Home-made Lasagna with Bolognese and Bechamel Sauce

Dinner 2.26.2012: Home-made Lasagna with Bolognese and Bechamel Sauce

Home-made Lasagna with Bolognese and Bechamel Sauce

Tender pasta, savory bolognese, creamy bechamel sauce, with a little mozzarella, Parmesan and spinach - the best meal you will EVER have! I promise!

Make well for eggs in flour mixture.

Home-made Lasagna (45-60 minutes)

(2 cups AP flour, 1 cup semolina, kosher salt, 1 oz olive oil +  eggs = 3/4 cup liquid) - usually the ratio is 2 lg eggs per 1 cup flour, but lately my organic eggs are a lot smaller and do not equal 2 oz per 1 egg.

After mixing and kneading the dough for 10 minutes wrap dough in plastic wrap and rest in fridge for a minimum of 20 mins. Make pasta sheets with pasta maker, but not too thin! When ready to assemble lasagna cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 30 seconds and use immediately for layering lasagna.

Bolognese (3-4 hours)

• Gently render bacon slices in nonstick pan. Bacon should still be soft; and not browned. Let bacon cool on paper towel; *chop bacon.
• olive oil
• 3 slices bacon
• Brown ground beef in stainless sauté pan; transfer beef to bowl; reserve.
• olive oil
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• Sweat mirepoix and thyme in 'beef' pan until translucent; add chopped bacon; cook 2-3 more minutes.
• 1/2 onion, small dice
• 1 carrot, small dice
• 2 celery, small dice
• sprigs fresh thyme, tied with twine
• kosher salt
• *chopped bacon
• Deglaze vegetables with white wine; reduce until almost 'dry'; add diced tomatoes and a little stock if too thick. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Gently simmer for 2 hours; lid on; stir regularly.
• white wine (about 1 cup or so)
• 16 oz can diced tomatoes
• little stock
• kosher salt
• pepper
• Add parsley and a little sugar; gently simmer for another hour; stir regularly
• chopped parsley
• sugar
• Adjust seasoning; sauce should be rather thick and meaty - it should not not be thin!

Bechamel Sauce (20 minutes)

• Sweat minced onion with salt on med-low heat until translucent.
• olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• salt
• Increase heat; add butter; when bubbly add flour; stir with wooden spoon until; mixture should resemble 'wet sand'. Cook about 1 minute.
• 2 tb butter
• 2 tb Flour
• Whisk in milk; bring to a boil; reduce heat; add seasonings and gently simmer for 15 mins for cook out flour taste; add more milk if too thick; make sure sauce does not burn.
• 2-3 cups 2% milk
• sprig of fresh thyme
• nutmeg
• kosher salt
• pepper
• bay leaf
• garlic clove, crushed
• Strain sauce through fine mesh stainer or chinoise.

Layering the Lasagna

• grated mozzarella
• grated parmesan
• chopped spinach, 2 handfuls

You can layer your Lasagna any which way you want, but this is how I did it:

• bolognese
• pasta
• bolognese
• pasta
• bechamel, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach
• pasta,
• bolognese, spinach
• pasta
• 1 spoon leftover bolognese, bechamel, mozzarella, parmesan

Bake for 30 minutes @ 425F or until bubble and nicely browned. Garnish with basil chiffonade - enjoy!

Lasagna with Bolognese and Bechamel Sauce (30 mins @ 425F)

Tomato-Bolognese (gently simmer for 2.5-3.5 hours)

Mirepoix and Bacon for Tomato-Bolognese