Meaty Lasagne

Meaty Lasagne is a perfect dish all year round. I serve this Italian recipe as a main dish during the cold months with garlic bread or chips. Also served during the warmer months with salad. The combination of the beef ragu with the white sauce and the soft lasagne sheets is hard to beat when your hungry.

Few dishes strike the perfect balance between comfort and flavour quite like a well-made meaty lasagne. It’s the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with rich aromas long before it reaches the table and has a way of pleasing everyone, from fussy eaters to hearty appetites. At its heart, this version celebrates bold beef flavour, creamy indulgence and those beautifully layered textures that make lasagne such a beloved staple.

Let’s start with the soul of the Meaty Lasagne: the ragu. The foundation is a generous amount of lean beef mince, browned properly to build flavour from the very beginning. Taking the time to break up the meat and get a good colour on it does more than make it look appetising—it gives depth that carries through every layer. Once the mince is set aside, onions and garlic step in to soften in the hot oil, soaking up the savoury goodness left behind. It’s a simple step, but it’s where the base of the sauce really begins to take shape.

When the mince goes back into the pan, a little flour is used as a thickener, ensuring the sauce later takes on a lovely body rather than turning watery. Beef stock adds richness, while tomato purée, chopped tomatoes and a sprinkle of mixed herbs bring in that familiar Italian-style warmth and fragrance. A pinch of caster sugar—or redcurrant jam if you like a sweet-note twist—helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the flavour. Allowing this ragu to simmer gently for a full hour and a half is the secret to its success. The beef softens, the sauce thickens and the herbs mellow into the mix.

Of course, no Meaty Lasagne is complete without its creamy counterpart: the white sauce. This isn’t a bland afterthought but a luxurious layer in its own right. The base begins with equal parts butter and flour, combined gently to form a smooth paste before introducing warm milk. Warming the milk beforehand helps avoid lumps and makes the sauce come together quickly and smoothly. Whisking steadily transforms it into a silky béchamel, ready to be elevated with mustard and finely grated parmesan. Mustard might seem like an unusual addition, but its subtle heat sharpens the flavour without overpowering it, while the parmesan adds saltiness and nutty depth. A little seasoning at this stage ensures it complements, not competes with, the ragu.

Now comes the satisfying part: assembling the layers. A medium-sized baking dish is perfect for building the lasagne, and the process is all about balance. Start with a spread of ragu across the base to keep the pasta from drying out, followed by a pour of white sauce for creaminess. Lasagne sheets go on top, acting like culinary bookends between the layers. Using three sets of each element gives structure and substance, and finishing with a final layer of white sauce rather than pasta prevents the top from becoming hard or leathery.

The crowning glory of a Meaty Lasagne is a coating of cheddar. Using a mature variety means the flavour can hold its own against the bold ragu and creamy sauce. As it bakes, the cheese melts into a bubbling, golden crust that’s almost impossible to resist. The oven temperature is deliberately modest, allowing everything to heat evenly and the top to brown gently without burning.

One of the unsung benefits of a Meaty Lasagne is its make-ahead potential. If you’re using dried lasagne sheets, letting it rest before cooking isn’t just acceptable—it’s encouraged. The pause allows the pasta to soften and draw in the flavours of both sauces, leading to a more cohesive lasagne once baked. Fresh sheets can go straight into the oven without waiting and the meaty lasagne will be ready to pop in the oven when you’re ready.

And when it’s finally ready, the serving options are wonderfully flexible. Some prefer a simple green salad to cut through its richness. Others gravitate toward garlic bread or even a portion of chips to make it an indulgent feast. Meaty Lasagne is equally satisfying served on its own, with nothing but a fork and a quiet moment to savour it.

Meaty lasagne is a dish that rewards care without demanding perfection. Every element—slow-cooked ragu, creamy white sauce, sturdy pasta and that blanket of cheese—works together to create something deeply satisfying. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or batch-cooking for the week ahead, it’s the kind of meal that brings comfort, flavour and a sense of occasion in every slice.

Meaty Lasagne

A simple meaty lasagne recipe that is full of body and flavour. A top pick

4.58 from 146 votes

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Advance, Beef, Dairy, Herbs, Lasagna, Meaty Lasagne, Pasta, Sauce

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 People

Calories: 532kcal

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Ingredients

 

MetricImperial

Lasagna

• ▢ 12 large lasagne sheets Note 1
• ▢ 4 oz cheddar I use mature for the extra flavour

White Sauce

• ▢ 2 oz plain flour
• ▢ 2 oz unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tsp mustard I use English
• ▢ 1 ¼ pts milk warm
• ▢ 3 oz Parmesan finely grated
• ▢ salt
• ▢ ground black pepper

Ragu Sauce

• ▢ 2 lbs beef mince 5% is best
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic peel/minced
• ▢ ¼ pts beef stock or stock cubes
• ▢ 3 tbsp tomato puree
• ▢ 1 tsp caster sugar Note 2
• ▢ 28 oz chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 2 tbsp plain flour
• ▢ 2 large onions peel/chopped finely
• ▢ 1 tbsp mixed herbs dried
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Making the Ragu:

• Place a large frying pan over a medium high heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the mince making sure to break up any large pieces. Stir to brown the mince all over.
  2 tbsp olive oil, 2 lbs beef mince
• Once browned, using a slotted spoon, transfer the mince to a plate for now.
• Using the same oil, add the onions, and garlic to the pan and stir well. Cook until they have both softened. Return the mince to the pan and add the 2oz of plain flour.
  2 cloves garlic, 2 large onions, 2 oz plain flour
• Add the beef stock and bring the pan up to a boil. When boiling add the tomato puree and mixed herbs and stir well.
  ¼ pts beef stock, 3 tbsp tomato puree, 1 tbsp mixed herbs
• Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and return to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 90 minutes until the mince is soft and tender and the ragu has thickened. Once the ragu has about 20 minutes to go, its time to start the sauce.
  28 oz chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp caster sugar

Making the white sauce:

• Place the milk int a small saucepan and warm over a low heat.
  1 ¼ pts milk
• In a new saucepan, add the unsalted butter. Once melted over a medium heat, add the flour and cook for a minute or two stirring in well so no flour lumps remain.
  2 oz unsalted butter, 2 tbsp plain flour
• The milk should be lovely and warm by now. Slowly add the milk to the butter and flour mixture whisking all of the time. Continue to whisk until the sauce has thickened and no lumps of flour exist.
• Add the mustard and parmesan cheese and season with the salt and pepper.
  2 tsp mustard, 3 oz Parmesan, salt, ground black pepper
• Time to taste and adjust seasoning if required.

Assembling the Meaty Lasagne:

• When everything is ready to go, place a 12-inch x 8-inch baking dish on a flat surface.
• Add one third of the meat ragu over the base spreading it evenly. Add one third of the white sauce over the ragu, don’t mix or stir. Then add a layer of lasagne sheets over the white sauce and ragu and give a little season of pepper and a little salt.
  12 large lasagne sheets
• Repeat the process with another level of ragu then white sauce and the lasagne sheets and then finally add the last third of the ragu then the white sauce. Do not add any more lasagne sheets.
• As the final touch, add the grated cheddar cheese over the top giving a good coverage.
  4 oz cheddar
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.
• Once hot, place on the middle shelf for 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the everything looks lovely and golden brown.
• Serve the meaty lasagne with a salad, chips, garlic bread or on its own.

Notes

Note 1. If you are using fresh lasagne sheets, then its ready to cook straight away. However, if you are using dried pasta sheets from boxes, I would suggest you leave the lasagne to soften and absorb the ragu and white sauce flavour for a couple of hours. At least you can make meaty lasagne in advance ready to pop in the oven.

 

Note 2. Try adding 1 tablespoon of redcurrant jam to the recipe instead of the caster sugar.  It gives the meaty lasagne a new amazing twist.

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 589mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 4mg