Lasagne alla Mozzarella (Mozzarella Lasagna)

By
Kyle Phillips
Kyle Phillips
Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel.
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Updated on 01/4/22
Mozzarella Lasagna square

ivanmateev / Getty Images

Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 6 servings

The universe of lasagna is huge and varied. This layered pasta dish can be a classic meat and cheese, a vegetarian roasted vegetable, or even a dessert lasagna. Lasagna alla mozzarella, which includes fresh mozzarella and luxurious besciamella white sauce, is simple to put together and also quick to cook if you use "oven-ready" sheets of lasagna that don't need to be boiled before assembling and baking.

Ingredients

For the Besciamella Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 tablespoons flour

  • 2 cups whole milk, warm or at room temperature

  • 1 dash salt, or to taste

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

For the Lasagna:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan

  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce, or as needed

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, drained

  • 10 to 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles

  • 1 2/3 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Besciamella Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the roux begins to turn a golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

  3. Slowly add the milk, constantly whisking, until the roux has blended into the milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Make the Lasagna

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 200 C and butter a rectangular baking dish large enough to contain the ingredients.

  3. Place the tomato sauce in a bowl. Finely chop the garlic and add it to the tomato sauce, together with the basil. Thinly slice the mozzarella.

  4. Begin with a layer of pasta, followed by thin layer of tomato sauce (the cheese should not float in it), then the mozzarella, salt and pepper to taste, and another layer of pasta. Continue until all of these ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of pasta.

  5. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano over the lasagna, and evenly pour over the besciamella sauce.

  6. Bake the lasagna for 15 minutes. Cover it with a sheet of parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool slightly before cutting for easier serving.

  7. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • If you are using traditional lasagna noodles, which require boiling, prepare them first before making the besciamella sauce. Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt, and cook the lasagna sheets per the instructions on the package—or until they are barely al dente—and drain them on a clean dishcloth until ready to use.
  • To save time, you can use commercially prepared pasta sauce rather than plain tomato sauce. And instead of buttering the dish you can spoon some sauce on the bottom before placing the first layer of noodles.
  • When choosing the pan to use, make sure the sides are high enough to hold all of the layers; you don't want the sauce to overflow in the oven and create a big mess.

Recipe Variations

This recipe modifies well. For example, you could lay some thinly sliced ham or cooked chicken over the mozzarella. Or you could add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg to the besciamella sauce for a nice hint of warm spice. To bring up the nutrition value (and perhaps sneak in some veggies for the kids), feel free to add cooked vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and even finely cut broccoli. Just be sure to drain any cooking liquid before layering in the lasagna as vegetables can add water and make the finished dish soggy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
526 Calories
24g Fat
51g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 526
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 14g 68%
Cholesterol 72mg 24%
Sodium 951mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 502mg 39%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 310mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)