3 Luxurious Layers That Make This Oxtail Lasagna Unforgettable

5 from 1 vote
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This Oxtail Lasagna with Truffle Mornay Sauce is rich, cheesy, and unforgettable. Slow-braised oxtail layered with fresh pasta, creamy truffle sauce, and melted cheese makes it the ultimate showstopper for holidays or Sunday dinners.

Category: Pasta & Italian | By: Matt Price, Mr. Make It Happen

Oxtail Lasagna Recipe by Mr. Make It Happen
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Why You’ll Never Go Back to Ground Beef After This Oxtail Lasagna

Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food—but when you swap ground beef for slow-braised oxtail and layer it with a decadent truffle Mornay sauce, it becomes something truly extraordinary. This Oxtail Lasagna is indulgent, hearty, and luxurious—perfect for holidays, date nights, or any time you want to impress a crowd.

Slow-cooked oxtail creates a rich, meaty ragu full of depth, while silky fresh pasta sheets and creamy truffle-kissed cheese sauce tie it all together. This isn’t your average lasagna—it’s comfort food elevated to fine dining.

Why You’ll Love This Dish

  • Elevated Comfort – Classic lasagna gets an indulgent upgrade.
  • Slow-Braised Flavor – Oxtail simmers until tender, creating a sauce full of soul.
  • Silky Pasta Layers – Fresh, no-boil sheets make assembly easy and authentic.
  • Crowd-Pleasing Showstopper – Bold flavors perfect for special occasions.
3 Luxurious Layers That Make This Oxtail Lasagna Unforgettable - unnamed File Scaled

Ingredients for Oxtail Lasagna

For the Braised Oxtail Ragu

  • 3 lbs oxtail, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (28 oz) can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

MR. MAKE IT HAPPEN

All-Purpose Seasoning

For the Truffle Mornay Sauce

  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cups whole milk, warm
  • 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2 tablespoon truffle oil (or to taste)
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For Assembly

  • 1 package fresh lasagna sheets (no-boil)
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • Fresh parsley, for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions for Oxtail Lasagna

Step 1: Braise the Oxtail

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven. Sear 3 lbs of oxtail on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.

OL Oxtail Lasagna 6 Scaled

In the same pot, sauté 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks, and 5 cloves of garlic until softened.

Stir in 2 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes.

Deglaze with 1 cup red wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Return the oxtail to the pot. Cover and braise in the oven for 3–3 ½ hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Remove the oxtail, shred the meat, discard the bones, and return the meat to the sauce. Simmer until thickened.

OL Oxtail Lasagna 4 Scaled

Step 2: Make the Truffle Mornay Sauce

OL Oxtail Lasagna 5 Scaled

In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter and whisk in 4 tablespoon flour to make a roux. Cook 1–2 minutes.

Slowly whisk in 4 cups of warm milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.

Stir in 1 ½ cups Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoon truffle oil, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Step 3: Assemble the Lasagna

In a casserole dish, start with a layer of oxtail ragu.

OL Oxtail Lasagna 3 Scaled

Add fresh pasta sheets, then more oxtail ragu, Mornay sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers until the dish is full, finishing with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

OL Oxtail Lasagna 2 Scaled

Step 4: Bake & Rest

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

Let rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Oxtail Lasagna Recipe by Mr. Make It Happen

Check Out My Other Lasagna Recipe

Pairing Ideas

  • Wine: Bold reds like Barolo, Chianti Classico, or Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Side Dish: Garlic bread or a crisp arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.
  • Occasion: Holiday dinners, date nights, or any event worth celebrating.

My Pro Tip

Oxtail Lasagna Pro Tip

  • Make Ahead Friendly – The ragu tastes even better the next day.
  • Use Quality Pasta – Fresh pasta sheets make layers silky and authentic.
  • Go Easy on Truffle – Start with 1 tablespoon oil and add more if desired.
  • Rest Before Serving – Prevents the lasagna from falling apart.

Final Thoughts

This Oxtail Lasagna with Truffle Mornay Sauce is pure indulgence—rich, cheesy, and unforgettable. It takes time, but the payoff is spectacular: fall-off-the-bone oxtail layered with truffle cream sauce and golden, bubbling cheese. It’s the kind of dish that turns dinner into a celebration.

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Oxtail Lasagna Recipe by Mr. Make It Happen

Oxtail Lasagna

Matt Price
This Oxtail Lasagna with Truffle Mornay Sauce is rich, cheesy, and unforgettable. Slow-braised oxtail layered with fresh pasta, creamy truffle sauce, and melted cheese makes it the ultimate showstopper for holidays or Sunday dinners.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Course Comfort Food, Dinner Recipes, Pasta
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 921 kcal

Equipment

Saucepan
Casserole Dish
Sharp Knife

Ingredients
 
 

For the Braised Oxtail Ragu

  • 3 lbs oxtail trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 28 oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Truffle Mornay Sauce

  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cups whole milk warm
  • 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2 tablespoon truffle oil or to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper to taste

For Assembly

  • 1 package fresh lasagna sheets no-boil
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions
 

Step 1: Braise the Oxtail

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
  • Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven. Sear 3 lbs oxtail on all sides until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
  • In the same pot, sauté 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks, and 5 cloves garlic until softened.
  • Stir in 2 tablespoon tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes.
  • Deglaze with 1 cup red wine, scraping up the browned bits.
  • Add 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 1 cup beef stock, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  • Return oxtail to the pot. Cover and braise in the oven for 3–3 ½ hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
  • Remove oxtail, shred the meat, discard bones, and return meat to sauce. Simmer until thickened.

Step 2: Make the Truffle Mornay Sauce

  • In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter and whisk in 4 tablespoon flour to make a roux. Cook 1–2 minutes.
  • Slowly whisk in 4 cups warm milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.
  • Stir in 1 ½ cups Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, 2 tablespoon truffle oil, pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Step 3: Assemble the Lasagna

  • In a casserole dish, start with a layer of oxtail ragu.
  • Add fresh pasta sheets, then more oxtail ragu, Mornay sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
  • Repeat layers until the dish is full, finishing with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

Step 4: Bake & Rest

  • Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
  • Let rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Pro Tips

  • Make Ahead Friendly – The ragu tastes even better the next day.
  • Use Quality Pasta – Fresh pasta sheets make layers silky and authentic.
  • Go Easy on Truffle – Start with 1 tablespoon oil and add more if desired.
  • Rest Before Serving – Prevents the lasagna from falling apart.

Pairing Ideas

  • Wine: Bold reds like Barolo, Chianti Classico, or Cabernet Sauvignon.
  • Side Dish: Garlic bread or a crisp arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.
  • Occasion: Holiday dinners, date nights, or any event worth celebrating.

Nutrition

Calories: 921kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 78gFat: 57gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 275mgSodium: 1564mgPotassium: 483mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3537IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 734mgIron: 8mg
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About Matt Price

Matt Price is a chef, restaurant owner, and food entrepreneur known online as Mr. Make It Happen. He is the owner of Fraiche Restaurant in Washington, D.C., an award-winning restaurant recognized with OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice Award, where he serves elevated comfort food like his famous Garlic Noodles, Oxtail Meatballs, Fried Whole Snapper, and She Crab Soup. Matt is also the founder of Make It Happen Media, one of the fastest-growing food brands on the internet, with over 4 million followers across platforms. His line of signature seasonings and cookware is sold nationwide. Every recipe on this site is developed, tested, and photographed by Matt, drawing on his real-world restaurant experience and years of professional recipe development.

5 from 1 vote

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1 Comment

  1. Mike Zielonka says:

    5 stars
    Yum thanks for this recipe!