Grandma’s Lasagna

In the 1960s and 70s, most of our family parties included the Berg family—Tom, Evie, and their daughter Donna were always there, and they’ve long felt like part of our family. Grandma’s Lasagna recipe actually came from Donna Berg sometime in the 1970s after she served it at a birthday party and it was such a hit that our family has used this lasagna recipe ever since. Over the years, I’ve made a few careful updates: I added besciamella after living in Delft, The Netherlands, in the home of Bep Lupker—her lasagna included a silky, delicious besciamella that I never forgot. I’ve also refined the meat sauce for deeper flavor and better balance, while keeping the heart of the original recipe intact.

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup (8-oz) onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground chuck beef (or ½ lb ground beef, ½ lb Italian sausage)
• 1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (15-oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (6-oz) tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup dry white wine or dry red wine (optional)
• 2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp dried ground fennel
• ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp table salt

Cheese & Pasta

• 2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese (or 1 cup of each)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 8 oz lasagna noodles, prepared

Besciamella

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp table salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• small pinch nutmeg

Directions

Make the Meat Sauce

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until translucent and tender. Add garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds, just until fragrant. Add meat and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up as it browns.

Clear a small space in the pot and add tomato paste directly to the pan. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly and smells sweeter. Stir the paste into the meat mixture.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, wine (optional), and fish sauce (optional). Add dried basil, dried parsley, oregano, fennel, thyme, cloves, bay leaves, pepper, and salt.

Simmer covered on low heat for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and whole cloves before assembling. (Sauce is best when made a day more in advance and reheated.)

Prepare the Cheese

In a bowl, combine ricotta (and/or cottage cheese) with Parmesan. Reserve mozzarella for layering and topping.

Assemble

Place enough meat sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan to thinly coat. Add ⅓ of the cooked lasagna noodles. Spread ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, add a layer of mozzarella slices, then cover with ⅓ of the remaining meat sauce.

Repeat for two additional layers. Top with remaining mozzarella and a light sprinkle of Parmesan.

Bake

Bake covered at 325° for 40 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes, or until warmed through and cheese is slightly browned. Rest 10–15 minutes before slicing for cleaner layers.

Make the Besciamella

Thoroughly heat butter and flour. Whisk in remaining ingredients; cook until thickened.

Serve

Slice and serve lasagna topped with besciamella.

Notes

Preparation

• Why cloves? Whole cloves add subtle warmth and sweetness to the sauce and are removed before assembly so their flavor stays in the background.
• Besciamella tip (optional): For an extra-silky texture, warm the milk separately and whisk it in gradually.
• Make-ahead sauce: This meat sauce tastes even better after a night in the fridge; rewarm gently before assembling.

Serving Suggestions

• Let the lasagna rest 10–15 minutes before cutting for cleaner slices.
• Serve with a simple green salad and warm bread to round out the meal.

Variations

• Wine: Dry white or dry red both work well; omit if preferred.
• Fish sauce: Optional, but it adds savory depth without tasting “fishy” at this amount.
• Meat: Using half Italian sausage adds a slightly richer, more seasoned profile.

Make-Ahead & Storage

• Make-ahead: Assemble the lasagna, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 10–15 minutes to the covered bake time if it’s going in cold.
• Refrigerate: Store leftovers covered for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Freeze tightly wrapped portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating for best texture.

Original Berg Family Lasagna Recipe (circa 1970s)
This is the original version of the recipe as it was shared with our family by Donna Berg in the 1970s. It’s simpler than the updated version above, but it’s the foundation everything else grew from.