Brie Larson Demos How to Make the 'Superior Lasagna' from Lessons In Chemistry—Get the Recipe (2024)

Brie Larson plays a culinary star on Lessons in Chemistry—but she has kitchen skills in real life, too.

Larson and Lewis Pullman, her co-star on the upcoming Apple TV+ series (based on the best-selling debut novel from author, science editor and copywriter Bonnie Garmus), teamed up with Larson’s longtime friend and the show’s food consultant, Courtney McBroom, for a video that PEOPLE can exclusively premiere.

The video, which was filmed prior to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, begins with McBroom and Larson sitting at a table discussing their years of friendship before revealing that they would be making the lasagna featured in Lessons in Chemistry.

“Lasagna is comforting and loving," says Larson, "and requires a lot of time and energy.”

Larson plays Elizabeth Zott, a scientist turned cooking show host in the 1950s. This lasagna serves as the “beginning of the Elizabeth and Calvin relationship,” according to Larson.

"This is one of the first things he tastes that Elizabeth makes, and I think he falls in love at first bite," adds McBroom.

The cooking demo begins with McBroom explaining that the recipe is “based on the lasagna from the show, but this is an even more amped up lasagna” because they’ll be using homemade pasta dough that she made ahead of time.

McBroom also made the béchamel sauce, a creamy milk-based sauce, for the lasagna, so the trio will focus on making the bolognese.(The full recipe is below.)

Larson begins by sautéing up some onions, carrots and celery before Pullman jumps in to add three kinds of meat: ground beef, ground pork, and finely chopped pancetta.

“The first time they really start to connect is over her talking about lasagna,” says Larson.
Pullman adds that his character, also a scientist, “sees food as sustenance and brain power,” before he realizes that he “can go into a real microlens on it” and “nerd out on it.”

The trio adds some tomato paste to the pot before the sauce simmers away and then it’s time to assemble the lasagna.

They start with a thin layer of bolognese before topping it with a paper-thin homemade noodle and a layer of the béchamel. McBroom tops the sauce with parmesan cheese and bolognese, before repeating the process. She adds that they’ll be dotting ricotta on “every third or fourth layer,” before topping the whole creation with mozzarella cheese.

While the lasagna bakes in the oven, McBroom asks Pullman and Larson some rapid fire questions.

First she asks about what their final meals would look like. Larson responds that hers would consist of a baked potato with a lot of butter, some sour cream and caviar. Pullman shares he’d have his mom’s apple crisp with ice cream.

The lasagna is pulled from the oven, and the three gather around the cheesy, golden-brown dish.
They dig their forks in and the reviews are glowing. “Wow Courtney. That is a superior lasagna,” says Larson.

Lessons in Chemistry will make its global debut on Friday, Oct. 13 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes of the eight-episode season. New episodes will debut weekly, every Friday through Nov. 24.

'The Perfect Lasagna' from Lessons in Chemistry

For the bolognese:

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. red chili flakes

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

1 lb. 90% lean ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

¼ lb. pancetta, ground or very finely chopped

1 cup whole milk

1 cup dry white wine or water

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

For the ricotta béchamel:

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk, warmed

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 (15-oz.) container ricotta cheese

For the assembly:

Olive oil, for brushing

1 lb. dried lasagna noodles

2 cups finely grated parmesan

1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

1. Make the bolognese: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, add the garlic and chili flakes, and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste coats the bottom of the pan and turns a deep brick red color, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the ground beef, ground pork, and pancetta. Cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. As it cooks, season with salt and use a wooden spoon or spatula to smash the meat and break it into small bits.

3. Stir in the milk and wine (or water), and bring to a simmer. Add the oregano, cover, and reduce to the lowest temperature. Simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove from heat and skim most of the fat, (not all of it, leave a little bit for flavor). Season with more salt, if needed.

5. Make the ricotta béchamel: While the bolognese simmers, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula. In a steady stream, whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium low for 1 minute to thicken. Stir in the salt and nutmeg and remove from heat. Let cool for 15 minutes, then stir in the ricotta cheese. Season with more salt, if needed.

6. Assemble: Heat the oven to 375° and brush a 9-x 13-inch pan with olive oil. Boil the lasagna noodles in a large pot of heavily salted water to just under al dente (usually about 1 minute less than the package’s instructions). Drain and slick them with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

7. Spread ¾ cup of the ricotta béchamel on the bottom of the pan and top with a layer of noodles, with little to no overlap. Spread another ¾ cup of béchamel on top of the noodles, then spread ¼ of the bolognese on top (about 1¼ cups). Top with a liberal dusting of parmesan cheese (about ⅓ cup). Top with another layer of noodles and repeat this layering process 4 more times, giving you 5 layers of pasta (see Cook’s Note). You should have used the last of the Bolognese on the 4th layer. Top the final layer with the remaining béchamel, the remaining parmesan, and all of the mozzarella cheese.

8. Bake uncovered for 35 - 40 minutes, until the sauce bubbles up on the sides and the top is browned. Let cool 15 minutes, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top, slice, and serve.

Note: Most conventional dried lasagna noodle packages have enough noodles to do 4 layers of 4 noodles. Since this lasagna is 5 layers, use a knife or kitchen shears to cut 3 of the noodles in half. Use the halves in lieu of a full sheet, giving each layer of the lasagna 3½ noodles instead of 4.

Serves: 8 to 10
Active Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes