Traditional Italian Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce

In this traditional Italian lasagna, the savory bolognese sauce and the creamy besciamella come together in a perfectly cheesy, meaty  and saucy dish. So yummy!

Now that you have learned from my last post how to make the Italian ragu' alla bolognese, here is the next recipe you will want to know For sure! Traditional lasagna with bolognese sauce.
This classic Italian oven-baked pasta is unmatchable. Don't get scared by the long list of ingredients. It is not hard to prepare! But it can be a bit time consuming. No worries though, all the time spent on this is well worth your while!
You will need to prepare the bolognese sauce first,which takes at least an hour, and then the besciamella (white) sauce, which is much faster. When these sauces are ready, you will just juggle all the ingredients, add some cheese and pasta at the right time, and end up with the perfect lasagna. The creamy and soft besciamella together with the flavorful and savory bolognese sauce will make this lasagna to die for. No ricotta cheese is needed, only lots of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Here is a step-by-step recipe:


Ingredients: to make 13 x 9 inch lasagna.
For the Bolognese sauce: to make about 6 cups (1.5 quart)

• half onion
• 1 small carrot (or 6 baby carrots)
• 1 small celery stalk
• 1 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1/2 lb of ground pork
• 1 can  of 28 oz crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 3/4 cup of white wine
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 whole clove (optional)
• salt

For the besciamella sauce: 

• 6 cups of milk
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter 
• 1.25 cup of all-purpose flour
• salt to taste
• 1/3 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

Additional ingredients:

• about 16 oz mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup of Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 box of oven-ready lasagna pasta - I ended up needing 2 extra lasagna sheets from another box.. I use Barilla

Preparation time: about 2 hours
Directions:
Step 1: Start by preparing the bolognese sauce following this recipe, using the quantities listed above.You can always prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate (or freeze).
Step 2: When there are about 15 minutes left before the bolognese sauce is ready, prepare the besciamella sauce following this recipe. using the quantities listed above.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and start assembling the lasagna. In an oven pan, add a couple of tablespoons of besciamella for the bottom, add a layer of pasta, topped with  some bolognese sauce (about 1.5 cups), about one forth of the mozzarella, and some besciamella.

Step 4: Repeat the same layers three more times (if you can!): pasta, bolognese sauce, besciamella and mozzarella. Then on top (the last layer): only pasta, besciamella and all the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with small pieces of butter.

Step 5: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Move the pan to the higher part of the oven, so that the Parmesan cheese melts and forms a nice golden layer.

Step 6: Let cool down for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving. This will allow the besciamella sauce to set a little, and not run off the plate making the lasagne too soft. You can also prepare the lasagna ahead of time, and warm it up (really hot!!) before serving. In this case you don't need to wait before cutting and serving.

Buon Appetito!

Traditional Italian Bolognese Sauce - Ragu' alla Bolognese

Try this hearty and traditional Italian bolognese sauce over your favorite pasta. 

You will love its deep and rich flavor!

This is a must-know recipe for any Italian cook. The ragu' alla bolognese is a meat based sauce originating from the Italian town of Bologna. It's very versatile: used in lasagna, over gnocchi or over pasta (pappardelle, linguine, spaghetti or any of your favorite!).
It starts with sauteing some vegetables (carrots, onions and celery), adding ground meat and slowly cooking with crushed tomatoes and white wine for about an hour. I like to use both ground beef and ground pork, which I find gives the sauce its deep and rich flavor. If you prefer, you could also only use ground beef and add a bit of pancetta or bacon for added aroma.
When I make bolognese sauce, I generally make a lot of it! Enough for a large lasagna and a couple of pasta dinners. It's probably the only sauce that I store in the freezer. It's easy: place enough for a family dinner in a freezer bag, remove as much air as you can, and seal tightly. It's very quick to defrost and the flavor keeps very well. Enjoy!

Ingredients: to make about 3 quartz (12 cups) of sauce

• 1 medium onion
• 1 carrot (I used 12 baby carrots)
• 1 large celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 lb of ground pork
• 2 cans of 28 oz (total 56 oz) crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
• 1.5 cups of white wine
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 2 whole cloves (optional)
• salt

Preparation time: 15 minutes to prepare, at least 1 hour to cook

Directions:
Step 1: Chop the onion, carrots and celery in small pieces. Saute' the vegetables in a large sauce pan, over medium heat with two tablespoons of olive oil, for about 5 minutes.

Step 2: Mix in the ground pork and beef. Stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until all the meat is brown.

Step 3: Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, rosemary sprig and whole cloves (if you use them). Cover the pan, and simmer the sauce for about 50-60 minutes over medium heat. Check and stir once in a while.

Step 4: If the sauce is too watery, uncover the pan and cook uncovered for the last 5-10 minutes. Remove (if you can or if you like) the rosemary and whole cloves. 

Cook your pasta following the direction on the package. Mix the pasta with some bolognese sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Buon Appetito!!