Steps

• Prepare the pork ragù. In a saucepan, combine the meat with the two soffritto cubes (or with a mix of chopped celery, carrot, and onion). Let the meat brown, stirring occasionally, until it is all golden. Add the salt and nutmeg and stir. Deglaze with white wine and cook for twenty minutes with a lid. When the liquids start to dry, remove the lid and let it dry further, browning evenly, always stirring. Then add the tomato puree, bay leaves, and adjust the salt. If necessary, add a ladle of water: I didn’t find it necessary because my homemade puree was liquid enough. Cover and cook for an hour on very low heat.

  Prepare the bechamel. In a capacious saucepan, heat the milk without bringing it to a boil. Separately, heat the oil slightly over low heat, then remove the saucepan from the flame and add the flour, mixing it carefully. This step should be done off the heat; otherwise, the flour would cook too quickly, and unpleasant lumps could form. Return the saucepan to the heat and add the hot milk little by little, stirring gently. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, reaching the cooking point: it will take about eight minutes. Before turning off the heat, adjust the salt, add a pinch of pepper and a dash of nutmeg.

  Dry the mozzarella. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and place it in a colander over a bowl so that it loses its water and dries a little.

  Assemble the lasagna and cook it. Pour a layer of ragù and a little bechamel on the bottom of the baking dish. Place the lasagna sheets on top, spread another layer of sauce, add the mozzarella, bechamel, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat again, creating at least 4/5 layers. Bake the lasagna in the oven at 350 °F for 30 minutes: if the surface darkens too much, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let the lasagna rest for ten minutes before cutting and serving.