sauce will bring your pasta dish even more flavor. You can choose to mix sweet and spicy sausage to enhance the flavor of the sauce. Instead of using grated mozzarella, add fresh mozzarella instead. You’ll notice that the rich diary flavor is tasty and the texture is smooth.
If you’ve never thought about using eggs in a lasagna dish, now is a great time to try. When coupled with parmesan cheese and herbs, eggs round out the flavor and create a creamy texture filling that is mouth-watering.
Lastly, when you’re adding vegetables, you’ll want to add the right ones that don’t turn soggy while baking. While this can be fixed by pureeing your vegetables before they are added to the sauce, you can also use spinach. Adding spinach is a great alternative to including vegetables and adding flavor.
Because this classic recipe is not the fastest dish to make, as there are a number of steps, many Italian families save this dish for special occasions such as birthdays or Christmas Eve.
Even though this is the perfect dish for special occasions, there’s no reason not to treat you and your family to this real Italian treasure for Sunday dinner even though it does take extra time to prepare – it’s totally worth it!
This easy homemade lasagna dish can also be cooked in a dutch oven! Makes fabulous leftovers – store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Although this is the best lasagna recipe, here are some optional additions and substitutions:
- bell peppers
- hard-boiled eggs
- ricotta cheese
- cottage cheese
- green bell pepper
- fresh tomatoes
- crushed tomatoes
- red pepper flakes
- mozzarella cheese
- can of tomato paste
- fresh mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
- spicy Italian sausage
- spinach lasagna pasta
Claudia Bovati
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