Traditional Italian Lasagna
Description
The traditional Italian lasagna is not made with ricotta cheese but a rich cheese sauce instead. It requires a lot of patience, but the end result is to die for.
Ingredients
Ragu Bolognese:
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lb. ground beef (or 10 oz. ground pork and 22 oz. ground beef)
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 c. bold red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon (or water or beef stock)
3 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled
2 bay leaves
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried oregano
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 - 2 t. sugar (if tomatoes are a bit sour)
1/2 t. salt and black pepper
Cheese Sauce:
4 T. butter
1/2 c. flour
4 c. milk (low-fat is fine)
2 c. shredded cheese (like Colby, Gruyere, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, OR 1 c. shredded Parmesan, but not Mozzarella)
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
Lasagna:
12 oz. fresh lasagna sheets (or 8 oz. dried)*
1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
finely chopped basil or parsley, for garnish
Directions
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Ragu:
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat; add garlic, onion, celery and carrots; cook 10 minutes until softened and sweet. This should not brown, but if they do, turn the heat down. Add beef; turn heat up; cook, breaking it up while cooking.
Once beef has turned brown, add remaining Ragu ingredients EXCEPT for the sugar. Stir; adjust heat so that it bubbles very gently. Cover; cook for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally; remove lid; let simmer for 30 minutes. The ragu is done when the meat is very tender and the sauce has thickened. Adjust salt and pepper to taste; add sugar, if needed.
Cheese Sauce:
Warm milk up in a saucepan to make sauce thicken faster.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat; add flour; mix constantly for 1 minute. Stir in about 1 c. of warm milk, until incorporated into the flour mixture. When mostly lump free, add remaining milk, using a whisk if needed to make it lump free.
Turn heat up to medium-high, stirring occasionally at first and then regularly after a few minutes, until sauce thickens, about 5 - 8 minutes. It's done when it coats the back of the wooden spoon. Remove from heat; add cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper; mix until cheese is melted. The sauce should be thick but still easily pourable, like the consistency of heavy cream. You need to be able to drizzle it over the Ragu when layering. If it's too thick, add a splash of water or milk.
Assembly:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 13 x 9 x 2.5 inch baking dish.
Spread a little Ragu on the bottom of the dish, then cover with lasagna sheets, tearing sheets to fit, if necessary.
Spread on 2 1/2 c. Ragu or enough to cover sheets, then drizzle over 1 c. Cheese Sauce. Top with lasagna sheets, this time going the opposite direction. Spread on another 2 1/2 c. Ragu, then 1 c. Cheese Sauce. Top with lasagna sheets, going the opposite direction from the last time. Repeat 1 more time. Top with a 4th layer of lasagna sheets. Pour on the remaining Cheese Sauce. Sprinkle on Mozzarella.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Let stand 5 - 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Makes 8-10 servings.
Leftovers keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
*Fresh or dried lasagna sheets: Fresh is preferred because it melds better with the filling. For dried lasagna sheets, check the package to see if they need to be cooked before using. If labelled "Instant" or "No Cook", use without pre-cooking. If it needs to be cooked in boiling water, follow the package directions.
**To make in advance, reheat the ragu, adding a splash of water, if needed. If you leave it overnight in the refrigerator, it thickens and is harder to spread. Also if using dried sheets, there may not be enough liquid to rehydrate the lasagne sheets. To freeze, cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees or microwave it. Microwaving keeps it more moist. If frozen, defrost before heating.