Lasagne: The Two-Sauce Layered Bake

Classic lasagne alla bolognese is built from two separate sauces layered with flat pasta sheets and grated cheese, then baked. **The two sauces.** The first is a meaty Building a Ragù: Soffritto, Browning, and the Long Simmer (red). The second is béchamel (white) — a smooth sauce of butter, flour, and milk seasoned with nutmeg. Without the béchamel the dish ends up dry and tomato-heavy; the white sauce supplies creaminess between layers. This is the key difference between the Italian version, which uses Béchamel: One of the Five French Mother Sauces, and the common American style, which substitutes ricotta cheese. **Layering.** Alternate pasta sheets with a layer of ragù and a layer of béchamel, dusting grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano between layers, then finish with cheese on top for a browned crust. A slightly loose, juicy ragù keeps the layers moist during baking. **Practical notes.** Make the béchamel fresh on assembly day — it separates and goes grainy if held overnight in the fridge, and it takes only about ten minutes to make. If using mozzarella, choose low-moisture (firm block) rather than fresh mozzarella packed in water, which releases liquid and makes layers soggy. Zucchini is not traditional in lasagne bolognese; if added, it should be salted and drained (or roasted) first so it does not water out the layers. **Cheese quantity.** For a standard ~23x33cm (9x13 inch) pan serving about six, roughly 150-200g of grated hard cheese total works: ~50g stirred into the béchamel, ~80-100g dusted between layers, ~30-50g on top for the crust.