The cheese and white sauce were so creamy and delicious! I divided the lasagna into two small heat-resistant containers from the 100-yen shop—one for today and one for tomorrow. I thought it would be great for meal prep, but my husband loved it so much that he ate a little of the next day’s portion on the first day. The next day, we bought garlic French bread to enjoy with the lasagna.
Ingredients
| No-boil Lasagna Sheets (Barilla) | 3-4 sheets |
| 【Bolognese Sauce】 | |
| Ground beef / ground beef & pork mix (choose a redder mix if using a blend) | 500g / 17.6 oz |
| Onion | 1 |
| Garlic | 5 cloves |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp |
| Canned diced tomatoes | 1can (400g / 14 oz) |
| Consommé cube/chicken stock | 1 (or 1 tsp if using powdered) |
| Red wine | 1 tbsp |
| Bay leaves (S&B) | 4 leaves |
| Salt | 5 shakes |
| Soy sauce (Kikkoman) | 1 tbsp |
| Brown sugar / white sugar | 1 tbsp |
| Black pepper | 10 shakes |
| Basil | 1 sprig |
| 【White Sauce】 | |
| Flour | 50g / 1.75 oz |
| Butter | 50g / 1.75 oz |
| Milk | 500ml / 17 fl oz |
How to Make
Baking time in the oven is not included.
1⃣ Prepare the Bolognese Sauce: Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic first.
2⃣ Once the garlic turns golden brown, add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
3⃣ Add the ground beef or beef & pork mix and continue cooking. (I used a redder beef & pork mix in the photos.)
4⃣ Add the canned tomatoes, consommé cube, red wine, bay leaves, salt, and soy sauce. Simmer on low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Taste and add 1 tbsp of sugar if the sauce is too acidic.
5⃣ Finely chop the basil and sprinkle it over the sauce along with black pepper.
6⃣ Prepare the White Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, then lower the heat and gradually add the flour, stirring well to combine. (For best results, use a non-stick pan and sift the flour beforehand. If you don’t sift it, just mix well to avoid lumps.)
7⃣ Once the butter and flour are combined, slowly add the milk. Stir continuously over low heat for about 5 minutes to prevent burning. If the sauce doesn’t thicken, slightly increase the heat and keep stirring until it thickens.
8⃣ Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). While waiting, layer the ingredients in a heat-resistant container in the following order:
Bolognese sauce → White sauce → Cheese → No-boil lasagna sheets.
Repeat the layers, ensuring the topmost layer is cheese.
9⃣ Bake at 180°C (356°F) for 20 minutes. Since baking times vary depending on the oven, check the lasagna after about 10 minutes to prevent burning.
When I was living in a sharehouse in Australia, I had an Italian housemate. One Christmas, he wanted to make lasagna for everyone, but unfortunately, the oven broke, and the lasagna wouldn’t heat up. He looked so sad. After about an hour, we finally got to eat the warm lasagna, and it was incredibly delicious.
When I told him, “It’s delicious!” he suddenly started crying and said, “I miss my family in Italy.” It seems that in Italy, Christmas is a time to be with family. I couldn’t be his family, but I helped chop garlic and prepare the meal, and we all spent a fun Christmas together as housemates.
※ This recipe is not exactly the same as the one my Italian housemate made, but both were incredibly creamy and delicious!
If it looks delicious, feel free to share it on Twitter/X! And if you try making it, I’d be even happier if you tag me in your post!
