Lasagna Bolognese 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.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid.
• Finely chop the porcini and white mushrooms in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, parsley and prosciutto to the processor; pulse until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook the ground beef and pork in batches, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add the wine to the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Add the liquid to the bowl with the meat.
• Melt the butter in the pot; add the onion, chopped carrot mixture, the rosemary, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.
• Return the meat mixture to the pot. Add the cognac and scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Crush the tomatoes with your hands over the pot and add with their juices. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 hours, 30 minutes. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, whisking, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking, 10 more minutes.
• Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a wide saucepan. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Line a baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel. Working in batches, boil the pasta until partially cooked, about 4 minutes, then remove with a skimmer and transfer to the ice water to cool. Remove the pasta sheets, shake off the excess water and arrange in a single layer on the towel. Cover the pasta with another damp towel.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a deep 11-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter. Spread 1/2 cup ragu in the pan. Cover with a layer of pasta, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmesan and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 1/2 cups ragu over the cheese and top with 1 cup bechamel. Repeat with 3 more layers each of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, ragu and bechamel. Top with a layer of pasta, then cover with the remaining bechamel. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Tuck the edges of the pasta into the baking dish with a knife.
• Place the lasagna on a baking sheet to catch any drips; bake until bubbly and golden, about 40 minutes. Let rest 30 minutes before slicing and 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.

LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter a small (approximately 8-by-10-inch) baking dish. Spread a thin film of the Besciamella Sauce on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a fresh pasta sheet, about 1 cup of the Ragu and about 1/2 cup more of the Besciamella. Lightly cover the surface with some of the grated cheese. Repeat this layering process until all of the pasta is used. Bake the lasagna uncovered, rotating once halfway through, 40 to 45 minutes. Allow to cool 1 hour, cut and serve.
• Warm the milk and bay leaf over medium-high heat until just below a boil. Melt the butter over medium heat in another saucepot. When the butter is fully melted and begins to bubble rapidly, add the flour and whisk until fully incorporated. Continue to cook over medium heat until a smooth, blond-colored paste is formed, 4 to 5 minutes. Add about half of the scalded milk to the butter and flour paste, whisking constantly. Once it is fully incorporated, add the thickened milk mixture back into the remainder of the scalding milk, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce comes to gentle boil and is fully thickened. Season with the salt and nutmeg, whisk to combine and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Cover the surface of the besciamella with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Place the garlic, celery, onions and carrots in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Add the oil and butter to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the mortadella and pancetta and cook until the fat renders and the meats begin to brown slightly. Add the finely chopped vegetables, sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the ground beef and pork, breaking apart as much as possible. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat looks fully cooked and begins to brown lightly on the bottom, about 30 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and allow the liquid to reduce by half. Add the broth, cream and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the ragu cook 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Allow to cool, ideally overnight, to allow the flavors to develop.

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

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.

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.

VEGETARIAN LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
• While the water comes to a boil, prepare the ricotta filling: In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, 1/3 cup parsley, cream, beaten egg and nutmeg. Fold in 2 cups mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Once the water comes to a boil, season it generously with salt, then cook the noodles just until slightly softened, about 6 minutes. (The noodles shouldn't be fully cooked so they hold up after baking.) Transfer the cooked noodles to a colander and rinse immediately under cold water. Drizzle with oil immediately and toss to coat to prevent sticking.
• Assemble the lasagna: Spoon about 1 cup sauce into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Top with one layer of lasagna noodles, trimming the noodles as needed. (They can overlap slightly, but should be trimmed if the overlap is significant.) Dollop a heaping 3/4 cup ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, and spread in an even layer. Pour 1 cup sauce on top, and spread in an even layer. Repeat with 3 more layers of noodles, ricotta and sauce. Top with one final layer of noodles, then a final layer of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella, then the Parmesan.
• Cover the lasagna tightly with aluminum foil and bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil on the top rack until browned in spots, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley, then let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

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.

FOOD NETWORK LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, carrot, and celery, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Sift the flour over the vegetables, and cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it lightens in color, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring to a boil.
• Add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Strain and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna. (The sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before assembling the lasagna. )
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt, and boil the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain. Spread the noodles out and layer between pieces of plastic wrap. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an ovenproof 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of noodles.
• Cover with 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, 1 cup of the white sauce and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Repeat to make 3 more layers ending with the remaining meat sauce, white sauce, and cheese. Dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until bubbly and hot, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 10 minutes to firm up before serving.
• MEAT AND TOMATO SAUCE
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Italian tomato paste
• Four 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 tsp salt, plus to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 TB dried savory or rosemary, crumbled into small pieces
• 1 TB dried thyme
• 1 TB dried oregano
• 1 TB fennel seeds, cracked
• 2 bay leaves
• Rind of Parmesan, about 2- to 4-inches long (optional)
• 1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmesan.
• In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pepper flakes and cook for 15 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes one at a time, crushing them by hand as you go. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce over low heat, covered.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, pork, veal, savory, thyme, oregano, and fennel seeds. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon, and cook until it loses its raw color, about 7 minutes. Add the meat to the sauce, holding back any excess fat.
• Add the rind of the Parmesan, if using. Simmer the sauce, covered, over low heat, for 1 1/2 hours. (If the sauce gets too thick, adjust the consistency with water.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, remove the Parmesan rind and add the grated cheese.
• Yield: about 15 cups.