Lasagna Bolognese
Brian travels all the time and has to eat out a lot. While that sounds glamorous he is always missing home cooked meals. Luckily, he is married to me and I am more than happy to cook for him when he is home! Recently, he requested Lasagna Bolognese. I have made pasta Bolognese before but not lasagna. But as we know from other posts I loooove making different kinds of Lasagnas. They are great make ahead and freezer meals. Plus, Lasagna is great for a crowd!
Lasagna Bolognese
ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta finely chopped
1 yellow onion finely chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 lb ground beef chuck, 85% lean
28 oz crushed tomatoes (or 1 can)
1/4 c white wine
salt
pepper
3/4 lb dried lasagna noodles
BECHAMEL SAUCE
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 c flour
2 1/2 c milk, warmed
1 1/4 c grated parmesean
instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
In a deep skillet or pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil.
Add in the pancetta over medium heat, stirring, until the pancetta is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook, stirring, until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes; push to the side of the pan.
Add 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil to the center of the pan and crumble in the ground beef; cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Break up the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Then pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes.
Add the tomatoes and 2 cups water to the skillet; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat; let cool.
In a pot of boiling, salted water, add the remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO and the lasagna noodles. Cook, stirring, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.
BECHAMEL SAUCE
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 cup Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
ASSEMBLY
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; add 3/4 of the cup meat sauce to coat. Add a layer of noodles, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup of the meat sauce, then a layer of noodles; add 1 cup of the bechamel, spreading to coat. Repeat the layers. Add a fifth layer of noodles and top with the remaining meat sauce; dollop with the remaining bechamel.
Cover with greased parchment, then wrap the pan with foil. Bake for 1 hour; uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesean. Bake for 15 minutes more. Loosen the foil; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing.