Chorizo Bolognese White Lasagna. Packed with great flavours, this lasagna has a savoury and spicy chorizo Bolognese sauce with hints of cinnamon, spice, herbs and Italian tomatoes with layers of pasta noodles and a rich white béchamel served topped with a generous amount of parmesan cheese for some extra comforting taste that everyone will love. This is a great make ahead dinner to serve the family or double in size for large gatherings.

This is of course a non traditional lasagna that’s simplified so that you can enjoy all the cozy comforting flavours of lasagna. My take on a classic that’s made with spicy chorizo instead of beef for an extra quick and I’ve toned down those spicy flavours with hints of cinnamon, thyme, oregano, and dried basil. Paired with the white béchamel sauce which helps to tame some of that heat and brings the whole dish together.

CHORIZO BOLOGNESE 

This is a simplified version of a Bolognese sauce that only takes about 20 minutes instead of simmering for a few hours. I like to use chorizo because the sausage is packed with so many wonderful spices it really elevates any meal especially ones that are tomato base. Tomatoes are the perfect vessel to make rich comforting sauces and load in the spices and herbs. This sauce is made up of chorizo which I took sausage links and just cut them open and pushed the filling out directly into the pan with the onions and vegetable oil. Once the sausage cooks down and breaks into smaller bits I seasoned it and added the tinned Italian tomatoes and a touch of beef stock. I used whole tomatoes but you can use passata if that’s easier. Passata tomatoes is basically tomato sauce. The whole tomatoes require you to break them apart just like you did with the meat to get them into smaller chunks and more into a sauce consistency. The beef broth adds a bit of richness but you could use red wine or a combination. I let all the flavours meld and simmer together for 20-30 minutes until it thickens nicely and resembles a thick meat sauce.

ALL THE OTHER DETAILS

Like I said- this is a simplified version. SO instead of layers of meat sauce, lasagna noodles, ricotta and cheese I narrowed it down to 3 layers. The first is the chorizo Bolognese which I heavily spread across the bottom. For me I had some extra which I saved and spooned over the top slices once it was served. Another great option would be to use the leftover for sloppy joe sandwiches. The second layer is al dente rigatoni pasta noodles. I like the tubes so that some of the sauce can squeeze its way in the noodles. Any similar thick cut noodle would work such as penne or even macaroni. This makes it so much easier you don’t need to handle delicately the lasagna noodles and carefully place them overtop you can just dump the noodles right on there. The last layer is a quick stove top béchamel sauce which takes about 4 minutes to make.  Most white lasagnas are made with this which is butter, flour, milk and nutmeg. Once the roux is formed, slowly and continuously whisk in the milk until nicely thickened and season with nutmeg. Pour that sauce over the noodles and finish with a nice dusting of parmesan cheese. Transfer into the oven for 20 minutes un covered so that the top can get a little browning and the lasagna can come together nicely.

Now this recipe takes about 45 minutes to make but it is very easy to re-heat if making ahead. Lasagnas are always an easy option for large family gatherings or holidays, as freezer meals, meal prep, or generally to feed the family. Pasta and a good sauce make everyone happy. If getting ready for a special meal and you want to serve up this super tasty lasagna, build all the layers as detailed in the recipe card up until it goes into the oven. Now because the filling will all have chilled it will need a bit more than 20 minutes to warm up. Cook at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes un covered or until the top begins to brown and you can see some bubbling on the outsides. Finish off each piece with extra parm, fresh herbs, and some bread for dipping.

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Print Recipe

Chorizo Bolognese White Lasagna

Spicy savoury Bolognese with chorizo, tomatoes and herbs layered with pasta noodles and creamy béchamel sauce topped with parmesan cheese.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Keyword: bechamel, bolognese, chorizo, lasagna

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 chorizo sausage links removed from casing
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 28oz can tomatoes such as San Marzano or passata
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups rigatoni noodles
• 1 cup grated parmesan

Béchamel

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat 2 TBS of cooking oil and add the onions once hot. Cook the onions until just softened for about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the chorizo by removing from the casing if using sausage links. Break apart the meat into smaller bits as it browns. Cook for 5-6 minutes until almost cooked through. Add the minced garlic and season with cinnamon and herbs.
• Stir in the tinned tomatoes with the beef broth. Bring to a slow boil and break apart the tomatoes with your spatula as they cook down. Once boiling, reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes until nicely thickened.
• In the meantime, Cook pasta noodles according to package directions, strain and set aside until ready to assemble.
• To make the béchamel: once the Bolognese is simmering, you can begin to make the white sauce. In a medium sized saucepot, melt butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Allow to come together and turn a light browned colour. Slowly whisk in the milk. Continuously whisk until the sauce starts to thickened. Once thickened, season with some nutmeg and keep on low heat until time to assemble.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In an oven proof dish, 9x9 or bigger, layer the chorizo Bolognese, top with cooked pasta noodles, then spread the béchamel sauce. Finish with some grated parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the top begins to brown and bubble.
• Serve immediately with additional Bolognese overtop, fresh grated parmesan and toasted bread. Enjoy!