Hello, young Padawan
I’ve been hiding something from you for almost a decade, an absolutely crazy culinary secret, but today I’m going to reveal it to you. It’s the best lasagna recipe in the universe, in all modesty, of course, you know me, lol. I’ve been making it for over 25 years, and I get asked for it almost every time I make it for new people.
Often imitated, never equaled, here’s your faithful servant’s lasagna recipe, and as always, chill.
Andiamo!
Lasagna Bolognese
For 6 servings
Tomato sauce
28 oz ripe tomatoes
1 very large onion (or two small ones)
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
1 large bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf)
1 handful basil (10-15 leaves, finely chopped, or a tablespoon of dried basil)
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small glass of white wine (15cl)
Salt, Madagascar pepper
Meat
28 oz of minced meat
1 egg yolk
1/3 bunch parsley
Salt, Madagascar pepper
Bechamel
2 large cups of skimmed milk
1/3 cup of flour
3 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of sour cream
Nutmeg
Salt, pepper
Dough
2 1/4 cup of flour
2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 or 3 tbsp water
For “stacking-grating”
1 large ball of mozzarella
1 small bag of Gruyère cheese (2.5 oz)
1 small bag of Parmesan cheese (1.5 oz)
Recipe
For the tomato sauce
Cut the tomatoes into small cubes, and finely slice the onion and carrots (into mini cubes). Prepare the garlic cloves for the garlic press, or mince them very finely.
Fry the onions and garlic with olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, deglaze with white wine, and add the remaining ingredients—the tomatoes, can of tomatoes, baby carrots, bouquet garni, and basil—to a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper, and cover.
Simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the pastry…
For the lasagna dough
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl, with a tea towel underneath (to prevent it from slipping).
Make a well in the flour and crack the eggs into it.
Knead with one hand. When the eggs begin to be absorbed, pour in the olive oil, knead again, and gradually add a few tablespoons of water as needed until the dough is firm but smooth (usually 4 to 6 tablespoons max, depending on the moisture content of your flour).
Cover the dough with a damp tea towel and let it rest in a warm place, e.g., next to the cooking sauce (so the dough rises).
Meanwhile, make the bechamel sauce…
For the bechamel
In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour all at once and whisk to form a lump-free paste. Add the milk and stir over medium heat until thickened.
Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. I recommend using a generous amount so that the lasagna is flavorful.
Once you have the desired texture, remove from the heat, add the sour cream, stir, and let it rest.
Now prepare the ground beef…
For the meat
Pour it into a bowl with an egg yolk, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Mix and store covered in the refrigerator.
Assembling the lasagna
Roll out the dough very thinly and cut it into rectangles (depending on the dish).
Remove the sauce from the heat (it’s normal if the sauce is runny; the dough will soak up), and add the ground beef.
In a dish, place a layer of sauce, a rectangle of dough, a layer of bechamel, a little mozzarella, a little Gruyère, a little Parmesan, then a rectangle of dough, a layer of sauce, then a rectangle of dough, then a layer of béchamel and cheese as above, and so on until there are no more ingredients.
Imperative: always finish with a layer of sauce, then add the rest of the mozzarella, Gruyère, and Parmesan.
Place the dish in the “bottom 2/3 of the oven” to prevent the cheese from burning.
Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on your oven.
Let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
Presentation
Cut the lasagna into cubes and arrange them on attractive plates, accompanied by a mesclun salad seasoned with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
You can pair this marvel with a Chianti Classico, a Beaujolais Village, or a lovely Côtes de Provence red, my favorite.
And that’s it for today. All that’s left is to go shopping and invite some guests over to share this sublime lasagna.
XO 🇮🇹
