Christmas Eve Lasagna (Lasagna Bolognese with a Festive Twist!) (2024)

If you’ve had trouble serving your lasagna in the past, it’s likely that a few small tweaks can help tremendously:

• Use no-boil lasagna noodlesto avoid overcooked, mushy lasagna. As a bonus, with no-boil pasta, you don’t have to worry about the fuss of pre-boiling before lasagna assembly.
• Take care while assembling the lasagna layers. Create even layers of pasta by breaking the individual sheets of lasagna for a precise fit that covers the length & width of the entire pan. Doing so creates a much sturdier lasagna.
• Lastly, don’t forget to let your lasagna rest & cool a bit once it’s fresh out of the oven for a clean slice!

Say hello to the most festive lasagna you’ll ever meet: Christmas Eve Lasagna! A twist on classic lasagna bolognese, this lasagna boasts festive red & green layers of rich & hearty homemade bolognese sauce & basil pesto ricotta. It’s equal parts delicious & stunning – perfect for a special occasion meal like Christmas Eve dinner.

It’s become a beloved tradition in my family to serve this Christmas Eve Lasagna at some point during the holiday season & I have a feeling once you try it you’re going to love it just as much as we do. Happy cooking! ♡

Ingredients

Scale

• nonstick cooking spray
• one 13.2-ounce box DeLallo No-Boil Lasagna
• Best-Ever Bolognese(below)
• basil pesto ricotta (below)
• 24 ounces shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 6 cups)
• 12 ounces Italian cheese blend, such as asiago, parmesan, etc. (about 3 cups)

for the Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce:

• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 ounces pancetta, roughly chopped (see Recipe Notes)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoonsolive oil
• 1 poundground beef
• 1 poundground pork
• one 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cupmedium-bodiedred wine, such as Chianti
• 3–4 sprigsfresh rosemary
• 10–12 sprigsfresh thyme
• 2bay leaves
• optional: 1parmesan rind
• one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cupslow-sodium chicken brothorwater
• ½ cupheavy cream
• ½ cupgrated parmesan
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the basil pesto ricotta:

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese, whole milk or part-skim as desired
• one 6.3-ounce jar DeLallo Simply Basil Pesto
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

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Best-Ever Bolognese Sauce:

1. Prep:
   1. Soffritto: Add the roughly chopped carrot, celery & onion to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse just until the mixture is broken down into fine pieces. The mixture should not be puréed; you should still be able to see small pieces of carrot, celery & onion. Transfer to a medium bowl & set aside.
   2. Pestata:Add the pancetta & garlic to the bowl of the same food processor used to make the soffritto (no need to wash it!). Pulse just until the mixture is broken down into fine pieces. Set aside.
2. Cook the pestata:Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot (at least 4-quart capacity) over medium heat. Once hot, carefully add the pestata mixture from Step 1 and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta renders & the garlic is fragrant, 4-5 minutes.
3. Brown the soffritto: Add the soffritto mixture from Step 1 to the pot with the pestata. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the veggies begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium-low or low. Once browned, push the pestata & soffritto mixture to the outer edges of the pot.
4. Brown the meat:Generously season the beef and pork with 1 teaspoon kosher salt each. Add the meat to the center of the pot with the soffritto & pestata mixture. Do not touch the meat for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to brown deeply. Turn the meat over and brown the second side for 2-3 minutes. Once browned on both sides, use a wooden spoon to break the meat apart into fine crumbles. Stir to combine with the soffritto mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned completely, 8-10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the meat & soffritto mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes to brown.
5. Deglaze:Increasing the heat to medium-high, pour the red wine into the pot. Stir constantly, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the wine is almost completely absorbed into the meat mixture.
6. Aromatics:Tie the herbs together using kitchen twine (or finely chop if you do not have twine), then add to the pot with the bay leaves & parmesan rind, if using. Add the crushed tomatoes & broth or water, stirring to combine.
7. Simmer:Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes. If the bolognese begins to reduce too much (losing too much of its liquid too quickly), feel free to add in a splash more broth/water, reduce the heat further, &/or cover the pot.
8. Finish the bolognese: Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper, as desired. Remove from the heat and set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Basil Pesto Ricotta:

1. Mix the basil pesto ricotta: Meanwhile, as the bolognese sauce simmers, prepare the basil pesto ricotta. Add all listed ingredients to a medium mixing bowl, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and ground black pepper, or to taste. Stir until combined. Set aside, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Christmas Lasagna Assembly:

1. Assemble the lasagna: Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray & set aside. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (see Recipe Notes, below). Ladle about 1 cup of the bolognese sauce into the baking dish, spreading it out to evenly coat the bottom. This prevents the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the dish as the lasagna bakes. Build your lasagna layer by layer:
   1. Layer 1: Start by arranging the lasagna such that it covers the bottom of the baking dish. The pasta should create an even layer without overlapping – you may need to get crafty & break the noodles to fill your baking dish nicely (see photos, above, for reference). Ladle half of the remaining bolognese over top, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle some mozzarella & Italian cheeses over top, using about 1/4 of the cheese.
   2. Layer 2: Arrange a second layer of lasagna. Top with 1/2 of the prepared basil pesto ricotta, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle some the mozzarella & Italian cheeses over top, using about 1/4 of the cheese.
   3. Layer 3 & 4: Repeat Layers 1 & 2, creating 4 alternating layers of bolognese & ricotta. Finish with one last generous sprinkling of cheese, using any remaining mozzarella & Italian cheese.
2. Rest: Top with the prepared foil. Transfer to the refrigerator to rest for at least 12 hours before baking.
3. Bake the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, ensuring an oven rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator, & set the baking dish on a large rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven & bake the lasagna for 60 minutes, carefully removing the foil from the baking dish in the last 10 minutes of baking to brown the top.If desired, turn the broiler on in the last 5 minutes to give the cheesy top an especially golden brown & crispy finish.
4. Rest, slice, & serve: Carefully remove the lasagna from the oven. Set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing into 12-15 squares & serving. Enjoy!

• Ingredient & Equipment Notes:
  • Pancetta is cured, unsmoked Italian bacon. Widely available at most conventional grocery stores, you can typically find pancetta already diced up in an individual container near the cured meats & bacon, or cut-to-order at the deli counter. Feel free to swap it out with regular ol’ bacon if that’s what you can find easily – thick, center-cut bacon works best for this recipe.
  • Baking dish: This recipe was tested & developed using a 9×13 pan, roughly 3 inches in depth. If your baking dish is a little smaller, layer the lasagna using slightly less bolognese sauce than described in Assembly Steps 2-4 above. Any extra bolognese sauce freezes beautifully & will make for a wonderfully easy Pasta Bolognese dinner down the road.
• Make-Ahead Lasagna: Since there are a number of different components involved in this Christmas lasagna recipe, prepping it ahead of time is a great option for the busy holiday season. There are 2 make-ahead approaches you can take depending on the amount of time you have to prep:
  • Make-Ahead Approach #1 – Prepping components in advance. If you prefer to prep individual components & assemble the lasagna later, this approach is for you. Prepare the bolognese sauce & mix the basil pesto ricotta, then store the components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, until you’d like to assemble your Christmas lasagna.
  • Make-Ahead Approach #2 – Assemble the lasagna in advance. Assemble the Christmas lasagna, then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (As a bonus, the pasta soaks up any excess liquid in the lasagna as it sits, making it much easier to slice & serve picture-perfect pieces!) At dinnertime, simply preheat & bake according to Steps 8 & 10, noting you may have to add 5-10 minutes of baking time to ensure the lasagna warms through.
• Storage, Reheating, & Freezing:
  • Storage & Reheating: Store any leftover Christmas lasagna in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
  • Freezer Instructions: This Christmas lasagna is also incredibly freezer-friendly. Transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer container or divide between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions – these are my absolute favorite freezer containers! – & freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat in the microwave until warmed through.