Pasticciata Bolognese Lasagna With Spinach Noodles And Bolognese Sauce Recipes

LASAGNE BOLOGNESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Make Sauce:
• Heat oil in a 12-to 14-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Cook pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden and softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps, until meat is no longer pink, 6 to 10 minutes. Stir in wine, milk, tomato paste, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid has evaporated but sauce is still moist, about 1 hour.
• Make ricotta filling:
• Put spinach in a kitchen towel (not terry cloth) and twist to squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
• Whisk together ricotta, eggs, parmesan, nutmeg, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Transfer 1 1/2 cups ricotta mixture to another bowl and whisk in 1/4 cup milk; set aside. Whisk spinach into remaining filling with remaining 1/2 cup milk.
• Assemble and bake lasagne:
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Soak noodles in a bowl of very warm water until pliable but not softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Place on a kitchen towel (it's not necessary to pat noodles dry).
• Spread 1 1/2 cups bolognese sauce in baking pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parmesan. Cover with 3 noodles, leaving space in between. Spread half of spinach filling on top, then 1 cup bolognese sauce, and top with 1 tablespoon parmesan and 3 noodles; repeat. Top with remaining bolognese sauce, 1 tablespoon parmesan, and remaining 3 noodles. Pour reserved ricotta mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
• Cover pan tightly with parchment paper and foil (or just buttered foil) and bake 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is browned in spots, about 15 minutes more. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes before cutting.

OLD SCHOOL LASAGNA WITH BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Tomato Sauce:
• In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. When it turns light brown, add the thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the basil leaves and shut off the heat to allow the sauce to "rest."
• Pasta: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt and the lasagna sheets. Cook for 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.
• Divide the tomato sauce in half and reserve half for the Bolognese and half for the lasagna.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Spoon a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta and another thin layer of sauce. Repeat the layering process 2 more times. It is important there be remaining cheese and sauce for the top. Cook's Note: I love to get a corner piece from the pan and pick at the crispy edges of the top layer. When you finish, there should be 4 layers of pasta and 5 layers of filling.
• Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake until the top browns slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.
• Make the Bolognese while the lasagna is baking:
• In a large wide pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add the ground beef and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Set the pot back over the heat and add a little more olive oil. Add carrots, onion and celery. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pot, then add the reserved 1/2 recipe of tomato sauce. Cover slightly and simmer for 20 minutes.
• When done, finish with milk, taste, season and serve, spooned over the lasagna.

PASTICCIATA BOLOGNESE-LASAGNA WITH SPINACH NOODLES AND BOLOGNESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepping:
• Roll the pasta dough into thin wide sheets, and briefly cook them.
• In separate saucepans, warm the besciamella and the Bolognese slightly, so they are loose and spreadable but not hot.
• If you are going to bake the pasticciata right away, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 375°.
• Making the Base Layers:
• Coat the bottom and sides of the dish thinly with 1/3 cup besciamella.
• Spread 1/3 cup Bolognese on the bottom, over the besciamella.
• Following the illustrations, drape pasta sheets the length of the pan so that they cover the bottom of the dish completely and extend over the short sides of the pan by 6 inches or so.
• Spread 1/3 cup besciamella over the pasta.
• Spread 1/3 cup Bolognese over the besciamella.
• Drape pasta sheets perpendicular to the first, across the width of the pan, with the ends of the sheets extending over the sides of the pan by 6 inches or so. Pasta sheets should now completely hide the sides of the pan.
• Making The Filling Layers:
• Spread 2/3 cup besciamella over the pasta. Sprinkle 1/4 cup grated cheese all over. Spread 1 cup Bolognese in a thick layer. Cover with a third of the Muenster or mozzarella, shredded or in slices.
• Fit another layer of pasta on top, covering only the inside of the pan now, cutting sheets if necessary to fit. Create another thick filling layer with 2/3 cup besciamella, 1/4 cup grated cheese, 1 cup Bolognese, and another third of shredded cheese.
• Make another layer of pasta sheets, cut to fit, and top with a final filling layer (2/3 cup besciamella, 1/4 cup grated cheese, 1 cup Bolognese, and the last third of the shredded cheese).
• Arrange another layer of pasta over the filling, cut to fit.
• Making the Topping Layers:
• Spread 1/3 cup besciamella over the pasta, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated cheese all over.
• Repeat with a final layer of pasta, then besciamella, and then grated cheese.
• Fold all the overhanging flaps of pasta onto the top of the pasticciata.
• If they don't meet and cover the top, cut a piece of pasta to fit, or use all the remaining pasta here.
• Spread the rest of the besciamella and Bolognese on, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons grated cheese all over.
• Tenting The Dish And Baking:
• If you want, you can bake the pasticciata later, or the next day, covering it with plastic wrap and refrigerating it in the meantime.
• Before putting it in the oven, tear a long sheet of foil to form a tent over the pan. This will give the insides time to cook before the top browns. Arch the foil so it doesn't touch the pasticciata anywhere, and crimp it against the rim and outsides of the pan so it stays in place and has formed a good seal. With the tip of a sharp knife, poke five or six small holes in the foil to vent steam.
• Set the pan on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling juices indicate that it's cooking all the way through-peek under the foil to check. Take the pan (on the baking sheet) out of the oven to remove the foil tent.
• Loosen foil at the sides and lift it up carefully, so it doesn't touch the sticky top of the pasticciata. Return the pan to the oven, and bake for another 20 minutes or so, until the top is deeply colored and crisp.
• Let the pasticciata sit uncovered for 20 minutes to settle before cutting it in squares and serving.

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.
• 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.

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.

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.