Elena in CH

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Want to see the whole process before you start reading? I filmed it for you

LONG STORY SHORT: A tray of homemade lasagne for around CHF 25. A single portion at a Swiss restaurant for CHF 28. The maths speaks for itself. This is the recipe – easy, delicious, and worth every minute spent in the kitchen.

Let’s talk about Swiss restaurant prices

CHF 28 for a piece of lasagne. I know, I know, it fully makes sense when you consider that salaries in Switzerland are higher than in most other countries, and everything is priced accordingly. I get it. I’m not even mad about it.

But as an Italian student on a budget? I’d rather make a huge tray at home for CHF 25 and spend the rest of the afternoon in a lasagne coma on my sofa. And honestly, it tastes better anyway.

This recipe comes straight from my nonna, and it’s the kind that makes your whole apartment smell incredible for hours. It does take a bit of time – so think of it as a cosy Sunday project rather than a Tuesday night dinner.

One more thing before we start: we’re using ready-made lasagne sheets, which is absolutely fine and saves a lot of time.

Ingredients

100% beef ground meat (low fat)	700g	500g
Onions	2	1
Garlic	3 cloves	2 cloves
Passata di pomodoro	500g	350g
Polpa di pomodoro	500g	250g
Beer	1/5 of a can	a splash
Sugar	2 tsp	1 tsp
Rosemary & basil	to taste	to taste
Salt & pepper	to taste	to taste
Olive oil	to coat the pan	to coat the pan

Butter	100g	50g
Flour	100g	50g
Milk	1.5L	800g
Noce moscata (nutmeg)	to taste	to taste
Salt	to taste	to taste

Ready-made lasagne sheets	500g	350g
Parmigiano Reggiano	~180g	~100g

Preparation

Step 1 – Make the soffritto

Take a large pot and add a good drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Finely slice the onion and garlic (I like mine cut small because I’m not a huge garlic fan, but you do you), and let them cook slowly until soft and golden. Don’t rush this step: a good soffritto is the base of everything. 

Step 2 – Make the besciamella (at the same time)

While the soffritto is doing its thing, we can get the besciamella started – because why not be efficient? In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it’s fully melted, turn off the heat and add the flour, stirring until the mixture comes together and looks a bit like dough. Then, slowly pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Turn the heat back on low, add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens to a creamy, smooth consistency. Set aside.

Step 3 – Brown the meat & build the ragù

Once the soffritto is ready, add the ground beef and let it cook until it turns a nice golden brown. Add a small splash of beer to “sfumare” – which basically means deglazing the pan, and it adds a lovely depth of flavour to the ragù. Let the alcohol evaporate for a minute or two, then add the polpa di pomodoro and the passata, followed by the rosemary, basil, salt, pepper and sugar. Which works to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and once you try it you’ll never skip this step again. Give everything a good stir, cover the pot partially, and let it simmer on low heat for around 30 minutes. Your kitchen will smell incredible. 

Step 4 – Soften the pasta & assemble

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the lasagne sheets until they start to soften (I always do this step because I like a softer texture in the final dish). Once ready, transfer them into a bowl of cold water, this stops the cooking instantly and makes them easy to handle when assembling.

Now for the fun part! Grab your baking tray and start layering:

1. A spoonful of ragù on the bottom of the tray – this prevents sticking
2. First layer of pasta sheets
3. Ragù, then besciamella (the more the better), then a good handful of Parmigiano
4. Repeat until you run out of ingredients – aim for at least 3 layers, 4 is ideal
5. Finish the top with besciamella and a very generous sprinkle of Parmigiano

Step 7 – Bake

Place in a preheated fan oven at 180°C for approximately 35 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling at the edges.

Important: Once it comes out of the oven, resist the urge to cut into it immediately. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes – this is what gives you those perfect, structured slices rather than a delicious but chaotic mess.

If you make this, I genuinely want to hear about it!

Drop a comment below and tell me how it went! And feel free to share this with a friend who needs a cozy Sunday recipe in their life.