Classic Bolognese Lasagne, a rich and hearty meal, one of the most iconic dishes of the Italian Sunday lunch, layers of egg pasta sheets filled with Ragù bolognese-meat-sauce, béchamel sauce, assembled in a pan and baked in the oven for a feast of pure enjoyment.

Lasagne originated in the city of Bologna, hence the name ‘Bolognese’, but has spread throughout Italy and beyond.

Being an essentially homemade dish, there are as many versions as there are families in Emilia-Romagna and Italy.

 

Rectangular baking tray for 6, Preparation 3 hours, Cooking time approx 1 hour

For the Ragù:

  • 400 g beef or pork minced meat
  • 250 g ready-made egg lasagne sheets
  • 300 g of Tomato Passata or 400 g of whole peeled tomatoes
  • Unsmoked Pancetta, cubed, 80 g
  • a glass of full-bodied red wine at room temperature
  • a glass of milk
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 medium carrot, minced
  • 1 celery stalk, minced
  • vegetable or meat broth, 500 ml
  • Fresh Mozzarella, 1, optional
  • Grated Parmigiano, a handful, optional
  • Salt, a pinch
  • EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 tablespoons
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ground black pepper, a pinch

For the béchamel sauce:

  • 1 lt whole milk
  • 80 g of unsalted butter
  • 80 g of all-purpose flour, sifted
  • A pinch of fine salt
  • ground nutmeg, a pinch


Method

Making the Bolognese Ragù:

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and sauté the soffritto of celery, carrot and onion until soft, then add pancetta and allow it to brown. Add the minced meat, the bay leaves, and let it brown for a long time. Add the red wine and let it evaporate by raising the flame. Lower the flame and add the milk, stir, and simmer until reduced.

Keep the stock hot and dissolve the tomato paste in it while stirring, adding it to the meat, stir, add the tomato sauce or peeled tomatoes having crushed them previously with a fork, and cook over low heat for a minimum of 3 hours, a maximum of 4 or even 5, adding more broth if necessary and stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Adjust the salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves.

Making Bechamel Sauce:

Heat a thick-bottomed saucepan and melt the butter. As soon as it has melted, add the sifted flour, all at once, and stir with a whisk, letting it ‘toast’ for a few minutes without allowing it to darken.
Now pour in the milk, stir and bring to the boil over low heat, allowing it to thicken.
Add a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper.

The bechamel should be creamy and without lumps.

Assembling Lasagna:

Bring to boil a pot of water on the stove, as soon as it boils add coarse salt to taste and soak 3 or 4 sheets of lasagna at a time for a few minutes, then drain them and transfer them to a bowl of cold water – this will stop the cooking of the pasta. Now place the well drained sheets of lasagna on a clean dish towel, spaced out one from the other.


Start placing a first generous layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking tray and all sides up to the edge. Place the egg pasta sheets reaching all the way to the top edges, add a generous ladle of meat sauce and a ladle of béchamel sauce, mixing them together a bit. Spread both the sauce and bechamel evenly in the centre and in the corners.

You can also add some mozzarella pieces and a bit of grated Parmigiano just like we did.

Proceed in this fashion for a total of 4 layers of pasta (or 5 if you prefer), the last layer with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano cheese, mozzarella cut into small cubes and some more sauce.


Tip: Wait before putting it in the oven, let it rest for at least 40 minutes. In this way the dough will absorb the flavours of the filling and the cooking will be more homogeneous and the taste richer.

Bake lasagna in a static oven at 180°C about 35 – 40 minutes.

Tip: Cover it with aluminium foil for the first 30 minutes, so that the heat of the oven cooks it evenly. After this time, remove the aluminium foil and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes, or at least until the top of the lasagne starts to brown and create a crust.


Let it cool to room temperature for a few minutes before cutting.

 

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