Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (including resting time)

Serves: 8-10

  • 1 recipe fresh pasta dough (see Fresh Pasta Dough recipe), rolled out and cut into lasagna noodles and hang-dried
Bolognese:
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
  • 1 large onion, cut into large pieces
  • 3 ribs of celery, cut into large pieces
  • 4 stems of fresh sage
  • 1 large can (28oz) San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 bottle dry red wine
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Bechamel:
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb of buffalo mozzarella, torn into pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
FRESH PASTA DOUGH
  • Yield: Makes about 1 pound
  • Time: 45 minutes (includes rest time)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

THE ULTIMATE LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Begin by making the bolognese sauce.  Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic and sage to a food processor and process until you have smooth, vegetable pulp.  Coat a large, heavy-based pot with olive oil and set over medium heat.   Add vegetable pulp and sauté until fragrant and some of the moisture has cooked off – about 4-5 minutes.  Season ground beef and pork with plenty of salt and pepper then add to the pan (you can push the vegetable pulp to one side so the meat has some good contact with the bottom of the pot).  Stir and break up the meat until it is nicely browned then dust with a little flour before adding wine, tomatoes, milk and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1½ hours until sauce is thick.  Add grated parmesan, chopped parsley and give it a final season.  Set aside while you prepare the béchamel sauce.

Now make the béchamel sauce.  Take a large saucepan and set over medium heat.  Add milk, garlic, and bay leaf and bring up to a simmer to infuse milk.  Take another clean saucepan and set over low-medium heat.  Add butter and melt, then sprinkle in flour while you stir with a wooden spoon.  Once the flour and butter have combined, grab a whisk and gradually pour in the infused milk, passing it through a sieve as you go to strain out the aromatics.  As it thickens up, continue to whisk over low heat then add nutmeg.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.

Now assemble the lasagna.  Take a 9x13x3-inch lasagna pan and cut out fresh-dried lasagna noodles to fit the size of the pan.  Line the bottom with béchamel followed by Bolognese sauce, pieces of mozarella then pasta.  Continue this pattern until you have three complete layers, finishing with mozzarella. Shower the top with grated parmesan and some chopped parsley.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 1 hour on a tray (to catch the drippings) then let rest for 45 minutes before cutting.

FRESH PASTA DOUGH

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Yield: Makes about 1 pound

Time: 45 minutes (includes rest time)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Put the flour on a clean, flat work surface.  Add the salt and mix well.  Shape that into a mound and then use the side of your hand to scoop out a well in the center.  Add the 3 eggs and 1 tablespoon of the oil to the well and beat lightly with a fork.  Gradually mix in the flour from the inside wall of the well, using a circular motion.  Use one hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall.  Continue to widen the well and incorporate the flour until the dough forms a ball.  Knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth; this should take about 10 minutes.  Brush the surface with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap.  Let it rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

To roll, cut the pasta dough into big chunks. Cover and reserve the pieces you are not immediately using to prevent them from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Roll the chunk of dough through a pasta machine at the widest setting; you’ll have a strip. Fold that strip in half, turn it 90 degrees, and roll it through again. Now you have a nice edge. Roll the dough another 2 or 3 times in the same direction, pulling and stretching it with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Crank the setting down, and roll the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening and rolling, a setting at a time, until the machine is at the thinnest setting.  Then cut pasta to desired shape, dry and cook.

Edited: October 14th, 2009