Dutch Oven Beef Chuck and Root Vegetable Lasagna

Name: Dutch Oven Beef Chuck and Root Vegetable Lasagna
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h 45 min
Total time: 4 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 lbs (1360 g) beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes, cut into 1½-inch cubes, patted dry; 1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt; ¾ tsp (1½ g) freshly ground black pepper; 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil; 1 lb (454 g) carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 stalks (200 g) celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces, cut into 1-inch pieces; 12 oz (340 g) parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1½ cups (360 ml) dry red wine; 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth; 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste; 4 sprigs (5 g) fresh thyme sprigs; 1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf; 12 oz (340 g) dried lasagna noodles, broken into pieces to fit the Dutch oven; 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter; ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour; 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, warmed, warmed until steaming; ¼ tsp (½ g) freshly grated nutmeg; 1½ cups (150 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, finely grated

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty, slow-braised lasagna built in a Dutch oven without a separate sauce pot. Tender beef chuck, roasted carrots and celery, and creamy béchamel layers bake together into a deeply flavored one-pot meal. The braising liquid melds with the vegetables and pasta, creating a rich, rustic ragù-style dish.

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 3 hr 45 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 4 hr 55 min
Makes: One 5-quart Dutch oven (6 servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 lbs (1360 g) beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes, cut into 1½-inch cubes, patted dry
1½ tsp (9 g) kosher salt
¾ tsp (1.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
1 lb (454 g) carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 stalks (200 g) celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces, cut into 1-inch pieces
12 oz (340 g) parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces, scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups (360 ml) dry red wine
2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
4 sprigs (5 g) fresh thyme sprigs
1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf
12 oz (340 g) dried lasagna noodles, broken into pieces to fit the Dutch oven
For the béchamel
4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter
⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, warmed, warmed until steaming
¼ tsp (0.5 g) freshly grated nutmeg
1½ cups (150 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, finely grated

Equipment (7)

5-quart Dutch oven with lid
Large bowl for mixing béchamel
Whisk
Sharp chef's knife
Cutting board
Large plate for seared beef
Measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Before you start

Preheat Dutch oven in oven at 325°F (163°C) for 15 minutes before searing the beef
Cut beef chuck into 1½-inch cubes (not too small—they'll break apart during the long braise)
Chop vegetables into roughly equal pieces so they braise evenly
Have lasagna noodles, béchamel, and pecorino measured and ready before you start layering

1
Sear the beef
- Pat the beef chuck cubes dry with paper towels.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- In the preheated Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil.
- Once shimmering, working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the beef for 3–4 minutes per side until deeply browned.
- Transfer to a plate.
- You'll have flavorful browned bits on the bottom—these will enrich the sauce.
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Ready when: Beef is deeply browned on all sides, not cooked through
Tip: Don't crowd the pan—if beef pieces touch, they'll steam instead of brown. Sear in batches.
2
Build the braising liquid
- Return the seared beef to the Dutch oven.
- Pour in the red wine and beef broth.
- Stir in tomato paste, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
- Scatter the carrots, celery, and parsnips around the beef.
- Stir gently to combine.
- The liquid should come about three-quarters of the way up the vegetables and meat.
3
Cover and braise beef and vegetablesOven 325°F / 165°C
- Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and place in a 325°F (163°C) oven.
- Braise for 2 hours, or until the beef is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork and the vegetables are soft.
- Stir once halfway through.
- Do not add the pasta yet.
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Ready when: Beef breaks apart easily with a spoon; vegetables are completely soft
Tip: The braise can sit at this point for up to 2 hours before adding the pasta—even overnight if you cover and refrigerate it.
4
Make the béchamel
- While the beef braises, prepare the béchamel.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Whisk in the flour to form a paste (roux) and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns light golden and smells toasty.
- Slowly whisk in the warmed milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon and steams gently
Tip: Keep the milk warm—cold milk will cause lumps when whisked into the hot roux. If lumps form, press the sauce through a fine sieve.
5
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the lasagna noodles and cook until just al dente (usually 2 minutes less than the package direction).
- Drain and set aside on a lightly oiled surface so they don't stick together.
- Do not rinse them.
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Ready when: Pasta is slightly firm to the bite, not soft
Tip: Slightly undercook the pasta—it will continue to absorb liquid as the lasagna braises in the oven.
6
Remove herbs and skim excess fat
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and take off the lid (careful of the steam).
- Fish out and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
- Using a spoon, skim any excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid.
- The beef and vegetables should be very tender.
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Tip: Don't skip this step—excess fat makes the finished dish greasy.
7
Layer the pasta and béchamel
- Break the cooked lasagna noodles into pieces roughly 3–4 inches long.
- In the Dutch oven, gently stir about one-third of the pasta pieces into the braising liquid with the beef and vegetables, trying not to break them apart completely.
- Spread half of the béchamel over the top in an even layer.
- Add another third of the pasta pieces, gently stirring them in.
- Top with the remaining béchamel, then scatter the last of the pasta pieces over the top.
- Sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano cheese evenly over the surface—you want a good layer so it browns.
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Tip: Don't stir too vigorously—you want distinct layers, not a homogeneous mix. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it bakes.
8
Final braise and brownOven 325°F / 165°C
- Return the Dutch oven, uncovered, to the 325°F (163°C) oven for 45 minutes.
- The béchamel should be bubbly at the edges and the cheese should turn golden brown.
- If the cheese isn't browning enough, increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) for the last 10–15 minutes, or briefly run the Dutch oven under a hot broiler (watch carefully so it doesn't burn).
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Ready when: Cheese is golden brown; sauce bubbles at the edges when you give the pan a gentle shake
Tip: If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil and reduce heat to 300°F (150°C). The lasagna doesn't need to cook through—the beef and vegetables are already tender.
9
Rest and serve
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.
- Let the lasagna rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- This allows the layers to set slightly so they don't fall apart when you spoon them out.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve directly from the Dutch oven, or carefully portion into wide, shallow bowls to keep the layers intact.
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Tip: A wide, shallow spoon or serving spatula works better than a ladle for keeping layers together as you plate.

Good to know

Tips

This is not a traditional Italian lasagna—it's a Dutch-oven braise with pasta layers, so the 'sauce' is the braising liquid itself, thickened by the béchamel. The result is rustic and hearty, not delicate.
Don't skip the resting step; it lets the layers set so they hold together when served. Serve in shallow bowls to showcase the layers.
Beef chuck has good marbling and becomes silky when braised low and slow. Chuck roasts are much cheaper than stew meat and yield more flavor.
If your Dutch oven is smaller than 5 quarts, reduce the beef to 2 lbs (910 g) and the vegetables proportionally—the layers need room to braise evenly.

Make ahead

You can braise the beef and vegetables up to 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate. Warm to room temperature on the countertop for 30 minutes before adding the pasta and béchamel, then proceed with layering and final baking (add 10 minutes to the final braise if the filling is cold).

Storage & reheating

Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat, covered, in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 20–25 minutes until heated through. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above, allowing an extra 15 minutes.

Substitutions

parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces → rutabaga, sweet potato, or turnip (same amount, cut into 1-inch pieces). Parsnips add subtle sweetness. Rutabaga will be earthier, sweet potato more assertive; both work well.
dry red wine → dry white wine or extra beef broth (same amount). Red wine adds depth; white wine will make a lighter sauce. Broth alone is milder but still good.
Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated → Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (same amount). Pecorino is sharper and saltier; these alternatives are milder. Adjust final seasoning if needed.
beef chuck roast, cut into 1½-inch cubes → beef short ribs or chuck steak (same weight, cut into chunks). Short ribs are slightly fattier and will add more collagen; cook time remains the same.