Lasagna
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US words and measures (stove, cups, °F); the UK version uses hob, grams and gas marks. · UK version of this page
Layers of rich beef ragù, pasta and a homemade white sauce, baked until golden – the Italian family classic, with a lesson in making a roux sauce.
- Serves 6
- About 1 hr 50 min
- Oven
- Best for: Grades 6–8 (ages 11–14)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stick – contains celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 500 g lean ground beef
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning or oregano
- 50 g (about 4 tbsp) butter – contains milk
- 50 g (about ½ cup) all-purpose flour – contains wheat or gluten
- 600 ml (about 2½ cups) milk – contains milk
- 100 g (about 1 cup) cheddar cheese, shredded – contains milk
- 250 g oven-ready lasagna noodles – contains wheat or gluten
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Cup measures are approximate – weighing is more accurate. Need a different amount? Use the recipe finder to change the servings.
Equipment
- chopping board
- chef's knife
- peeler
- garlic crusher
- can opener
- large saucepan
- medium saucepan
- wooden spoon
- balloon whisk
- liquid measuring cup
- grater
- baking dish (about 8 x 12 inch)
- oven mitts
- food thermometer
Safety first
- Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, tie back long hair and put on a clean apron.
- Ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes. This recipe contains: celery, wheat or gluten, milk.
- Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat food: use a separate board and knife, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after touching it.
- Carry knives pointing down, put them down flat, and never leave one in the dishwater.
- Turn pan handles inwards and keep the area around the stove clear.
- Use dry oven mitts for anything that has been in the oven or under the broiler.
Allergens: Celery, Wheat (and other grains with gluten), Milk. Some brands may also contain eggs. Always read every label and ask about allergies before anyone cooks or tastes.
Method
- Peel and finely chop the onion and carrot, slice the celery finely and crush the garlic.
- Teacher-led: Heat the oil in the large pan over medium heat and cook the vegetables until soft. (6 min)
- Teacher-led: Add the ground beef and break it up with the spoon. Cook, stirring, until browned all over. Wash your hands after touching raw ground meat or its package. (8 min)
- Teacher-led: Check the ground beef: cook until no pink is left in the middle, the juices run clear and a food thermometer reads at least 160 °F (71 °C).
- Teacher-led: Open the cans carefully. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and herbs, cover and simmer, stirring now and then, until thick. (20 min)
- Teacher-led: Make the white sauce: melt the butter in the medium pan over low heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. (1 min)
- Teacher-led: Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the milk a little at a time until smooth. Put it back on the heat and keep whisking until it boils and thickens. Stir in half the cheese and the pepper. (8 min)
- An adult turns the oven on to 375 °F (190 °C).
- In the dish, make layers: a third of the meat sauce, a layer of pasta sheets (break them to fit), then a third of the white sauce. Repeat twice, finishing with white sauce, and scatter over the rest of the cheese.
- An adult puts the dish in the oven. Bake until golden and bubbling, and a knife slides easily through the pasta. (40 min)
- An adult takes it out with oven mitts. Let it stand for 10 minutes so it holds together when you cut it. (10 min)
What this recipe teaches
Knife skills: the claw grip, Shallow frying and stir-frying, Checking food is cooked safely, Boiling and simmering, Making a sauce (roux), Using an oven safely, Assembling a dish, Presenting food. Steps marked “Adult” are always done by an adult; steps marked “Teacher-led” are done by an adult for primary-age children and closely supervised for older students.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 570 |
|---|---|
| Total fat | 26.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 12.3 g |
| Sodium | 438 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 51.8 g |
| Dietary fiber | 5.1 g |
| Total sugars | 11.8 g |
| Protein | 31.9 g |
Worked out from the raw ingredients (optional ones and pinches not counted) using USDA FoodData Central – SR Legacy (SR28, 2018). Brands vary – check labels. Figures for 2% milk and lean ground beef (90% lean) (the recipe finder shows the other choices).
MyPlate food groups in this recipe: Vegetables; Grains; Protein Foods; Dairy. Learn about MyPlate.
Added sugars and saturated fat are best kept low – enjoy treats less often and in small amounts.
Curriculum links
- FCS 8.2: “Demonstrate food safety and sanitation procedures.”
- FCS 14.3: “Demonstrate ability to acquire, handle, and use foods to meet nutrition and wellness needs of individuals and families across the life span.”
Try the interactive lesson
Step by step: a quick safety check, questions graded by Classfern, timers for each cooking step, then an honest look at how it went – a teacher or parent judges the cooking, and learners rate their own work. Photos of the finished dish stay at home.
Use the code your teacher gave you – never your name. Progress is kept on this device.