Lasagna Bolognese

I've really been wanting to try this recipe for Lasagna Bolognese from smitten kitchen. It tastes amazing with the Bolognese sauce. It is a bit of a pain to make but I like it better than the traditional ground meat and ricotta/cottage cheese recipes. You will need to make the Bolognese and Béchamel sauces ahead of time. You can make the Bolognese well ahead of time, even freeze it, but the Béchamel I would make the same day. I am too lazy to make my own noodles. The boxed kind came out just fine.







Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 box of lasagna noodles (I used barilla flat lasagna noodles)
4 c. Bolognese sauce
2 c. Béchamel sauce

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350. In a 9x13 pan, drizzle and spread 1/4 heaping c. Béchamel sauce, to prevent the noodles from sticking. Layer noodles in and top with 1 c. of Bolognese sauce. top this with 1/3 c. of Parmesan cheese, then top with 1/2 c. of Béchamel. Repeat this three more times. It will look like this:

1/4 c. Bechamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel
Noodles
1. c. Bolognese sauce
1/3 c. Parmesan
1/2 c. Béchamel

Bake the thing for 30-45 minutes, I only did 35. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Jib is un-cleaning my plates :3
:3

Béchamel Sauce

This is another sauce you will need for the lasagna recipe that follows. I think this would be great with seafood or vegetables on pasta. It was my first time making it but I think it came out creamy and delicious.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon table salt
1 clove minced garlic
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

 Directions:
1. Melt your butter in the bottom of a medium-to-large saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add your flour and stir it into the butter until smooth. Cook the mixture together for a minute, stirring constantly.

2. Pour in a small drizzle of your milk*, whisking constantly into the butter-flour mixture until smooth. Continue to drizzle a very small amount at a time, whisking constantly. Once you’ve added a little over half of your milk, you’ll find that you have more of a thick sauce or batter, and you can start adding the milk in larger splashes, being sure to keep mixing.

3. Once all of the milk is added, add the salt, garlic, nutmeg (if using) and few grinds of black pepper, and bring the mixture to a lower simmer and cook it, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Bolognese Sauce

I love cooking with wine. I don't really know/care much about drinking it but it tastes wonderful when cooked. I have been wanting to make a lasagna and this recipe is for a sauce that will be great on its own or in the lasagna recipe that will follow. I made the sauce already and it yields 8 c. so you can use 4 c. for the lasagna and freeze the rest. It is great reheated, unlike many things. I stole the recipe for this sauce and the lasagna, which has bechamel instead of ricotta, from Deb at smittenkitchen.





Bolognese sauce (yield 8 c.)
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large or 2 slim carrots, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground chuck, brisket or round or combination
1 1/4 cups tomato paste (12 oz)
2 cups red wine
Water as needed
2 bay leaves
A few sprigs thyme, tied in a bundle (I used dried thyme and I think it still came out wonderful)

1. In a food processor, pulse onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until finely chopped.

2. Heat a moderate-sized Dutch oven (4 to 5 quarts) over medium-high heat. Once hot, coat the bottom of the pan with two to three tablespoons of oil. Once it is hot, add the chopped vegetables and season them generously with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until they are evenly brown, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. "Evenly brown," is a relative term. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just try to cook off the moisture and brown them.

3. Add the ground beef to the vegetables and season again with salt and pepper. Brown the beef well and again, don’t rush this step. Cook for another 15 minutes.

4. Add the tomato paste and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red wine, using it to scrape up any stuck bits in the pan. Cook the wine until it has reduced by half, about 5 more minutes.

5. Add water to the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the meat. Toss in the bay leaves and the bundle of thyme and stir to combine everything, bringing it to a low simmer. Simmer for 3-4 hours, adding a cup of water whenever you see the level gets too low.