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A classic beef lasagna with a rich béchamel sauce, creamy ricotta, and a hearty shredded beef ragù is the cure for all the cold weather blues.

A decadent shredded beef lasagna that will please everyone!

I love lasagna with every fiber of my being, and this may take the crown for my favorite lasagna recipe ever. Previously, I developed a very meaty short rib lasagna recipe, which I loved, but I did receive feedback that maybe 4 different kinds of meat was a LITTLE much. Okay, fair. I hear you.

I returned to the drawing board, but my heart couldn’t say no to short ribs for a hearty beef ragù. You can easily make this with a chuck roast or keep it as simple as using ground beef. While it’s a simplified ragù, it’s still hearty, rich, and delicious.

The beef lasagna

The lasagna is made from a few components: the ragù, the pasta, the béchamel, and the ricotta mixture. I’ll discuss each below.

But first, should lasagna be made with ricotta, béchamel, or BOTH?!

I think there is some debate here. Traditional lasagna recipes from different regions of Italy, such as Bologna, use just the béchamel with sauce and lasagna sheets. Others will say that the Italian-American way is to use ricotta cheese instead of béchamel. However, some regions in Italy–notably Napoli–are known for their ricotta-based lasagna. And in some parts of North America, folks use cottage cheese instead of ricotta.

All that to say, I don’t think there is one decisive correct answer. So much depends on the region, family traditions, and overall preferences. Where I’m at in my life right now, I like béchamel and ricotta. However, my in-laws–who have roots in Benevento–do layers of ricotta with cubes of mozzarella cheese, which is also fantastic.

The Pasta

I use a standard box of lasagna sheets from Barilla. How many sheets of pasta do you need? That is really up to you and how pasta-heavy you want it to be. A 16-ounce box from Barilla contains 18 lasagna sheets. I’ll break down your options below based on how I prepare this 3-layer lasagna.

9 sheets of lasagna: This will use half the box and give you three layers with three sheets of lasagna per layer. This is how I prepared the lasagna in my recipe.
12 sheets of lasagna: This uses two-thirds of the box and gives you three layers of four sheets of lasagna per layer. This isn’t quite as ideal since you’ll need to find some way to use 6 sheets of lasagna in the future. Lasagna soup is always an option, but you’ll have 4 fewer sheets than you need.
18 sheets of lasagna: This will use the entire box, and you can do three layers of six sheets of lasagna per layer. However, in a 9×13 dish, this will create significant pasta overlap. You can also make a 4-layer lasagna by doing three layers with five sheets of lasagna and a fourth layer with three sheets of lasagna. This will require you to change how I recommend dividing the ricotta, béchamel, and ragù. But honestly, if everything gets layered in some fashion, it’ll still taste delicious.

Use the quantity of lasagna that works for you, but personally, I prefer 9 or 12 sheets of lasagna in total.

I recommend cooking the pasta right before you start the ricotta mixture and the béchamel.

The Ragù

The ragù is made with short ribs, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, red wine, whole peeled tomatoes, and bay leaves. I add crushed red pepper and sugar to flavor the sauce as well. You can use chuck roast or ground beef instead. A few notes to consider:

The recipe calls for 3 pounds total using a mix of boneless and bone-in short ribs. If using all bone-in short ribs, use closer to 4 pounds total to account for the bones. Aim for about 2 to 2½ pounds total if using all boneless short ribs. You can stick with 3 pounds total regardless of whether you use bone-in or boneless; remember that all boneless will yield a meatier ragù, and all bone-in short ribs will yield less meat.
You can also use a 2- to 3-pound chuck roast cut into large cubes.
Alternatively, you can use 2½ pounds of ground beef.

How to make the shredded beef ragù

Step 1: Brown the beef in batches. Transfer to a bowl.
Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Start with the celery, onion, and carrots. Once soft, add the butter. Then, add the garlic and thyme. Finish with tomato paste. Once the tomato paste deepens in color, add the red wine.
Step 3: Add the canned tomatoes, bay leaves, sugar, and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Return the beef to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 3 hours until the meat is very tender. If using ground beef, you only need to simmer for 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
Step 5: If using short ribs or chuck roast, I recommend allowing the ragù to cool and then refrigerating it overnight. The next day, remove the hardened fat layer and shred the beef.
Step 6: Return the shredded beef to the sauce and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes to allow it to thicken.

From there, remove the sauce from the heat and continue on with the lasagna.

The Ricotta Mixture

The ricotta mixture is made with ricotta, low-moisture shredded mozzarella, egg, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Do NOT use fresh mozzarella for this. Fresh mozzarella will contain up to 60% moisture, which means it will make your lasagna soupy. No need to get fancy here; a bag of grated low-moisture mozzarella works perfectly in this recipe!

How to make the ricotta mixture

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients for the ricotta mixture in a bowl.
Step 2: Whisk until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

The Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel is a mother sauce that consists of butter, flour, and milk. I add a scant amount of white pepper and nutmeg because I love the subtle, funky, sweet aroma they add to it.

How to make the béchamel sauce

Step 1: Microwave the milk in a glass measuring cup until warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 2: Melt the butter. Once melted and bubbly, add the flour. Mix until a slurry forms.
Step 3: Begin adding the warm milk in 1-cup increments until all the milk has been added. Whisk after each addition to ensure the sauce is smooth and velvety. Continue cooking until the béchamel is thick; it should coat a spoon nicely!

How to assemble the beef lasagna

Step 1: Start with the béchamel.
Step 2: Add as many lasagna sheets as you like. Remember, it’s a 3-layer lasagna, so divide up how many sheets of lasagna you cooked by 3 to know how many to lay down for each layer!
Step 3: Add the ricotta.
Step 4: Add the ragù.
Step 5: Repeat the steps. Add béchamel, lasagna sheets, ricotta, and ragù. Then, béchamel, lasagna sheets, ragù, and finish with shredded mozzarella.

You should have about 1½ to 2 cups ragù leftover, which you can serve on the side for guests who enjoy an extra saucy lasagna!

Cover the dish with foil and place it on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes. You can broil the lasagna for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese further. Finish the lasagna with fresh basil and minced parsley if you like.

Allow the lasagna to cool for about 20 minutes. Cut it into slices and serve it with extra ragù on top. It’s also positively divine with a Garlic-Parmesan Roll on the side!

Can you make lasagna in advance?

You can assemble lasagna and refrigerate it for 36 to 48 hours in advance. If you’d like to assemble it more than two days in advance, cover it with two layers of tightly wrapped foil and transfer it to the freezer.

If the lasagna is frozen (not thawed), bake it in the oven for up to 90 minutes.

If you’ve completely thawed the lasagna from the freezer, it will need up to 60 minutes to bake.

Beef Lasagna

A classic beef lasagna with a rich béchamel sauce, creamy ricotta, and a hearty shredded beef ragù is the cure for all the cold weather blues.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 2 30

Inactive time: 1 4 30

Total Time: 1 7 30

Servings:

Calories: 709kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Shredded beef ragù:

1½ pounds boneless short ribs (see Note 1)
1½ pounds bone-in short ribs (see Note 1)
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
2 carrots (peeled and small-diced)
2 ribs celery (trimmed and small-diced)
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt (pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste)

Béchamel sauce:

1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup total)
½ cup flour
4 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Pinch nutmeg (to taste)
½ teaspoons salt

Ricotta-Parmesan mixture:

16 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs
⅓ cup parsley (minced)
20 basil leaves (minced)
½ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

For assembly:

9 sheets dry lasagna (see Note 2)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For serving:

Instructions

Brown the short ribs:

Pat the short ribs dry and season them with 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 2 teaspoons black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the short ribs in an even layer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side until browned all over. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Leave any fat and fond in the pot and keep the heat on medium.

Cook the aromatics:

Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brown the tomato paste:

Melt the butter into the aromatics. Add the garlic and cook for 45 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, mashing it into the aromatics, for 2 minutes until it begins to deepen in color. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Pour in the red wine and turn the heat to high. Whisk the wine into the paste and continue until the wine begins to boil. Boil for 3 minutes until it just begins to reduce.

Simmer the ragù:

Add the 2 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the short ribs. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, and crushed red pepper. Add the bay leaves.
Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, until the short ribs are tender, and shred easily with a fork. Check them occasionally to ensure they are not sticking to the pot, and add more liquid as needed.
Allow the ragù to cool and transfer to the refrigerator overnight. See Note 3.

Shred the short ribs:

The next day, remove and discard the hardened fat layer. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer the short ribs to a bowl. Shred the meat using your fingers or two forks, and discard the bones. Set aside.

Finish the ragù:

Turn the heat on the ragù to medium-low and add the shredded short ribs to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes to allow the ragù to thicken. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper if desired. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Cook the lasagna sheets:

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add as many lasagna sheets as you want and boil them for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. To prevent the lasagna sheets from sticking, arrange them on parchment paper.
While you wait for the water to boil, prepare the ricotta mixture and the béchamel sauce.

Prepare the ricotta mixture:

Combine all of the ingredients for the ricotta mixture in a bowl. Use a whisk or a hand-mixer and mix until combined. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Prepare the béchamel sauce:

Warm the milk in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup for 1 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Once bubbly, add the flour and stir into the butter for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the milk in 1-cup increments, whisking after each addition. Continue adding the milk until it is incorporated. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the béchamel thickens. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. You should have just over 4 cups of béchamel. Keep warm.

Assemble the lasagna:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Add 1 cup of the béchamel and use a spoon to smooth it into an even layer.
Place 3 to 4 lasagna sheets over the béchamel.
Spoon 1 cup of the ricotta mixture onto the lasagna sheets and smooth it out with a spoon. Pour 1½ cups of the ragù on top of the ricotta. Finish with 1½ cups of the béchamel sauce.
Place 3 to 4 more lasagna sheets on top. Add the remaining ricotta mixture and 1 ½ cups ragù. Add the remaining 1½ cups of béchamel sauce on top.
Place 3 to 4 more sheets on top. Add 1 cup of ragù and smooth it out. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top. See Note 4.

Bake the lasagna:

Cover the lasagna with foil. Transfer to the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. You can also broil the lasagna for 2 to 3 minutes if you like extra browning on the cheese.

To serve:

Allow the lasagna to cool for 20 minutes. Cut into slices and garnish with basil leaves and minced parsley, if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: You can use all boneless or all bone-in short ribs. The recipe calls for 3 pounds total using a mix of boneless and bone-in short ribs. If using all bone-in short ribs, use closer to 4 pounds total to account for the bones. Aim for about 2 to 2½ pounds if using all boneless short ribs. You can stick with 3 pounds total regardless of whether you use bone-in or boneless; just keep in mind that all boneless will yield a meatier ragù, and all bone-in short ribs will yield less meat. You can also use a 2- to 3-pound chuck roast cut into large cubes.

Note 2: This recipe is for a 3-layer lasagna. A 16-ounce standard box of dry pasta from Barilla has 18 sheets of lasagna. I like to use 9 to 12 sheets of lasagna, meaning I have 3 layers of 3 sheets of lasagna or 3 layers of 4 sheets of lasagna. If you want to use the entire 16-ounce box, I recommend layering 6 sheets across to keep this a 3-layer lasagna, but there will be significant overlap in a 9×13 baking dish. Alternatively, you can make this a 4-layer lasagna by doing the first 3 layers with 5 sheets of lasagna and using just 3 sheets for the top layer. You’ll need to divide the ingredients differently to ensure you have even layers of béchamel, ricotta, ragù, and lasagna sheets.

Note 3: Both short ribs and chuck roast are very fatty. If you don’t want to refrigerate them overnight, allow the sauce to cool for up to an hour and use a spoon to skim off the excess fat. Then, remove and shred the meat with your hands or two forks. I recommend refrigerating the sauce overnight to make removing the fat layer simple.

Note 4: You can assemble lasagna and refrigerate it 36–48 hours in advance. If you’d like to assemble it more than two days in advance, cover it with two layers of tightly wrapped foil and transfer it to the freezer. If the lasagna is frozen (not thawed), bake it in the oven for up to 90 minutes. If you’ve completely thawed the lasagna from the freezer, it will need up to 60 minutes to bake.

Nutrition

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