Lasagna Bolognese 101 Recipes

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN LASAGNA BOLOGNESE RECIPE | LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• First cut the carrot, celery and onion in very tiny pieces and set aside. Then cut the pancetta as finely as possible with a sharp knife or a food processor. Now place the minced pancetta in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
• Add the extra virgin olive oil and the finely chopped vegetables. Stir and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Then add the ground beef.
• Stir and cook for 5 minutes over medium 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, adding broth when needed. Towards the end, add the milk to dampen the acidity of the tomato. Season with salt and pepper. Bolognese Sauce is ready when you can see an oily, creamy sauce on the surface.
• 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.
• Spread on the bottom of a baking dish two tablespoons of bechamel. Then put lasagna noodles 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 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 -repeat), 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.

PERFECT LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Pour white wine into the Dutch oven; cook until alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer Bolognese sauce, stirring occasionally and skimming fat off the surface, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce looks dry.
• Stir heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk into the Bolognese sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over very low heat until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms; cook and stir until paste turns a golden sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk 4 cups milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until bechamel sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg; discard bay leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna sheet; prick in several places with a paring knife. Spread 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and 1/2 cup Bolognese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat layers 7 times with remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 15 minutes.

LASAGNE VERDI ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Saute pancetta in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until fat has rendered, 1 to 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, onion, and oil. Cook and stir until vegetables have softened and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add beef and pork. Cook, stirring and mashing meat into small crumbles, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Stir wine into the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add tomato sauce and stir; pour in 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to low and partially cover the pot to allow steam to escape. Simmer sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Pour 1 more cup of broth into the sauce. Continue simmering until thick, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add more broth only if absolutely necessary; ragu should drop, not run, off a spoon.
• Start preparing pasta after sauce has been cooking for 1 1/2 hours. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add spinach and cover until it returns to a boil. Stir gently and cook until spinach is heated through. Remove from heat, leave covered, and let cool.
• Drain spinach in a mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing it down with a fork to squeeze out as much water and possible; reserve the liquid. Puree spinach in a blender until smooth.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Make a well in the center; add eggs, spinach, and about 1 tablespoon of the reserved liquid. Mix together by hand or using the dough hook of a stand mixer, adding more liquid if needed. Knead until dough becomes a smooth ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Taste the ragu and adjust salt. Remove from heat and add milk; stir well and set aside to cool.
• Divide pasta dough into 4 equal sections. Use a pasta machine, or rolling pin, dusted with flour, to roll pasta into 1/16-inch thick sheets. Lay sheets on clean dish towels to help them dry. Let rest for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow it to brown or burn. Add flour and whisk constantly until golden. Add 1/2 cup milk, whisking constantly. Repeat with remaining milk. Simmer until bechamel is thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with nutmeg and salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread a bit of the ragu sauce over the base of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of pasta. Top with a spoonful of sauce and bechamel. Add a spoonful of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with another layer of pasta. Add more sauce, bechamel, and cheese. Repeat layers until you reach the top; finish with a layer of pasta, bechamel, and cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top has browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let lasagne rest for 10 or 15 minutes at room temperature before slicing.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE 101

Steps:

• To cook pasta, add salt and 1 pound lasagna noodles (cook fresh noodles in batches of four) to a large pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, 1 to 2 minutes for fresh or 6 to 8 minutes for dried. With tongs, transfer noodles to a bowl of very cold water to stop the cooking. Separate any that are stuck together. Lay noodles flat on baking sheets lined with clean kitchen towels; pat dry.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in top third. Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch ceramic or glass baking dish; cover bottom with a layer of noodles. They should fit snugly but not overlap. Trim to fit dish.
• Spread 1 1/4 cups ragu over noodles. Drop 2/3 cup bechamel in dollops over ragu. Gently spread bechamel with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Repeat these layers three times.
• Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/3 cup bechamel on top; sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Season with freshly ground pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the lasagna is golden brown and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting with a serrated knife.

TEN-LAYER LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the ground beef with salt and pepper and add to the pan once the oil is smoking. Brown the beef on one side, about 2 minutes, then break it up with a spoon. Add the basil and then the marinara sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it is slightly thicker, about 1 minute. Set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the milk to a small bowl and mix with the arrowroot. Add the remaining milk to a small saucepot and bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the arrowroot mixture and whisk until thickened, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, add the nutmeg and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with oil. Spoon a little bit of Bolognese red sauce and a little bit of the white sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the zucchini slices and grate the Parmigiano directly over the top to cover. Add a single layer, or 2 sheets of lasagna noodles - you can cut the noodles and use the trim if they don't fit perfectly. Repeat the layers until the dish is filled to the brim, making 10 layers. Sprinkle the top with any remaining Parmigiano. Place the pan in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, let stand for at least 5 minutes and then cut and serve.

LASAGNE WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE: LASAGNE ALLA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

SUSAN'S DELICIOUS LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• First make the Bolognese Sauce:.
• Brown and drain grease from the ground beef, ground pork and sausage in a large saute pan. Break up all lumps with spoon.
• Add in 2 T butter and 1 T olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the wine and stir and then simmer for 5 minutes, or until reduced.
• Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of beef stock and bring to a boil. Stir the sauce well, then lower heat and half cover pan with lid and simmer gently for 2 hours. Stir occasionally during this time and add more stock as it becomes absorbed.
• Pour the cream into the sauce, stir well to mix, then simmer without lid for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
• AT THIS STAGE -- YOU CAN SERVE THIS OVER THICK PASTA. FOR LASAGNA BOLOGNESE -- CONTINUE WITH RECIPE.
• Preheat oven to 375. If the bolognese sauce is cold, reheat it. Stir in enough stock to make it runny, if necessary.
• Make the white sauce by melting 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add the hot milk a little at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring until the sauce is smooth and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste, whisk well, then remove from heat.
• Spread 1/3 of Bolognese sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Cover the Bolognese sauce in the base of the dish with 1/4 white sauce, followed by 4 sheets of lasagna. Repeat the layers twice more, then cover the top layer of lasagna with the remaining white sauce and sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pasta feels tender when pierced with a fork. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the Meat Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, and onion, and cook for 2 minutes. Add beef and pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is nicely browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• Make the Lasagna Dough: In a food processor, combine flour, eggs, oil, and salt. Process until it forms a soft, but not sticky dough. If dough is sticky, it may be necessary to add a little more flour. Wrap dough with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Make the Bechamel Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine butter and flour. Stir in nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Place over medium heat and stir in milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.
• To assemble: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a pasta machine, roll dough into long sheets as thin as possible. Let sheets dry for a few minutes. Then cut them into sections, each about 13 inches long. Add oil and lasagna sheets to boiling water. Cook, stirring gently to prevent them from sticking to one another, for about 2 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold running water. Lay sheets out on a clean kitchen towel, and set aside until ready to use. Be sure not to let them stand for more than 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon a little of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and spread to coat. Then, layer with lasagna sheets, one-sixth of the bechamel sauce, one-sixth of the meat sauce, and a little Parmesan. Repeat the layers five more times. Top with remaining Parmesan and pieces of butter. Bake until cheese begins to turn golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. Serve warm.

INCREDIBLE LASAGNA W/ BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Grease a ceramic 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter and set aside (this is so that the noodles don't stick to the bottom, and it works better than putting sauce down, and tastes great, too).
• Boil lasagna shells until al dente (look at directions on package), unless you're using the ready to bake type.
• Arrange pasta into single layer in pan, cutting and patching to fit as needed.
• Carefully top with a thin layer of bolognese (about 1 1/2 cups). Sprinkle liberally with parmiggiano cheese.
• Arrange another layer of pasta on top, covering with bechamel (about 1 1/3 cup) and sprinkle again with parmiggiano cheese.
• Repeat layers until you have at least 3 layers of bolognese and bechamel, then finish with another cup of the reserved bolognese, and finally top with parmigianno.
• Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly, about 50 minutes.
• Let rest about 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with any remaining bolognese on the side.