Lasagna Bolognese (Lasagne alla Bolognese)

Method25 steps · about 5 hr 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Finely chop the carrot (1), celery and onion (1). Cut the pancetta (200 g) into small cubes.

   Uses 1 large carrot · 1 large celery stalk · 1 large onion · 200 g pancetta

2. 2

   Step 2: Heat the tablespoon of olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large pot. Add all the prepared vegetables and pancetta and sauté for 5–10 minutes until the vegetables soften without browning.

   Soften ragu vegetables and pancetta · 10 minUses 1 tbsp olive oil · chopped vegetables and cubed pancetta

3. 3

   Step 3: Add the ground beef (1 kg) to the softened vegetable-pancetta mixture and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Add the optional white wine and cook for another 1–2 minutes; omit that wine segment if not using wine.

   Cook wine after beef browns; skip if wine omitted · 2 minUses softened vegetables and pancetta · 1 kg ground beef · 240 ml white wine; red wine may replace it

4. 4

   Step 4: Stir the passata (600 g) and chicken stock (240 ml) into the browned beef mixture. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours.

   First ragu simmer, covered · 120 minUses browned beef, pancetta and vegetables · 600 g passata · 240 ml chicken stock

5. 5

   Step 5: After the first 2 hours, uncover the ragu and stir in only the 480 ml ragu milk. Simmer uncovered for another 2 hours. Taste at the end and season with ragu salt and pepper as needed.

   Second ragu simmer, uncovered with milk · 120 minUses ragu after its covered simmer · 480 ml whole milk for the ragu · Salt, to season the finished ragu · Black pepper, to season the finished ragu

6. 6

   Step 6: The ragu is now ready for assembly. If making it the day before, cool it completely, transfer to a covered container and refrigerate. If cooking today, keep it ready while making the pasta and béchamel.

   Uses finished Bolognese ragu

7. 7

   Step 7: For the homemade pasta, boil the spinach (200 g) in its blanching water for 30–60 seconds, until wilted. Drain, rinse under cold water until cold and squeeze out as much water as possible.

   Wilt spinach before draining · 1 minUses 200 g fresh spinach · Water, enough to blanch the spinach, plus cold water for rinsing

8. 8

   Step 8: Blend the squeezed cooked spinach with the two whole eggs and one egg yolk to a smooth purée.

   Uses cooked, cooled and squeezed spinach · 2 medium eggs for the pasta · 1 medium egg yolk for the pasta

9. 9

   Step 9: Put only the 300 g pasta flour in a bowl or on a clean work surface and make a well. Use a fork to incorporate the spinach-egg purée into it until rough dough starts to form. Keep the separate béchamel flour for its sauce.

   Uses 300 g Italian 00 flour for the homemade spinach pasta · spinach-egg purée

10. 10

    Step 10: Bring the rough dough together and knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to roll it; it can be prepared the day before. Step 14 brings it out 30 minutes before rolling.

    Uses rough spinach pasta dough

11. 11

    Step 11: For the béchamel, melt its 70 g butter in a saucepan. Whisk in only the 70 g béchamel flour to form a paste and cook it for about 1 minute, stirring.

    Uses 70 g unsalted butter for the béchamel · 70 g flour for the béchamel

12. 12

    Step 12: Whisk the separate 1 litre béchamel milk into the roux in four 250 ml additions, letting the sauce thicken between them. Stir in the ¼ tsp nutmeg and béchamel salt and pepper to taste. Keep stirring until the sauce coats a spoon and a line drawn through it holds.

    Uses cooked butter-flour roux · 1 litre whole milk for the béchamel, added in four intervals · ¼ tsp ground nutmeg for the béchamel · Salt, as needed to season the béchamel · Black pepper, to season the béchamel

13. 13

    Step 13: Turn off the heat and set the thickened béchamel aside. If a skin forms while you work, whisk it smooth again before assembly.

    Uses thickened béchamel sauce

14. 14

    Step 14: Take the wrapped spinach pasta dough out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before rolling.

    Bring chilled spinach dough out before rolling · 30 minUses refrigerated homemade spinach dough

15. 15

    Step 15: Bring a separate large pot of pasta-blanching water to a boil and season it with pasta-water salt.

    Uses Water, enough to blanch the rolled spinach pasta sheets · Salt, as needed for the pasta-blanching pot

16. 16

    Step 16: Set the pasta machine to its widest setting. Cut the rested spinach dough in half and keep one half wrapped while working with the other.

    Uses rested spinach pasta dough

17. 17

    Step 17: Flatten the first half and pass it through the widest setting. Fold one end toward the middle and fold the other over it like a leaflet. Flatten and pass through again, repeating this folded pass once more.

    Uses First of two equal dough halves

18. 18

    Step 18: Pass the folded first half through each successively narrower setting until about the third-last setting, usually number 7. Dust the dough, surface and machine sparingly with extra flour only if they become sticky.

    Uses folded first spinach-dough half · Extra flour, used sparingly to dust sticky pasta and rolling equipment

19. 19

    Step 19: Cut the first half’s rolled sheet into pieces to fit the baking dish. Blanch all these first-half sheets in batches of 2–3, for 1 minute per batch, in the prepared boiling salted water. Lay each batch on a clean kitchen towel to drain briefly.

    Blanch each batch of 2–3 first-half sheets · 1 minUses thin rolled sheet from first dough half · boiling salted pasta-blanching water

20. 20

    Step 20: Roll the reserved second dough half using the same folded passes and thinning settings, then cut and blanch its sheets for 1 minute per batch of 2–3. Drain them and combine with the first-half sheets. You can instead roll and assemble one half at a time if short of space.

    Blanch each batch from second dough half · 1 minUses Second of two equal dough halves · blanched sheets from first dough half · boiling salted pasta-blanching water · Extra flour, used sparingly to dust sticky pasta and rolling equipment

21. 21

    Step 21: Preheat the fan/convection oven to 200°C (400°F) and prepare a 9 × 13 inch baking dish.

22. 22

    Step 22: Spread a small spoonful of the finished ragu thinly across the bottom of the baking dish to keep the pasta from sticking. Reserve the rest of the ragu for the layers.

    Uses Small spoonful of finished Bolognese ragu

23. 23

    Step 23: Lay the first layer of the combined blanched spinach sheets over the ragu-coated base, cutting to fit without large overlaps. Keep the remaining sheets for the following layers.

    Uses ragu-coated baking dish · Enough prepared sheets for the first layer

24. 24

    Step 24: Spread some of the remaining ragu over the first pasta layer, then a ladleful of béchamel and a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat with the remaining sheets, ragu, béchamel and cheese, making at least six pasta layers. Finish with ragu, béchamel and cheese, using the prepared ingredients across all layers.

    Uses first pasta layer in ragu-coated dish · Ragu remaining after the base spoonful · finished béchamel sauce · Sheets remaining after the first layer · Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated as needed for the layers

25. 25

    Step 25: Bake the assembled lasagna for about 30 minutes, until golden on top and piping hot throughout. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into eight portions.

    Bake lasagna; rest 10 minutes afterward · 30 minUses assembled layered lasagna