Lasagne alla Bolognese are one of the best-known and most appreciated dishes of Italian cuisine — the typical Sunday and holiday dish.
No one in the world would refuse a good plate of lasagne.
Originating from Emilia and, specifically, from the city of Bologna, this dish
is made of layers of fresh egg pasta, dressed with the classic ragù alla bolognese, with béchamel and plenty of cheese.
There are also many variations of the original recipe, such as the light version, or seafood-based fish versions or those with mushrooms, or pumpkin, or vegetarian, or parmigiana-style.
The most important thing is that they are all dishes that bring family together and showcase the richness of our cuisine.
At the end you will find directions for making the ragù and the béchamel also using the Bimby.
Here are some recipes I thought you’d like:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 3 Hours
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Emilia-Romagna
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 489.07 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 36.16 (g) of which sugars 7.60 (g)
- Proteins 31.16 (g)
- Fat 24.73 (g) of which saturated 12.21 (g)of which unsaturated 11.07 (g)
- Fibers 2.66 (g)
- Sodium 1,386.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Let’s go shopping
- 9 oz lasagna sheets (ready-made)
- 1 2/3 cups béchamel (I make it this way — click the link)
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano)
- 5.3 oz pancetta
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 9 oz ground beef (ground)
- 9 oz ground pork (ground)
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1 2/3 cups tomato purée
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup milk
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Tools
What we need to make them
- 2 Pots and pans
Steps
To make Lasagne alla Bolognese
Wash the celery and carrot and peel the onion. Finely chop all the vegetables with a food processor or a mezzaluna knife.
Prepare a wide, not too deep pot with a double-thick bottom to avoid the ragù sticking while it cooks.
Pour the extra virgin olive oil into the pot with the chopped vegetables and sauté gently without increasing the heat.
They should cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, wash and finely chop the rosemary.
When the vegetables have softened, raise the heat and add the pancetta and the mixed meats, a little at a time, stirring.
Add the chopped rosemary and let everything brown and reduce until it has darkened and changed color.
Now deglaze with the wine and continue cooking over high heat until it has completely evaporated and the meat has darkened, taking on color from the wine.
Do not add the tomato purée if the wine has not fully evaporated, because there must be no trace of alcohol left, which would give the sauce an unpleasant taste.
As soon as the wine has evaporated, add the tomato purée, a couple of generous pinches of salt, a generous grind of pepper and stir.
Cover and wait for it to start simmering again. At this point transfer the pot to a burner set to low relative to the pot’s size and reduce the heat to a very low simmer; the ragù must cook for 3 hours with the lid on.
Stir it occasionally with a wooden spoon.
After the indicated time, adjust salt to taste.
For a good ragù alla Bolognese, here comes the magic touch that distinguishes it from other ragùs: the milk.Add the milk, mix well and turn off the heat. The milk functions to mellow
the acidity of the tomato; if you don’t like it you can replace it with a spoonful of sugar.
The ragù is now ready to be used.
Take a large lasagna pan about 30×20 cm (approximately 12 x 8 inches) and butter the bottom. Add a thin layer of béchamel and one of ragù. Place the first pasta sheet on top.
Add a layer of béchamel and a layer of ragù. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and place another pasta sheet on top.
Continue like this until you have 5 layers. After placing the last sheet, add ragù and more béchamel to generously cover the entire surface, then a generous sprinkling of Parmesan.
Cover first with a sheet of parchment paper and then with aluminum foil.
Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 338°F for 40 minutes.
For a more browned crust, remove the parchment and foil for the last 5 minutes and move the pan to the top of the oven, increasing the temperature to 374°F and using the grill/broil setting.
And here are the lasagne alla bolognese — enjoy your meal!
Lasagne alla Bolognese can be kept in the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container, for up to 2 days, and frozen for up to 6 months.
They can also be prepared the day before: keep them covered in the refrigerator after baking and then reheat the whole pan or portions the next day, so you can get ahead.
They can also be prepared the day before: keep them covered in the refrigerator after baking and then reheat the whole pan or portions the next day, so you can get ahead.
They can also be prepared the day before: keep them covered in the refrigerator after baking and then reheat the whole pan or portions the next day, so you can get ahead.
Tips
Keep a small amount of ragù and béchamel aside in case you need to reheat portions later to prevent the surface from drying out during storage.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Can I make green lasagne with this recipe?
Yes, certainly.
Can I use dried lasagne sheets with this recipe?
Yes, but you should make a more hydrated ragù.
