Lasagne Alla Bolognese

I have a confession to make, Bubblelanders...  I, Rebekah Kerr Roberts Johnson, have never made a lasagna.

Phew...

That was a real load off.

How has this classic passed me by?  Or I it?  I like lasagnas.  They're tasty and comfy and warm.  Meaty or chunk full of veggies.  Noodles.  Cheese & sauce.  What's not to love?  

The lasagna seed was planted at work late last week.  One of the fellas, Patrick, likes to settle in with some football and a good recipe on the weekend.  With the weather feeling oh-so-Fall, we were talking Fall comfort food.  Like lasagna.  He recommended this recipe and, Sunday afternoon, I tried it out.  (And decided to document everything so, if this was the only one I ever made, I would have the memories/proof.)

I loaded up some Netflix, put on shoes with arch support, and was ready to go.

First, I chopped everything up for the soffritto (aka Italian for mirepoix).  Got my saute on.

Carrots and celery and onion, oh myyyy

 I forgot to get pancetta so I cooked the soffritto a little longer than called for.

My co-chef, Buster, offered solid moral support.

Moral support through snoring

After the veggies were just right, I switched them from my cast iron to dutch oven.  I had severely underestimated the size of this heah Bolognese sauce.

Ground sirloin, pork, & turkey - I subbed turkey for the veal

While that cooked, I food processor-ed 3 big ole cans of whole tomatoes and added those to the sauce.

My dutch oven runneth over

And then I let it cook for 2 1/2 hours.  Yup.  Two and a half hoursssss.  (And that right there is why I picked a nice lazy Sunday afternoon to try this.)

Buster continued his sous chef responsibilities.

You spill some meat yet?

I was worried the sauce was going to boil over so I took out some of the soupiness & reserved it on the side.  Glad I saved it.  Over the 2 1/2 hours, the sauce really cooked down.

Where'd you go, Bolognese?

See.  That's why it doesn't always pay to think for yourself.  I added the sauce back in.  Taste tested and added a little extra seasoning.  (Sidenote:  I added garlic powder to pretty much every step.)

Time to make the Bechamel.  So I got focused.  Serious.  And forgot to document the next couple steps.  *Head slap*

You'll just have to use your imagination skills.  

After that, I buttered up my fancy aluminum roaster.  (The no-boil noodles fit perfectly and less clean-up.  Don't judge my non-fanciness!)  And I started stacking layers - thin meat, noodles, meat, bechamel, cheese (I used parm & mozzarella to ensure the ooey-gooey).  And repeat.

It made a HUGE lasagna!  I was going to make it into two smaller ones but I made the first one too big.  (Things got a little out of hand.)  Stuck it in the oven.  

And waited.

 

Hello, gorgeous

Lookin' good

I've waited for you for oh-so-long

Oooey gooey, indeed!  It was a delicious treat.  I used to get the frozen ones from the freezer section.  This was worlds tastier.  WORLDS.  If you have a lazy Sunday afternoon when you want to spend some cozy time in the kitchen, I highly recommend this recipe.  Definitely worth the time.  And after I freeze the leftovers, it'll be the gift that keeps on giving!

Nothing for me?  And I did all the work...

Lasagne Alla Bolognese
INGREDIENTS

• Butter, for the pan
• 1/2 batch Bolognese Sauce, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 (9-ounce) boxes no-boil lasagne noodles
• Besciamella, recipe follows
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

BOLOGNESE SAUCE:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, medium chop
• 3 carrots, medium chop
• 3 celery stalks, medium chop
• 5 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 (28-ounce) cans pelati tomatoes*
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup whole milk

BESCIAMELLA:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Butter the lasagne pan well and add a very thin layer of meat sauce.
3. Add the first layer of lasagne noodles and in order, cover with meat sauce, about 3 ladles besciamella, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Repeat the same process until you reach the top of the dish. Make sure the lasagne noodles are soaking into the sauce.
4. When done layering the ingredients, top the lasagne with a final ladle of meat sauce and some besciamella, add a few thin slices of butter and finish with some grated Parmesan.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes.
6. Heat a broiler. When your fantastic lasagne alla bolognese is cooked, give it a nice crisp top by broiling it for about 5 minutes.
7. Always serve this dish with extra-virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan, to taste.

Bolognese Sauce:

1. Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in about 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large rondeau until soft. Add the pancetta to the soffritto (onion mixture). Cook on a medium-high flame for about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the meat; break it up well with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: You can jack up the heat a bit, and keep stirring until all the ground meat is browned. Add the red pepper flakes and the parsley and cook for just 1 minute.
2. Add the wine now and cook until the alcohol is completely evaporated, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
3. Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor and add them to the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, lower the flame to medium and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by adding the whole milk, stir well and set aside, to cool off.

Besciamella:

1. Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.
2. Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.