Lasagne for Italians is the same as what stuffed fish is for Odessians. Each house has its own recipe and, of course, only theirs’ is correct. Lasagne is also a type of flat, sheet-like pasta that is used to make a dish. The oldest recipe found in the cookbook is dated 1238. Not really a recipe, but some kind of antiques 🙂 Although it takes some time, lasagne is an ideal main dish for a large family table.
Lasagne for Italians is the same as what stuffed fish is for Odessians. Each house has its own recipe and, of course, only theirs’ is correct. Lasagne is also a type of flat, sheet-like pasta that is used to make a dish. The oldest recipe found in the cookbook is dated 1238. Not really a recipe, but some kind of antiques 🙂 Although it takes some time, lasagne is an ideal main dish for a large family table.- Prep time: 2 hours
- Cook time: 35 minutes
- Serves: 6
- Difficulty: medium
- Course: main course
- Cookware: rectangular baking dish, cheese grater
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 12 dried lasagne sheets
- 50 g parmesan, grated
- 25 g butter
For the Bolognese sauce:
- 300 g beef or minced lean beef
- 250 g canned peeled tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- ¼ small celery root, peel and finely chop
- ½ carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 100 ml dry red wine
- 1 sprig of thyme
- olive oil for frying
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
For the béchamel sauce:
- 500 ml milk
- 30 g butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ small onion, peeled and chopped
- ½ stick of celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 white peppercorns
- nutmeg, grated
- salt
Cooking method
Step 1
Cook the Bolognese sauce. If the meat is not minced, then chop it finely. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. Add meat and fry well, stirring constantly, until the meat is golden brown. Pour in wine, bring to boil, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and stirring occasionally, cook for 1 hour.
Step 2
Cook the béchamel sauce. Pour milk into a saucepan, add onion, celery, bay leaf, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to boil, remove from heat, and set aside to infuse. Strain the milk through a sieve. Set the milk aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over. Stirring with a spatula, gradually add flour. Without stopping stirring, cook the mixture until light golden brown and nutty in the aroma (the mixture should not turn brown). Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk to avoid the lumps, and whisk until even. Return the saucepan to low heat, and stirring constantly, bring the sauce to a boil. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Step 3
Heat oven to 180°C. Put a wide pot with water on high heat, add salt and bring to boil. Put a large bowl with cold water nearby (you can add ice to the water). Dip lasagne sheets one by one in boiling water for 3 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon and place a sheet in a bowl of cold water. After the sheets have cooled, pat dry on a kitchen paper.
Step 4
Butter a deep baking dish. Put a layer of lasagne sheets on the base. Spoon evenly a layer of the Bolognese sauce, followed by a layer of béchamel sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers until the baking dish is filled. Finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and spoon over the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with a layer of parmesan and scatter evenly the small pieces of butter over the top of lasagne. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to settle for 10 minutes, cut lasagne squares, and serve.
My tips and tricks:
Lasagne freezes perfectly. If you have found the time to make one, then it will not be difficult to make several at once and freeze them right in the baking dishes (don’t forget to wrap them with cling film or foil beforehand). All you need to do then is to get the lasagne out of the freezer in advance and defrost it, leaving it in the refrigerator overnight or for 30 minutes – 1 hour at room temperature (depending on the season and the temperature in the kitchen). We do not put frozen lasagne in the oven right away to avoid the situation where it cooks quickly around the edges, but the inside is soggy. Bake the lasagne for about an hour.
- 12 dried lasagne sheets
- 50 g parmesan, grated
- 25 g butter
- For the Bolognese sauce:
- 300 g beef or minced lean beef
- 250 g canned peeled tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- ¼ small celery root, peel and finely chop
- ½ carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
- 100 ml dry red wine
- 1 sprig of thyme
- olive oil for frying
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt
- For the béchamel sauce:
- 500 ml milk
- 30 g butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ small onion, peeled and chopped
- ½ stick of celery
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 white peppercorns
- nutmeg, grated
- salt
- Cook the Bolognese sauce. If the meat is not minced, then chop it finely. Heat oil in a saucepan and fry garlic, onion, carrot, and celery. Add meat and fry well, stirring constantly, until the meat is golden brown. Pour in wine, bring to boil, and simmer for about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat to low, cover, and stirring occasionally, cook for 1 hour.
- Cook the béchamel sauce. Pour milk into a saucepan, add onion, celery, bay leaf, white pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Bring to boil, remove from heat, and set aside to infuse. Strain the milk through a sieve. Set the milk aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over. Stirring with a spatula, gradually add flour. Without stopping stirring, cook the mixture until light golden brown and nutty in the aroma (the mixture should not turn brown). Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk to avoid the lumps, and whisk until even. Return the saucepan to low heat, and stirring constantly, bring the sauce to a boil. Remove from heat, and set aside.
- Heat oven to 180°C. Put a wide pot with water on high heat, add salt and bring to boil. Put a large bowl with cold water nearby (you can add ice to the water). Dip lasagne sheets one by one in boiling water for 3 minutes. Gently remove with a slotted spoon and place a sheet in a bowl of cold water. After the sheets have cooled, pat dry on a kitchen paper.
- Butter a deep baking dish. Put a layer of lasagne sheets on the base. Spoon evenly a layer of the Bolognese sauce, followed by a layer of béchamel sauce. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the layers until the baking dish is filled. Finish with a layer of lasagne sheets and spoon over the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with a layer of parmesan and scatter evenly the small pieces of butter over the top of lasagne. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, leave to settle for 10 minutes, cut lasagne squares, and serve.