Lasagne Bolognese

Bolognese Sauce:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 small yellow onion, peeled and minced

1 rib celery, trimmed and minced

1/2 medium carrot, peeled, trimmed, and minced

2 ounces pancetta finely chopped

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound ground pork

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup hot milk

1 cup beef or chicken broth

1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomato puree

1. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until soft and translucent but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes more. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add ground chuck and ground pork, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up meat with the back of the spoon, until just cooked and still a little pink, about 5 minutes more. (To keep meat tender, do not fry or brown.)

2. Add wine to pot and cook, stirring, until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add hot milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until milk has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat broth and tomato purée together in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot, then add to meat mixture in pot. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Italian-Style Bechamel Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons sifted flour

2 cups hot milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 1/2 minutes (do not allow to brown).

2. Gradually add hot milk, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until sauce is the consistency of thick cream, about 15 minutes.

Lasagne:

2 tablespoons butter

1 package dried or fresh lasagna noodles (spinach lasagna works great for this recipe)

5 cups Bolognese Meat Sauce

1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 cups Italian-Style Bechamel Sauce

2 ounces mozzarella, shredded

Directions:

1. Set oven rack in top third of oven, then preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a 9×12-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. If you are using dried lasagna noodles, cook them according to the instructions.

2. Line bottom of prepared baking dish with a layer of pasta, trimming sheets with a knife so that they fit in 1 even layer (patch if necessary). Spread evenly with about 1 cup of the meat sauce, then sprinkle lightly with some of the parmigiano. Add another layer of pasta, evenly spread 1 cup of the bechamel sauce on pasta, then sprinkle lightly with parmigiano. Repeat layers (you will have 3 layers of meat sauce and 2 of bechamel), ending with meat sauce and parmigiano. Reserve any extra meat sauce for another use. Top the lasagna with the shredded mozzarella.

3. Bake lasagna for 10 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees and cook until lasagna is bubbling around the edges and browned on top, 5-7 minutes more. Do not overcook. Allow lasagna to rest for 8-10 minutes before serving.