Lasagna Bolognese

Difficulty:

1/5

Ease of Preparation: Medium
Time of Preparation: 3 hours
Yield: 6-8 servings

The king of casseroles, the prince of pasta bakes, here it is: Lasagna Bolognese! An old-school comfort classic, layers of noodles, creamy bechamel, and rich Bolognese sauce make for an unforgettable dinner event! Try to save some for lunch the next day!

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:

5 ounces (142 g) unsmoked pancetta, cut into chunks (or substitute with bacon)
1 pound (454 g) beef blade roast, cut into chunks
1 large carrot, peeled, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled, finely diced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided
1 cup (240 ml) red wine
¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste
1 cup (240 ml) tomato puree
¾ cup (180 ml) milk, plus more if required
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 cup (240 ml) beef stock
Salt and pepper

Béchamel:

2 cups (470 ml) whole milk
3 tablespoons (45 ml) butter
3 tablespoons (45 ml) all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon (.75 ml) ground nutmeg
Salt and white pepper

Lasagna:

1 pounds (454 g) dried lasagna noodles
1 cup (240 ml) finely grated parmesan cheese
½ bunch parsley, chopped
1 cup (240 ml) grated mozzarella

Method:

For the Bolognese Sauce:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the pancetta until finely ground. Remove and keep separate.

Repeat with the beef, keeping it separated as well.

Finally pulse the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic together.

Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced pancetta and fry until crisp.

When brown, remove pancetta from pan and reserve. Drain and discard the fat.

Add remaining olive oil to the same pan and brown the beef for about 5 minutes.

Add carrot, celery, and onion, season with salt and pepper, and sweat until softened, about ten minutes.

Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

Add tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes, until starting to thicken.

Add the tomato puree, beef stock, milk, bay, and thyme, and stir to combine thoroughly. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring periodically. Add a splash of milk if needed.

Season with salt and pepper.

For the Béchamel:

Heat milk in a small saucepan just until it is just simmering. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, whisk, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly blonde in colour.

Slowly whisk in warm milk into flour and butter mixture ensuring no clumps form.

Allow mixture to come to a light simmer and continue to simmer until sauce is thickened.

Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

Keep warm and set aside until ready for use.

For the Lasagna:

Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).

Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil. Blanch pasta noodles until just flexible, then drop them into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking.

Ladle ½ cup (120 ml) of Béchamel on the bottom of a 12 x 16-inch casserole dish.

Place lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Ladle a thin layer of Bolognese Sauce on top of the noodles along with another ½ cup (120 ml) of Béchamel.

Sprinkle a thin layer of parmesan cheese over the layer of sauce. Top with another layer of pasta and continue layering sauce, cheese, and pasta until 5-6 layers of pasta have been placed.

Top with the remaining Béchamel, grated mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan cheese.

Loosely cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and cook for another 20 minutes.

Remove the lasagna from the oven, cover loosely, and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley, slice and serve hot.