Lasagna al Forno with Bechamel Sauce
I’m going to be completely honest with you—I can’t pretend to play it cool about this dish. This Lasagna al Forno with Béchamel Sauce is utterly, undeniably fantastic. It’s the meal that fills your kitchen with an enticing aroma. The scent makes people wander in just to ask, “What are you making?” And honestly, it all starts with the sauce.
The heart of this lasagna is the Pomodoro sauce. It is made entirely from fresh ingredients: plump Roma tomatoes, sweet onions, fragrant garlic, and just-picked basil and oregano. There’s something almost magical about a tomato sauce prepared from scratch. A homemade sauce elevates every dish. It adds brightness and depth. It brings that unmistakable freshness that simply can’t be poured from a jar. It’s like the soul of the dish, and this lasagna leans on it heavily.
Then comes the meat layer, which is a whole experience in itself. Instead of a simple browned-meat mixture, this one is gently simmered in a wine cream sauce. The flavors meld, mellow, and deepen into something rich and unexpected. That slow simmering creates a savory complexity. It is a blend of tender meat, velvety sauce, and warm spices. Most traditional lasagnas never quite touch this complexity. It brings a touch of elegance. There is a little surprise. It has a flavor that makes you pause mid-bite just to appreciate what’s happening on your plate.
And finally, the crowning glory: the Béchamel. Smooth, creamy, luxurious, and softly decadent, this sauce blankets the top layer of pasta like a silky cloud. It ties everything together, creating a harmony of textures and flavors that sets this lasagna apart from the rest. Tangy Pomodoro, rich meat filling, and velvety Béchamel come together. This combination transforms a beloved classic into something extraordinary. It elevates comfort food to its highest form.
In short, this Lasagna al Forno with Béchamel Sauce isn’t just good. It’s memorable. It’s the kind of dish that makes guests go quiet for a moment. It brings people back for seconds. It reminds you exactly why homemade meals are always worth the effort.
But I have a word of warning about it. WARNING! WARNING, WILL ROBINSON!
It is not only addictive dinner, but it takes a good while to prepare. It isn’t the 1-2-3 put-together lasagna. Be prepared to wash a bunch of dishes while you cook and to be standing in the kitchen for at least an hour and a half. Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.
Tricks and Tips
MAKE AHEAD: You can make this recipe ahead instead of the entire thing in one day. Like any lasagna, I love to make the entire batch a day ahead. Then I set it in the refrigerator. I bake it the following day. Or you can make just the Pomodoro sauce and creamy wine meat mixture ahead. Putting them in separate bowls, covering them, and setting them in the refrigerator for later.
I love to make a double or even triple amount of Pomadoro sauce the day before. First, I have it with spaghetti. Then, I use the leftovers for the lasagna.
WHAT TO NOT MAKE AHEAD: I highly recommend not making the bechamel sauce ahead of time. The butter will eventually separate from the rest of the sauce. You won’t be able to save it. You can only make another batch.
SAVE A LITTLE FOR SERVING: I always seem to have extra Bechamel sauce in the pot. And if you do, then that is okay. Sometimes it is hard to judge how much to spread on the layers when you are assembling the lasagna. I like to keep the Bechamel sauce warm on the stove top and serve the extra with the lasagna. That way if anyone wants to drizzle a little more on top of their slice, they can.
SEASONING AS YOU GO: This recipe is not at all healthy. It is not gluten-free or lactose-free. However, we watch the salt intake. I do this on all my recipes so you will not see a salt measurement. I suggest you taste and season as you cook. Just remember the mozzarella cheese will have some salt content.
Similar lasagna recipe to try
Cost to make this recipe
Even for this quite involved lasagna recipe, the cost remains pretty decent. For everything, I calculated my Lasagna al Forno to be a little over $17 or about $2 per serving slice.
As a homesteader, I grew a lot of these ingredients in the backyard like tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, and carrot. I have reduced our price closer to $13.63 or $1.51 per serving slice. It’s not monumental savings, but it is savings.
Recipe adapted
Lasagna al Forno recipe has been adapted from The Disney Chef online food blog. All images and text are all my own and original to Vintage Mountain Homestead. Please visit our disclaimer page for more information.
Lasagna al Forno
Ingredients
Pomodoro Sauce
- 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes chopped…[$2.68]
- ½ cup olive oil …[$0.75]
- ½ large onion chopped…[$0.40]
- 4 cloves garlic minced…[$0.10]
- 3 Tbsps. fresh basil …[$0.20]
- 3 Tbsps. fresh oregano …[$0.20]
Cream Meat Mixture
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil …[$0.10]
- 2 cloves garlic minced…[$0.10]
- ½ large onion minced…[$
- 1 medium carrot finely chopped…[$0.10]
- 1 lb. ground beef …[$4.00]
- ½ cup white wine …[$0.88]
- ½ cup heavy cream …[$0.58]
Bechamel Sauce
- 1/4 stick butter …[$0.50]
- 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour …[$0.06]
- 1 cup milk …[$0.92]
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg …[$0.34]
Remaining Lasagna
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded…[$4.50]
- 12 whole lasagna noodles …[$1.00]
Instructions
Pomodoro Sauce
- In a medium-size pot, add all Pomodoro sauce ingredients. Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir often.
- When cooked for 30 minutes, divide it in half. Keeping one half set in a bowl and aside for later.With the other half, blend with an immersion blender or stand up blender until smooth and set aside for later.
Cream Meat Mixture
- In a medium-size pot, add 2 tbsp. Olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped carrots. Saute over medium to high heat for 10 minutes. Make sure you don’t burn the garlic.
- Add white wine to the softened and sauteed vegetable mixture and cook on medium heat for another about 15 minutes.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet thoroughly. Drain grease and return to skillet.
- Add heavy cream, sauteed vegetable mixture, and the unblended Pomodoro sauce which was set aside earlier. Return to low-medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Bechamel Sauce
- In a separate saucepot, melt butter on medium heat. Whisk in flour until a thick paste mixture is made.
- Slowly whisk in milk and cook until sauce thickens. Add nutmeg and salt to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.
Assembly & Bake
- Boil the lasagna noodles if you have not done so. Boil them so they are underdone. They will be easier to handle and put in a baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F and take out a 13×9 deep baking casserole dish or specific lasagna pan.
- 1. Coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of blended Pomodoro sauce.2. Lay down 3 cooked noodles.3. Coat noodles with a thin layer of blended Pomodoro sauce.4. Sprinkle some meat mixture on top of Pomodoro sauce.5. Drizzle some Bechamel sauce over meat.6. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese.7. Lay down 3 cooked noodles. And repeat starting with step 3.
- Finish the top layer with the remaining Pomodoro sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Cover lasagna with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- After an hour, uncover and broil the top mozzarella cheese to brown just slightly.
- Take the lasagna out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving so it won’t fall apart when you cut into it.
Lasagna al Forno
Ingredients
Pomodoro Sauce
- 2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, chopped…[$2.68]
- ½ cup olive oil, …[$0.75]
- ½ large onion, chopped…[$0.40]
- 4 cloves garlic, minced…[$0.10]
- 3 Tbsps. fresh basil, …[$0.20]
- 3 Tbsps. fresh oregano, …[$0.20]
Cream Meat Mixture
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil, …[$0.10]
- 2 cloves garlic, minced…[$0.10]
- ½ large onion, minced…[$
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped…[$0.10]
- 1 lb. ground beef, …[$4.00]
- ½ cup white wine, …[$0.88]
- ½ cup heavy cream, …[$0.58]
Bechamel Sauce
- ¼ stick butter, …[$0.50]
- 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour, …[$0.06]
- 1 cup milk, …[$0.92]
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg, …[$0.34]
Remaining Lasagna
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded…[$5.50]
- 12 whole lasagna noodles, …[$1.50]
Instructions
Pomodoro Sauce
- In a medium-size pot, add all Pomodoro sauce ingredients (2 lbs. Roma tomatoes, ½ cup olive oil, ½ large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 Tbsps. fresh basil, and 3 Tbsps. fresh oregano) Cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir often.
- When cooked for 30 minutes, divide the sauce in half. Keeping one half set in a bowl and aside for later. With the other half, blend with an immersion blender or stand up blender until smooth and set aside for later.
Cream Meat Mixture
- In a medium-size pot, add 2 Tbsps. olive oil, chopped ½ large onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, and 1 medium carrot. Saute over medium to high heat for 10 minutes. Make sure you don't burn the garlic.
- Add ½ cup white wine to the softened and sauteed vegetable mixture and cook on medium heat for another about 15 minutes, burning off alcohol.
- Brown the 1 lb. ground beef in a large skillet thoroughly. Drain grease and return to skillet.
- Add ½ cup heavy cream, sauteed vegetable mixture, and the unblended Pomodoro sauce which was set aside earlier. Return to low-medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Bechamel Sauce
- In a separate saucepot, melt ¼ stick butter on medium heat. Whisk in 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour until a thick paste mixture is made.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream, then cook until sauce thickens. Add ¼ tsp. nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.
Assembly & Bake
- Boil the 12 whole lasagna noodles if you have not done so. Boil them so they are underdone. They will be easier to handle and put in a baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F and take out a 13×9 deep baking casserole dish or specific lasagna pan.
- 1. Coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer of blended Pomodoro sauce.2. Lay down 3 cooked noodles.3. Coat noodles with a thin layer of blended Pomodoro sauce.4. Sprinkle some meat mixture on top of Pomodoro sauce.5. Drizzle some Bechamel sauce over meat.6. Sprinkle on part of the 16 oz mozzarella cheese.7. Lay down 3 cooked noodles. And repeat starting with step 3.
- Finish the top layer with the remaining Pomodoro sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Cover lasagna with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- After an hour, uncover and broil the top mozzarella cheese to brown just slightly.
- Take the lasagna out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving, so it won't fall apart when you cut into it.