Lasagna Bolognese
A ragu of beef and pork simmered with milk and wine for hours, layered thin with pasta sheets and besciamella and baked until the top browns and the edges go crisp.
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and render the pancetta for 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook 10 minutes, until soft and just beginning to color.
- 2
Raise the heat, add the beef and pork with the salt and pepper, and cook 12 minutes, breaking the meat up, until no pink remains and the liquid has cooked off.
- 3
Pour in the wine and simmer until it has nearly evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add the 1 1/2 cups milk and the nutmeg and simmer until absorbed, about 12 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and water, bring to a bare simmer, and cook uncovered for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy with fat pooling at the edge.
- 5
For the besciamella, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook 2 minutes without coloring. Whisk in the warm milk in a steady stream with the salt and simmer 5 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
- 6
Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the lasagna sheets in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package time, then spread them flat on towels.
- 7
Spread a thin layer of ragu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Build six layers of pasta, ragu, besciamella, and Parmigiano, keeping each layer thin and finishing with besciamella and cheese.
- 8
Bake 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce bubbles at the corners. Rest 20 minutes before cutting so the layers hold.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, for the ragu
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 5 tablespoons butter, for the besciamella
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk, warmed, for the besciamella
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, for the besciamella
- 12 ounces dried lasagna sheets
- 6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and render the pancetta for 4 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook 10 minutes, until soft and just beginning to color.
- 2
Raise the heat, add the beef and pork with the salt and pepper, and cook 12 minutes, breaking the meat up, until no pink remains and the liquid has cooked off.
- 3
Pour in the wine and simmer until it has nearly evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add the 1 1/2 cups milk and the nutmeg and simmer until absorbed, about 12 minutes.
- 4
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and water, bring to a bare simmer, and cook uncovered for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thick and glossy with fat pooling at the edge.
- 5
For the besciamella, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook 2 minutes without coloring. Whisk in the warm milk in a steady stream with the salt and simmer 5 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
- 6
Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the lasagna sheets in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package time, then spread them flat on towels.
- 7
Spread a thin layer of ragu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Build six layers of pasta, ragu, besciamella, and Parmigiano, keeping each layer thin and finishing with besciamella and cheese.
- 8
Bake 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the sauce bubbles at the corners. Rest 20 minutes before cutting so the layers hold.