Lasagne with Bolognese Sauce: Lasagne Alla Bolognese
- Level: Easy
- Total: 3 hr 45 min
- Prep: 3 hr
- Cook: 45 min
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Butter, for the pan
1/2 batch Bolognese Sauce, recipe follows
1 1/2 (9-ounce) boxes no-boil lasagne noodles
Besciamella, recipe follows
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Bolognese Sauce:
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, medium chop
3 carrots, medium chop
3 celery stalks, medium chop
5 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground veal
1 cup red wine
3 (28-ounce) cans pelati tomatoes*
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk
Besciamella:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Butter the lasagne pan well and add a very thin layer of meat sauce.
- Add the first layer of lasagne noodles and in order, cover with meat sauce, about 3 ladles besciamella, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Repeat the same process until you reach the top of the dish. Make sure the lasagne noodles are soaking into the sauce.
- When done layering the ingredients, top the lasagne with a final ladle of meat sauce and some besciamella, add a few thin slices of butter and finish with some grated Parmesan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a broiler. When your fantastic lasagne alla bolognese is cooked, give it a nice crisp top by broiling it for about 5 minutes.
- Always serve this dish with extra-virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan, to taste.
Bolognese Sauce:
- Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in about 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large rondeau until soft. Add the pancetta to the soffritto (onion mixture). Cook on a medium-high flame for about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the meat; break it up well with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: You can jack up the heat a bit, and keep stirring until all the ground meat is browned. Add the red pepper flakes and the parsley and cook for just 1 minute. Add the wine now and cook until the alcohol is completely evaporated, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor and add them to the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, lower the flame to medium and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by adding the whole milk, stir well and set aside, to cool off.;
- *Cook's Note: Pelati tomatoes are whole canned tomatoes.
Besciamella:
- Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon.
- Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Cook’s Note
If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk, if too runny, return to the heat and add a pat of butter mixed with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. The most important thing though is: besciamella should not taste floury. If you think your sauce is ready, but you can spot a hint of "flouriness" when you taste it, think again, and keep on cooking it for a few minutes more.This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.
