Milk Street 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:

• 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.