My youngest son always reminds me how delicious lasagna is. It takes time to prepare, I admit, but the result is well worth it. I often make homemade pasta, and I must say it’s fantastic. But if you don’t have the time, ready-made lasagna is a very good option. Especially the kind that doesn’t need to be boiled first.
The trick is to let the sauce thicken well, but also to make a fairly thin béchamel sauce. And how does my son remember lasagna? Garfield likes it. Well, cats must know something!
Lasagna Bolognese
My youngest son always reminds me how delicious lasagna is. It takes time to prepare, I admit, but the result is well worth it. I often make homemade pasta, and I must say it's fantastic. But if you don't have the time, ready-made lasagna is a very good option. Especially the kind that doesn't need to be boiled first. The trick is to let the sauce thicken well, but also to make a fairly thin béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
For the Bolognese sauce
- 5 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 grated carrot
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 strip of celery, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 100 grams pancetta, or bacon, finely chopped
- 1000 grams ground beef
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, or dried
- 250 ml 1 cup white wine
- 400 grams finely chopped tomatoes from a can
- 200 grams tomato passata
- 70 grams tomato paste
- 250 ml 1 cup milk
- 250 ml 1 cup chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
For the béchamel sauce
- 90 grams unsalted butter
- 90 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 ltr whole milk
- ½ tsp mustard powder
- ½ tsp salt
- A pinch of grated nutmeg
To assemble
- 500 grams dry lasagna sheets that do not require pre-cooking
- 150 grams approximately grated parmesan cheese
- A deep, rectangular baking dish measuring approximately 23 x 33 cm
Instructions
Preparation for the Bolognese sauce
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened
- Add the garlic and pancetta (or bacon) and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and stir well to break it up and sauté until it changes color (5-6 minutes). Season with salt and plenty of pepper.
- Add the wine and let it evaporate for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato paste, and thyme. Stir well.
- Add the milk (this helps reduce the acidity of the tomatoes). Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and lower the heat. Leave to simmer with the pan half covered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the sauce thickens and the flavors blend. (see note 1) Stir occasionally.
Preparation of the béchamel sauce
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave, without letting it boil. It should be just lukewarm.
- In a deep saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the flour and stir continuously with a whisk for 2-3 minutes, until you have a smooth mixture without lumps. Do not let it brown.
- Gradually add the hot milk, continuing to stir constantly. Each time you add milk, stir well before adding the next amount.
- Once all the milk has been added, continue stirring until the sauce thickens and has a smooth, creamy texture.
- Add the mustard powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir well and taste to adjust the flavor if necessary.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 190°C.
- Spread about one (1) cup of Bolognese sauce on the bottom of a long lasagna pan. Sprinkle two (2) tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread half (1/2) a cup of béchamel sauce on top (the layer will be thin). Then add another (1) cup of Bolognese sauce and sprinkle two (2) tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Continue the same sequence (lasagna-béchamel-Bolognese-Parmesan) three more times. On top of the last layer of Bolognese and Parmesan, add another layer of lasagna and finish with one (1) cup of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle three (3) tablespoons of Parmesan cheese over the béchamel sauce.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Uncover the baking dish and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
- Let the lasagna stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
1: The sauce should not be too thick, as we are using dry lasagna sheets that do not need to be boiled beforehand.
2: You can assemble the lasagna 4 hours before baking. Leave it at room temperature.
3: When assembling the lasagna, do not put too many ingredients between the layers, as this will make them too thick. Italians say that the best lasagna is made with at least 6 thin layers.
