Lasagna: The Bolognese Lasagna has it’s roots in Italy, particularly in the city of Bologna, which is famous for its rich culinary tradition. The specific combination of Bolognese sauce and lasgna likely envolved over time. Bolognese sauce, also known as ragu alla bolognese is a meat-based sauce typically made with ground beef or pork, onions, carrorts, celery, tomatoes, wine and sometimes milk or cream.
The rich flavor and comforting layers is one of the beloved dish both in Italy and around the world with countless variations and adaptation to suit different tastes and preferences.
INGREDIENTS
Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 2 H and 30 Min
Servings: 8
For Bolognese Sauce (Ragu alla Bolognese)
300 g of coarsely ground beef
150 g of sliced pancetta (you can replace pancetta with minced pork)
300 g (1 1⁄4 cup) of tomato passata or crashed peeled tomato
1 small carrot (about 50 g)
1 celery stalk (about 50 g)
1 small onion (about 50 g)
100 ml (1⁄2 cup) of dry white wine
100 ml (1⁄2 cup) of whole milk
300 ml (1 1⁄2 cup) of meat broth
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
fine salt
freshly ground black pepper
Plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano cheese (at least 200 g = 2 ¼ cups).
Lasagna sheets
Instruction for Bolognese sauce:
Cut the carrot, celery and onion in very tiny pieces and set aside.
Now cut the pancetta into cubes and then as finely as possible with a sharp knife. It may be difficult to cut the fats from the pancetta with a knife. In this case, chop with a food processor for 1 minute.
Place the minced pancetta in a saucepan with high sides and a thick bottom. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Now add the extra virgin olive oil and the finely chopped vegetables.
Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes then add the ground beef.
Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium / high heat. Now put the heat on high and add the white wine. Stir and let it evaporate.
Finally add the tomato passata. Cover with a lid and simmer over LOW heat for about 2 hours.
(During cooking, the sauce could dry out too much and become thick, risking burning. In this case, add a little meat broth or water, adding salt if necessary.)
Towards the end, add the milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt and pepper.
When the sauce is ready, according to the Bolognese custom, add the heavy cream if you want to season dry pasta.
Authentic Bolognese sauce is ready!
For Bèchamel Sauce
1 liter (4 cups) of fresh whole milk
100 g (1 stick) of unsalted butter
100 g (2/3 cup) of all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon of fine salt
freshly grated nutmeg
Instruction:
In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat then add the flour – using a flour sieve – while mixing QUICKLY with a whisk.
Cook for 30 sec/1 min stirring, so the flour becomes tastier and absorb the butter fats.
The mixture of butter and flour is called roux and it should be a nice golden color. Now set aside and let it cool.
Meanwhile heat the milk, without bringing to a boil.
Pour the milk slowly over the roux, while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent the formation of lumps.
When the milk is completely poured over the roux sauce, put the saucepan back on low heat.
Keep mixing constantly, until you have a fairly thick consistency (about 10/15 minutes).
The sauce is ready when it sticks to the back of a wooden spoon.
Finally, add a pinch of fine salt and grated nutmeg to taste.
Lasagna Preparation
Preheat the oven at 190° (380 F).
Spread on the bottom of a baking dish (better ceramic or pirex) two tablespoons of bechamel.
Then put a lasagna noodle over it, trying to cover the entire bottom of the pan. If one lasagna is not enough for you, use another one, whole or in half, depending on the size of the lasagna.
Layer on two tablespoons of bolognese sauce and two tablespoons of bechamel sauce.
With the help of a tablespoon, cover the entire surface of the lasagna. In the end, sprinkle two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano.
Repeat these steps for at least five layers (lasagna – bolognese sauce – bèchamel – parmigiano), in any case up to fill your baking dish.
Finish by covering the last layer with plenty of Parmigiano cheese, that cooking make a crispy crust. Bake at 190° (380 F) for about 30 minutes.Let cool Lasagna Bolognese out of the oven for 10 minutes before serving.
