Serves:
About the Recipe
Authentic Italian lasagne varies by region, but the Bolognese style is one of the most famous: slow-cooked meat ragù, creamy béchamel, and Parmigiano Reggiano, layered without the ricotta or mozzarella typical of Southern Italy. Lucca, a small ancient walled city in Tuscany, is full of inspiration and is one of my favorite places in central Italy to stay. It’s known for this distinctive meat lasagna—a recipe I brought home that’s always requested by family and friends. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, minced
1 medium red onion, minced
3 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme
2 fresh sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup dry white wine
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 large can Italian plum tomatoes, squeezed until shredded
1 ½ tsps. salt
¾ tsp. pepper
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
Besciamella Sauce
1 quart (4 cups) whole milk, heated
5 oz. (10 Tbsp.) unsalted butter
½ cup unbleached flour
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt and dash of pepper
Preparation
Meat Sauce
In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil.
Add the beef and cook over medium heat until cooked, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the cooked beef into a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside.
Remove excess meat fat from pan and discard. Add the remaining olive oil, all the vegetables, herbs (except the nutmeg) and cooked beef back to pan and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour in wine and cook until evaporated.
Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for 20 minutes, covered.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix to blend and set aside.
Besciamella Sauce
Melt butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring until flour is smooth; do not boil or brown mixture.
Slowly add the warm milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat and cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes.
Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and season to taste. Remove sauce from heat.
Set aside or to cool sauce for later use, cover the surface with plastic wrap or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.
Assembling Lasagna
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of cold water to a boil; add the salt. Cook lasagna pasta for 2-3 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water.
In a deep 9x13 inch pan, layer besciamella, pasta, meat sauce, and Pecorino. Continue to repeat layers until all the ingredients have been used.
End with a top of meat sauce, besciamella and grated Pecorino Romano. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Rest 5-10 minutes and serve hot.