On today’s edition of I Made It So You Don’t Have To, we made something special. Like with most special things, this recipe took a long time—about three hours—but wow, did it pay off. This week, I am going to show you how to make a lasagna recipe that does exactly that.
First, let’s look at the sauce. I made a similar sauce to my Bolognese recipe with some minor tweaks. Grab your pork and beef and cook them at medium-high heat until brown. Let some bits brown more than others by letting them stick to the bottom of the pan. This should all be done at medium-high heat. Stir every now and then so it all cooks evenly.
Meanwhile, start chopping your vegetables. Give the carrot and celery an even and fine dice. They should be very small cubes at the end of it. Make sure no piece is too thick, otherwise it will take longer to cook down. Add an entire white onion to the food processor and cut finely. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the pan and lower the heat to about medium.
Add in your vegetables and a splash of red wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. This should pick up any of the burnt bits at the bottom. Cook the vegetables, stirring them to not let any stick. Add in about a teaspoon of garlic. Once the vegetables have been cooked for about four to five minutes, add in the tomato paste and incorporate it so the paste turns your vegetables beet-red. Let this toast for about one or two minutes.
Once this is done, add the meat back in with everything. Add a 1/3 cup of red wine. Let the wine boil down until it is reduced to a sauce. Once this is done, add in the can of crushed tomatoes and 3/4 cups of milk. Reduce to a low heat, add in two bay-leaves, a teaspoon of thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of the meat flavoring. Add in a few small cubes of parmesan cheese. Let this simmer on low heat for at least one hour.
If the sauce is too watery, let the pot simmer with no lid so any water and moisture can evaporate. Otherwise, keep the lid on. Stir every 15 or so minutes so nothing stays at the bottom too long. Add and taste throughout and you will get a sense of what you are striving for.
Now, for the part many people overlook in a lasagna: The béchamel sauce. It takes flour, butter and milk. First, take roughly seven tablespoons of unsalted butter and melt it in a pan at medium heat. Then, incorporate the seven tablespoons of flour in small amounts. Once the flour is in, it will likely be dough-like.
Grab a whisk, then add in one cup of milk. Lower the heat and then whisk in the milk. It will disappear quickly when fully incorporated. Then, add in a second cup and whisk, then a third and whisk. It took me about four cups to get to the consistency I wanted. It must be a sauce consistency, but not too thick. Once the sauce has achieved consistency, add a pinch of nutmeg. I know there is no exact measurement for a pinch, but nutmeg is a strong spice. So, just do small dashes and taste it. Add a pinch of salt and pepper as well.
Now, when the Bolognese sauce is almost done, get your lasagna ready. Add in 3/4 of the béchamel to the Bolognese sauce. You can keep the layers separate instead, but I felt incorporating the two sauces made things easier when assembling.
Boil the pasta sheets for 7-8 minutes. Once they are done, drain the water and make sure none of the sheets stick together. Get your oven-safe dishes ready for assembling the lasagna. Brush some olive oil on the bottom and the sides. Add in a touch of béchamel to just line the bottom, then the pasta sheet. Now, add the two sauces and a generous dusting of parmesan cheese. Repeat this until you run out of pasta. Your top layer should have the most generous amount of parmesan.
Add your lasagna to the oven for 25 minutes at 400F degrees. Then, for the last minute, turn it on low broil. This should crisp up the top. Now, you are ready to serve.
Lasagna is one of those foods that is impossible to turn down. It will be filling and good. The béchamel gives the sauce a thickness and balance to the sharper meat flavor of the Bolognese. The layers are the best part, particularly in the corners where a char has developed on the pasta sheets and the sauces. This will very comfortably feed about six people. It may not look like it after assembling the lasagnas, but they are very heavy. It is definitely worth the 3-hour waiting game and you will realize it too when you try it. This test-of-patience recipe will be one of your top culinary achievements as it was for me, and it should definitely be your showstopper at any gathering. So, labor through it, and enjoy it.
Ingredients:
Bolognese
1lb ground pork
1lb ground beef 85/15
Salt/pepper
28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 Carrots
2 Celery Sprigs
1 Large onion (white or yellow)
Parmesan cheese block
1 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine (I used Malbec)
1 Tsp thyme
¼ tsp of Beef Bouillon Meat Flavoring
2 Bay leaves
¾ cup of milk
Béchamel
7 tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups of milk
7 tbsp flour
Nutmeg
Salt/pepper
16 oz lasagna Pasta sheets
Price: $48.19
Rating: 5/5