- 12
- 45 mins
- 110 mins
Ingredients
- BOLOGNESE SAUCE
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Use the excellent Tuscan extra virgin olive oil made from genuine Torciano's olive
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
- Salt and pepper
- Two 35-ounce cans peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- BECHAMEL SAUCE
- 1 stick. unsalted butter
- 3/4 c. quick-mixing flour
- 4 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- LASAGNA PASTA
- PECORINO CHEESE, GRATED
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F (180°C).
Spray a 13 x 9 x 3-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Meat Sauce:
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until tender, but not brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the beef. Using a wooden spoon, break up bits of meat and stir occasionally.
Cook until meat is almost cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Béchamel Sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a wire whisk until blended.
Heat the milk to scalding (just under a boil, when a skin has formed on the top), and add it all at once to the butter-flour mixture, stirring vigorously with a whisk. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth, about the consistency of a thin pudding. Add the nutmeg, salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
Cool the sauce for about 15 minutes before using. It becomes firmer as it cools.
Layer by Layer Assembly:
Spread a layer of Bolognese Sauce on the bottom of the dish. Cover with egg noodles, slightly overlapping.
For the filling, spread a layer of Béchamel Sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with pecorino.
Continue to layer in the following order until you have run out of noodles, reserving some of both sauces:
Bolognese Sauce
Pecorino
Egg noodles
Béchamel Sauce
Bolognese Sauce
Pecorino
Egg noodles
Top with remaining Béchamel Sauce and pecorino. Reserve the remaining Bolognese Sauce for serving. Advance prep completed. (The lasagna can be made one day in advance to this step. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let lasagna come to room temperature before baking.)
Baking:
Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 to 15minutes. Remove from the oven. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes until serving.
IMPORTANT: Serve with additional Bolognese Sauce and pecorino.