Lasagna Bolognese – Mario Batali’s Recipe
Jul 28th, 2009 by Lasagna
Lasagna Bolognese
Servings
Serves six to eight.
Ingredients
Ragù:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound veal, ground
1 pound pork, ground
4 ounces pancetta, ground
1 8-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Béchamel:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Lasagna:
3/4 to 1 pound fresh pasta sheets, about 7 by 4 inches, or dried lasagne noodles blanched for 6 minutes and refreshed
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Oil for brushing
Cooking Instructions
Ragù: In a large heavy-bottom saucepan, heat olive oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and sweat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are translucent. Add veal, pork, and pancetta to the vegetables, and brown over high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together. Add the tomato paste, milk, wine, thyme, and 1 cup water, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 11/2 hours (if the ragù becomes too thick, add a little more water). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
Béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until it is just about to boil. Add the milk to the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until the sauce is very smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and nutmeg.
Assembly: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with melted butter or oil, and layer in the following order from the bottom: ragù, pasta, béchamel, and grated cheese (saving about 1 cup béchamel for last topping), making 3 to 4 layers of pasta, finishing with ragù, béchamel, and 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano sprinkled over the top. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 20 minutes, slice, and serve.
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www.spainontheroadagain.com
Cooking Instructions is great
My family makes this lasagna for our Christmas Eve dinner every year. It is absolutely wonderful.
Thank you for posting the recipe, I had misplaced my copy (My mother in law has the cookbook).
I am making this for friends this weekend and can’t wait. It is sooooo good.
If you don’t like ricotta cheese style lasagna’s then this is the recipe for you.
please tell me if I can freeze no 1 lasagna reecipe if so for how long also do cook before freezing and afier taking out of the freezer what temp to cook for How Long?
Thank you
Cook Lasagna as normal and freeze.
Thaw before reheating and reheat un-covered.
I use my cooking thermometer to test for doneness.
Times all vary with different sizes and portions.
I reheat on 350 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes.
If you don’t have a cooking thermometer then use a knife. Insert in to the middle of the lasagna after 20 minutes and pull out to test temp to the touch
Be sure to heat through and let stand for 10 minutes before serving
Love your lasagna site ,keep up the good work
Terry
can you use bulk sweet Italian sausage instead of the links
Joan
yes that would work fine
hi, thanks a million for the recipes, they are clear, detailed and easy to follow! I have already tried the No 1 and it was great, I’d like to give this one a try too but here’s a tiny problem; I can’t seem to find pancetta anywhere around – anything I could use instead? Perhaps prosciutto would work?
Hello
Can anyone tell me where in the United States I can find pancetta?
Any deli at grocery store will have it