[This is a recipe from an Italian friend that I started refining around 2000 and serving for family a few times a year. I frequently double or triple both of the sauces. It’s not much more work and during assembly, it’s less stressful to know that you have ample ingredients to distribute – plus more leftovers.]
BECHAMEL SAUCE
50 gr. white flour [5#=2260g -> 1.8oz ~1/4 cup]
1/2 liter milk [I usually put it in a glass measure and microwave it for a minute so it’s not cold.]
50 gr butter [ ½ stick unsalted]
salt
nutmeg (if you like it)
In a casserole [sauce pan] melt the butter, add the flour and let it turn gold, always stirring. Add warm milk, always stirring so
that it doesn't clot for 15 minutes, add salt and nutmeg [I tend to keep it cooking longer -- slowly until it’s thick and bubbly, then just turn off the heat, cover and work on the Bolognese.]
When ready you can mix it with the meat sauce -this is extremely unorthodox (I might be slaughtered for such a
piece of advice!) but very practical and the result is the same [I don’t do this because I like to finish assembly with just Béchamel.]
MEAT SAUCE
This is the real Bolognese sauce but you can vary it to your tastes:
400 gr veal sauce .: [1# lean ground beef, or veal if you prefer]
100 gr bacon [I’ve never tried Italian pancetta, which isn’t as smoky as American. ~4 slices – American bacon -- applewood smoked is good. ]
30 gr butter (oil, if you prefer) [ ~½ stick unsalted]
1 carrot (minced) [ I like to triple the amount of carrots.]
1 onion
tomato juice 6 spoonfuls Of available use 3/4 fresh tomatoes -very ripe- minced) [6 tablespoons of tomato puree in a glass jar/bottle works well. Many of the canned varieties can be tinny tasting, so if you can only find cans buy a brand with a lined can. (The inside of the can is white.)]
celery (minced) [ I like to double the amount of celery.]
dried mushrooms -if you like it [ I like dried Shitake or Morel. Save the warm water to add back to the sauce if needed.]
cinnamon just a little bit, or a clove
! bay leaf (if any, I have never used it) [I like it.]
pepper
[beef stock, red wine, and mushroom water -- add later during cooking if moisture is needed. Each add a layer of complexity
to the sauce, so I tend to cook the sauce uncovered and for some time, adding bits of liquid along the way, keeping the consistency where I want it.]
In butter, put bacon (minced) onion, celery and carrot until about fried: Add the minced meat and stir for 10 min.
add the mushrooms, cinnamon, bay leaf and tomato juice. Salt and pepper and cook for 1 hour, adding water or
meat stock (or a stock cube) if necessary. Instead of these liquids you can use wine or a glass of brandy
PREPARATION
You will need 100 gr. of Parmesan cheese. grated . [Parmigiano Reggiano that you grate yourself is a must.]
You can add any other cheese you have in the house, grated.
Near the cooker, have some white clean cloth spread onto the table where you will lay the pasta (this is very
important!) [This is very helpful.]
[I usually buy more lasagna than I need as I’m never sure what size noodles will fit the pans that I’m using.
I also cut the noodles to size with a kitchen shears during assembly if needed. Don’t buy the no-boil noodles.]
Boil the pasta (only 4/5 layers at a time) in salted water for as long as advised on the box, (in the water put a
spoonful of oil so the pasta layers don't stick to one another).
Take an oven pan, with some butter oil the bottom, put some meat sauce, then a layer of pasta, meat sauce and
béchamel, parmesan cheese and go on until you have pasta and sauce. Finish with pasta, put some butter onto it [I prefer to finish with béchamel, Parmesan, and bread crumbs.] and cook in the oven for 20/30 min.
[357 degrees ~30-35 min. I also prepare ahead of time (earlier in the day), refrigerating before I’m ready to bake and haven’t noticed a difference.]
Instead of the meat sauce you can use a squash sauce (sort of puree made of squash -in cubes, onion and
rosemary leaves) or any other vegetable sauce -you can try with zucchini, or radicchio or even lettuce -(the
procedure is always the same, oil, onion, vegetables, wine or stock, salt and pepper-of course cooked for much
less time ...). The taste will be more delicate and chic [See Wolfgang’s Pumpkin Lasagna.]
BUON APPETITO
