Classic Lasagna Bolognese with Bechamel Sauce

I first made this recipe, adapted from Gourmet Magazine, about a year ago for my sister's bridal shower, and it got pretty solid feedback, so I figured that a lazy, cloudy Sunday would be perfect for take two of this dish.

Just a little history about this dish. You are probably much more used to seeing lasagna made with layers of pasta, bolognese, and ricotta cheese, and perhaps some mozzarella as well. This is typically made in Southern Italian cooking. Northern Italian lasagna, on the other hand, uses a bechamel sauce (basically a cream sauce) in place of the ricotta. This makes for a smoother lasagna; not that one is necessarily better than the other, so definitely try this northern recipe if you are intrigued!

As a forewarning, this meal takes awhile to make. Like, 6 or 7 hours awhile. But the active parts really only take up ~2 hours, so it's a fairly relaxing 6-7 hours. In particular, the meat sauce will take 4-5 hours to cook properly, and I might even suggest letting the sauce sit in the fridge overnight so that all the flavors can marry together into pure deliciousness. But if you don't have the patience or foresight to prepare the night before, it's ok.

Active prep/cook time: 1 1/2 hr
Cook time: 5 hrs
Servings: 1 9x13 pan, about 6 servings

Ingredients
1 box lasagna sheets
1 cup grated Parmesan

Bolognese sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery (2 celery stalks)
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots (1 1/2 carrots)
3/4 lb lean ground beef
3/4 pound sweet italian sausage
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup dry white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay; I used an Orvieto Classico, which is a light-bodied, dry, crisp, pale gold wine)
1 28 oz can of crushed plum tomatos
1 1/2 cups water

Bechamel sauce:
4 cups hot milk
1/2 cup flour
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
(Optional) Dash of nutmeg


Equipment:
1 large pot
1 medium sauce pot
Wooden spatula
Whisk
Good knife
Cutting board
9x13 pan

While I was shopping for ingredients, I came across a product by Barilla featuring flat lasagna sheets:

You're probably used to making lasagna with pasta sheets that are curled at the edges. The problem I have with this type of lasagna sheet is that I find the sheets to be too thick when cooked. Since I like my food meaty and sauce-y, I tend to prefer a greater meat/sauce-to-pasta ratio than the common lasagna sheets provide. These sheets are thinner and less slimy/slithery than their thicker counterpart. This is good also because you don't have to boil the sheets prior to baking: they absorb enough liquid from the sauce to "cook" them completely without parboiling. If you prefer the curled sheets, or can't find the flat sheet variety, just use the curled sheets, but you'll have to cook them briefly before using.

Heat the oil and butter together, over low heat, in a heavy bottomed pot. Butter provides great flavor, but has a generally low smoke point (in which the fat/oil breaks down and gives food an unpleasant taste) so mixing in oil can remedy this. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook till wilted. This is known as an italian sofrito, used as a basis in many sauces. Add the meat and, breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula, cook gently and stirring frequently. Season the meat with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow the wine to cook completely down to almost dry before adding the tomatoes and water. Adjust the heat to a slow simmer and, being careful not to cook too rapidly, cook the meat and tomato sauce for between 3 to 4 hours. Stir every 15-20 minutes or so to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot and keep an eye on this simmering pot. When the sauce has cooked for several hours and the excess water has cooked off, remove from the heat and allow to cool before assembling the lasagna.


mm sofrito


The meat sauce thickens up nicely after 3 1/2 hours of simmering and a quick whir of a hand blender. Soooo tasty!

I'll segue for a moment into a quick lesson on an efficient, non-finger-bleed-inducing, minimal-tears method to cutting onions. I've seen people cut onions many ways, and it usually looks incredibly messy and uneven. But hopefully this way will appeal to you.
First, take an unpeeled onion. There are two ends, the top being the side where the onion skin tapers together, and the bottom being the root end. Lay the onion on its side and chop off the top end of the onion. Place the onion on its newly-flat end, and slice in half (thus splitting the root end in two). Now take an onion half and peel back the papery skin and first layer, which is often thin/leathery/bruised - do not rip these layers from the onion; instead, these attached layers will provide you with an anchor point to rest your fingers on as you chop the onion.
Rest half the onion on its largest flat surface, root end pointing away from you. Working from the far edge of the onion toward your body, slice down through the onion, leaving about 1/2 inch between each cut. Do not try to slice all the way through the root end - this way, the intact root end will keep the onion from falling apart. Rotate the onion so the end cut faces your knife blade. Then make 1/2-inch cuts perpendicular to the first set of cuts. The onion will fall apart into neat, 1/2-inch dice. Voila!



Ok, back to the recipe directions. Gently heat the milk over a low flame but do not boil. While the milk is heating put the butter into a sauce pot and slowly melt over low heat. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour gradually to avoid lumps and gently cook this roux. Using a wire whisk, very slowly begin to pour the hot milk into the roux, a little at a time to avoid creating lumps. When all the milk has been added, add the seasoning, turn the heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. When finished allow to cool somewhat before using in the lasagna recipe.


This is the consistency of the roux prior to whisking in the hot milk

Assembling your lasagna: Spread some Bichamel on the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of pasta sheets. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the pasta, top with a layer of Bichamel, evenly sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese and top with another single layer of pasta. Do this layering process until all of the ingredients have been used and making sure that the final and top layer is Bichamel sauce with Parmesan sprinkled on. When the baking dish is completely filled the lasagna is ready to be baked. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the top has begun to brown and the edges are crispy.


prior to baking.