Best Lasagna in Orlando

Lasagna the Way It Should Be Made

Lasagna is one of those dishes that separates real Italian restaurants from the pretenders. At Ciao Italia Ristorante, the lasagna is built the way it has been for over 35 years: layers of handmade pasta sheets, slow-cooked meat sauce, fresh ricotta, and melted mozzarella. Every layer is assembled by hand and baked until golden and bubbling.

The meat sauce alone takes hours. The pasta is not from a box. The ricotta is fresh. This is the kind of lasagna that makes you wonder why you ever accepted anything less. It is one of the most popular entrees at Ciao Italia and a dish that brings guests back year after year.

What Makes This Lasagna Different

Most lasagna at Orlando restaurants is assembled in bulk and reheated to order. You can taste the difference. The pasta is gummy, the sauce is one-dimensional, and the whole thing has that reheated quality that no amount of melted cheese can hide. At Ciao Italia, the lasagna is made fresh in small batches. The slow-cooked ragu develops its depth over hours. The handmade pasta sheets have texture and bite. The ricotta is light and creamy, not watery.

The Navarra family brought this recipe from southern Italy, and it has been on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1991. It is comfort food at its finest -- the kind of dish that makes the whole table go quiet for a moment.

A Menu of Italian Classics

Beyond the lasagna, Ciao Italia offers a full menu of handmade pasta, seafood, veal, chicken, and lamb dishes. The Risotto Pescatore, Pappardelle with Wild Boar, and Veal Piccata are all equally popular. Every dish is made to order from scratch. No shortcuts, no heat lamps, no pre-made sauces.

Open 7 days a week, 5 PM to 10 PM at 6149 Westwood Blvd, Orlando. Free parking. Call (407) 354-0770 for reservations.