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Lasagna

Lasagna – a classic Italian recipe

Lasagna with bolognese is another typical Italian dish originating from the city of Bologna that has become quite famous around the world. Lasagna has many variations and is a symbol of Italian gastronomy.

  • Prep: 30 minutes
  • Serves: 8
  • Cook: 25 minutes
  • Difficulty level: moderate

Ingredients 

  • 21 egg lasagna sheets
  • 250 g grated parmesan cheese

For the bolognese sauce

  • 250 g ground pork (very fatty) 
  • 500 g chopped beef pulp
  • 250 g tomato sauce 
  • 50 g carrots 
  • 50 g onions 
  • 50 g celery 
  • 40 g whole milk 
  • 1  tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 250 g white wine 
  • water 

For the bechamel sauce (essential for Lasagna)

  • 1 l fresh whole milk 
  • 100 g butter 
  • 100 g flour 
  • nutmeg to grate to taste (or pepper)
  • salt up to a pinch

Instructions

Start by finely chopping celery, peel, and chop carrot and onion in order to obtain 50 g for each ingredient.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped vegetables, stew for ten minutes over low heat while stirring, occasionally. After adding the coarsely ground beef and the minced pork (fresh bacon, a very fat part). 

The meats will have to brown slowly for about ten minutes, then mix to seal well. Initially, all the juices will come out but once dried you can blend with the 250 g of white wine. As soon as the alcohol has evaporated completely and the bottom is completely dry, pour the tomato puree. Then add water to cover the meat. 

Add a pinch of salt, mix and cook over medium-low heat for an hour. After the first hour, you can add some more water if mush of it has evaporated, mix, and continue cooking for another hour. 

At the end of cooking the result must be dense (not too dry for this type of oven preparation). Season with salt and pepper, turn off the heat and add the milk, stir and keep the sauce. 

Now for the preparation of the bechamel: take a saucepan and heat the milk. Meanwhile, in another pan, melt the butter in small pieces on low heat and, when it is melted, remove it from the heat and add the sifted flour. Stir vigorously with the whisk to obtain a lump-free mixture. Then put the saucepan back on the heat to brown it slightly.

When the milk is hot, flavor it with the grated nutmeg or pepper and a pinch of salt. At this point, you can combine it with the butter and flour mixture. Mix the ingredients vigorously with a hand whisk and thicken over low heat: the mixture must be homogeneous and without lumps. Cook the bechamel sauce for about 5-6 minutes on low heat, until it is creamy.

Then move on to the composition of the lasagna: take a pan or a rectangular baking dish with dimensions of 30×20 cm (approximately). Spread a drizzle of bechamel on the pan evenly over the entire surface, then lay the lasagna sheet and pour a thin layer of bechamel and one of the bolognese sauce, and the grated Parmesan taking care to cover the entire surface of the pan. Then create another layer of lasagna, (if you prefer also arranged in the opposite direction from the first layer so that they are crossed), a new layer of bechamel sauce, add bolognese sauce, and Parmesan. 

Finish with one last layer of bolognese sauce and a sprinkling of abundant grated Parmesan. Once you have finished preparing the pan, bake in a preheated static oven at 200 ° for about 25 minutes (or in a 180 ° oven for 15 minutes): the lasagna will be ready when you see a lightly golden crust on the surface. Take them out of the oven and let them cool before bringing them to the table and tasting your lasagna bolognese 27

Tips for Lasagna

Keep the Bolognese sauce in the refrigerator, closed in an airtight container, for a maximum of 2-3 days. It is possible to freeze Bolognese sauce.

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