As in many other countries, lamb is traditional in Italy at Easter. Italians serve it in different ways including in pasta recipes like this delicious lamb lasagna recipe. However, this dish is so good, we don't make it only for Easter! Neither will you, once you try it!
Lasagne al forno con agnello.
When it comes to lamb with pasta dishes, I have a number of favourites that I have already posted here on The Pasta Project. Recipes like pasta with lamb and artichokes or lamb ragu with Sardinian gnocchi or fusilli with lamb ragu from Molise are all incredibly delicious (see links below). However, I have to say lamb lasagna takes the lamb and pasta combo to another level of deliciousness!
Lamb for Easter
Lamb is a must for Easter here in Northern Italy. Well, throughout Italy actually! The rest of the year, it isn’t eaten so much in Veneto where I live. So, it's not so easily available, although it’s popular year round in other regions. This is a great pity in my book because I love lamb.! However, I’ve learnt to compromise and make good use of what I can find.
Lamb with pasta in Italy.
Luckily, one of the easiest ways for me to serve the cuts of lamb I can buy is with pasta. Lamb with pasta may sound unusual to some. However, it’s very traditional in a number of Italian regions such as Sardinia, Molise and Abruzzo.
In fact, Sardinia is famous for its lamb, which is highly prized. The meat is known to be very flavourful, tender, succulent and easily digestible. Sardinian lamb has IGP certification, which is kind of like DOC for wine! You can read more about lamb in Sardinia in my homemade malloreddus in lamb broth recipe.
Lamb cuts for this lasagna.
I usually buy large meaty chops like neck chops and cut the meat off the bone. I use the bones to make stock and the meat in the pasta sauce. Of course, you can use other cuts of lamb for this lamb ragu. Boneless shoulder or leg meat work very well too.
What goes into the ragu for lamb lasagna.
The sauce for this lamb lasagna is pretty similar to other lamb ragu recipes. In fact, it's similar to other types of ragu. You start with a soffritto (mirepoix) of onion, celery and carrots sautéed in olive oil. And, then add the pieces of meat. The lamb isn't ground, but I think ground lamb would be delicious and I'd like to try this lasagna recipe with it soon.
Once the meat is browned, you need to add the herbs and wine and then finally cherry tomatoes, passata and lamb or beef stock. Lamb doesn't need long cooking, so this ragu isn't one of those that takes hours to prepare!
Some recipes for lamb lasagna involve making quite a complicated ragu with lots of ingredients, including different meats and vegetables. This is a simpler sauce. Lamb that’s been cut into small pieces doesn’t need to be cooked for very long. However, if you add other meats, then the ragu will need to simmer for longer.
Making the béchamel.
Like many Northern Italian lasagna recipes such as traditional lasagne al forno from Bologna, this lamb lasagna calls for béchamel (white sauce). In Southern Italy, they often use ricotta instead. You can use a ready made béchamel but I prefer to make my own. It's actually quite easy.
To make béchamel, melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to it. Stir the flour and butter until you have a paste (roux). Then slowly pour in milk stirring all the time until the sauce is the quantity and consistency you require.
If your béchamel seems lumpy, you can use a hand held immersion blender to smooth it out. Finally add some grated nutmeg and set the béchamel aside until you want to assemble your Italian lamb lasagna.
The pasta sheets.
For the pasta, I used fresh pasta sheets from Giovanni Rana, not homemade but very good. Of course you can make your own lasagne sheets or use dried lasagne. If using dried pasta you will need to semi-cook the sheets in boiling water before putting the dish together.
How to assemble your lasagna.
Once, the lamb ragu and béchamel are ready, you will need to assemble and bake your lasagna. Like similar recipes, this lasagna is assembled in layers. I like to start with some ragu spread over the bottom of my oven dish. However, some people like to start with pasta.
After the ragu I put a layer of ready lasagne sheets then some lamb ragu with a little béchamel, followed by another layer of pasta, then ragu and béchamel. The top layer on top of the last pasta sheets is the rest of the béchamel sprinkled with some Parmigiano cheese.
Perfect for Easter and other occasions!
This lamb lasagna recipe is not my invention. Although not a traditional lasagne al forno, there are many Italian recipes for this dish. Lasagne al forno is a popular choice in Italy for family lunches and when feeding large numbers. Making a lamb lasagna at Easter combines two culinary traditions and has become very popular!
However, I don't just make this lasagna at Easter. It's too good to only have once a year. Combining lamb ragu together with lasagne sheets and béchamel and baking it all in the oven makes a dish that is much richer in taste than other lamb and pasta recipes.
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Buon appetito!
This recipe was originally published in 2018 but has been updated with new photos and text.
Italian Lamb Lasagna
Ingredients
- 250 g lasagne pasta sheets (9oz) fresh, homemade or dried
- 800 g lamb (1.8lbs) boneless shoulder or leg or meat from neck chops
- 700 g tomato passata (1.5 lbs) I use passta 'rustico' which is thicker or polpa (pulp)
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes optional (cut in half)
- 2 small carrots finely chopped
- 1-2 celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ glass red wine
- 1 cup lamb stock homemade or use other stock like beef
- 90 g Parmigiano Reggiano (3oz) grated
- salt for pasta and to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
for the bechamel sauce
- 100 g all-purpose flour (3.5oz)
- 100 g butter (3.5oz)
- 1 Lt milk (4 cups)
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
Instructions
Make the ragu
- Clean the celery and carrot and chop finely. Peel and finely chop the onion. If using, wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Cut the lamb into small cubes.
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or iron skillet and add the chopped vegetables. Once they start to soften slightly, add the lamb pieces.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- When the lamb is almost cooked but still pink, add the rosemary and wine and let the alcohol evaporate. Add the halved cherry tomatoes (if using) and cook until they start to soften.
- Finally add two thirds of the tomato passata and the cup of stock and cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens. If you think it’s too thick add more passata or stock until you have the consistency you want.
Make the béchamel sauce
- While the ragu is cooking make the béchamel sauce
- In a saucepan, let the butter melt over a moderate flame. Add the flour a little at a time, stir carefully until you have a paste. Make sure any lumps of flour dissolve.
- Then pour in the milk a little at a time, continuing to stir until it starts to thicken.
- Add salt, nutmeg and grated cheese, if you are using it. Continuing stirring until the cheese melts and the béchamel is thick enough. If it gets too thick you can add more milk.
Cook the pasta if you are using dried pasta sheets
- Put a pot of water onto to boil for the pasta if you are using dried lasagne sheets. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta sheets for only half the recommended cooking time. You may want to add a little oil to the water to stop them sticking together. It's best to cook them a few at a time. Drain the pasta and lay the sheets on a tea towel until ready to assemble your lasagna.
Assemble and bake your lasagna
- Once everything is ready assemble your lamb lasagna. I start with a layer of ragu. Then I make a layer of pasta, with ragu and béchamel on top. Then another layer of pasta, ragu and béchamel.
- I continue until the dish is almost full and finish off with a layer of pasta with only béchamel on top sprinkled with pecorino or Parmigiano.
- Bake the lamb lasagna for at least 30 minutes at 180-200 ° until the top is golden and slightly crispy. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. (350-390°f)
Notes
Nutrition
Other pasta recipes to try.
- Sardinian fregola with lamb
- Whole wheat pasta with lamb and artichokes
- Spinach gnocchi with lamb ragu
- Pasta with lamb ragu Molisano
- Sardinian malloreddus with lamb ragu
- Asparagus Lasagna
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Cathleen says
I absolutely love lamb but have never put it in a lasagna!! I am definitely going to give it a try, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Sharon says
I love lamb recipes and this has all the comfort food ingredients in it that come together for the perfect dish.
Amy Liu Dong says
My husband will def love this. It looks delicious and is easy to make.
Sophia says
I love all your recipes and this one did not disappoint! It was so delicious!
Pete says
Living in Australia, we eat a lot of lamb. The lamb Ragu was so delicious, the béchamel so creamy, the kids even licked their plates!
Marta says
I loved how hearty and rich the ragu for the lamb lasagna was.I'll definitely be making these often,
Tess says
Hi love to try this!
can I use minced lamb meat?
Can I substitute tomato Passata with tomato purée or tomato paste?
Thank you
Jacqui says
Hi Tess, thank you for your comment. I think lamb mince would work very well but not sure about substituting the passata. I don't know where you live but what Italians call passata is purée in USA. Whereas purée or paste is tomato concentrate in UK. Confusing right? Passata is basically fresh tomatoes that have been peeled and blended. Sometimes it's quite chunky, sometimes quite liquid. You could also use canned peeled tomatoes. Hope that helps. This lasagna is really good. I'm sure you'll love it!
Tess says
Hi Jacqui
Had tried this today. My family loves it! Thank u for your lovely recipe.
Eva says
I love the sound of this recipe and I have had lamb lasagna before which I LOVED, however I have dinner party with someone who doesn't ear red meat, so I was thinking to sub the lamb with mince turkey breast, do you think it would work please?
Jacqui says
Hi Eva, thanks for your comment. I'm sure minced turkey would work well too. I'd just be careful not to let the meat cook too much as turkey has no fat and tends to dry out quickly! If you make it, do let me know how it turns out. All the best from Verona!
Martina OReilly says
I've used Turkey, pork, chicken, beef and lamb. Sometimes one and other times a combo of 2 or 3. Always gorgeous
Daniel says
Hi
Just wondering where the cherry tomatoes come in to play?
Jacqui says
Hi Daniel, the cherry tomatoes are optional but I've edited the recipe instructions to include them. Thanks for pointing out this missing info! Enjoy your lamb lasagna!
Kathy says
Does your website have a way to convert the recipe amounts to cups or ounces? TIA, looking forward to making your lamb lasagna!
Jacqui says
Hi Kathy, thank you for your comment. Until now I haven't installed a weight converter but I have been doing it myself with new recipes. I've also started adding ounces & cup measurements to old recipes but it takes some time to get through them all! Anyway I've just done it for the lamb lasagna for you. If you need to convert weight measurements you can also do it on Google.
Diane Taylor says
Sounds good as I've left over slow cooked lamb I'll use that. I'll let you know results. Lamb is our best meat in Australia.
Jacqui says
I'm sure it will be delicious with your slow cooked lamb Diane! You are lucky that you have such great lamb in Australia!
Andrea Metlika says
This sounds wonderful! I've never tried lamb in lasagna.
Jacqui says
Lamb lasagna is so good Andrea! If you like lamb, you'll love it!
Noelle says
This will be great for Easter, I can't wait to make this! I had been looking for a perfect recipe 🙂
Jacqui says
Thanks Noelle! Yes this is a great Easter recipe, especially if you traditionally eat lamb. We do, so I love making this!
Pam Greer says
This lamb lasagna looks so good! We usually have ham for Easter around here, but I think Lamb would be perfect!
Jacqui says
Thanks Pam! Lamb is traditional in Italy at Easter, in UK too. Of course this lamb lasagna can be enjoyed all year round. Def worth trying!
Natalie says
I think I never had lamb lasagna before. And I absolutely love lamb meat. I must give this recipe a try. Looks so delicious. And it's super easy to make. Saving!
Jacqui says
Thanks so much Natalie! If you love lamb you'll devour this lasagna! It's so so good!
Tayler Ross says
This was SO delicious! I am definitely making this again for Easter Sunday!
Jacqui says
So happy you liked this lamb lasagna Tayler! Yes, perfect for Easter Sunday lunch!
Annissa says
An Italian recipe with an Easter twist!I think this is an interesting treat at the dinner table for any occasions and gatherings any time of the year!
Jacqui says
Thank you dear Annissa! Lamb is traditional in Italy at Easter, especially here in the North But, yes this is a fab dish to serve at any time!
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
This is absolutely amazing!! A sure hit in my house!
Jacqui says
Thanks Toni! We love this lasagna! It's so full of flavour and pretty easy to make!
Tristin Rieken says
Yum!! That fresh pasta looks divine and I love the use of white sauce with the lamb. Delish!
Jacqui says
Grazie Tristin!! I love using fresh pasta when I make lasagna. It tastes better and doesn't need to be precooked so win win!
Melissa says
I love this twist on the classic Italian Lasagne. Looks delicious.
Jacqui says
Thank you Melissa! This is a fabulous alternative lasagna recipe, especially for lamb lovers!
Taylor Kiser says
So cozy and delicious! This is an impressive dinner!
Jacqui says
Aww thanks a lot Taylor! Yes this is a fabulous dish to serve for lunch or dinner, especially on special occasions or holidays!