Lasagne alla Bolognese

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 6-quart Dutch oven for ragù
• •Pasta machine (hand-cranked or stand mixer attachment)
• •Large wooden board or clean countertop for pasta making
• •9x13 inch baking dish, preferably ceramic or glass
• •Large pot for blanching pasta
• •Clean kitchen towels

Instructions

1. 1

   Begin the ragù

   In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat until the butter foam subsides. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely soft and the onion is pale gold. This takes at least 15 minutes. Do not rush. One can often trace the unsatisfying taste of would-be Italian dishes to the reluctance of cooks to execute this step thoroughly.

   The soffritto is the foundation. If it is imperfect, everything built upon it will be imperfect. Give it the time it requires.
2. 2

   Brown the meat

   Add all three ground meats to the pot. Break them up with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the meat has lost its raw color and begins to brown. The meat should crumble into small pieces, not clump. This takes 15 to 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Add wine, then milk

   Pour in the white wine and stir thoroughly. Let it simmer until evaporated completely. You should no longer smell alcohol. Then add 1 cup milk and the nutmeg. Let the milk simmer until it has been completely absorbed. The sauce will look quite dry. This is correct. The milk creates the characteristic creaminess of true Bolognese.

4. 4

   Simmer the ragù

   Add the passed tomatoes and stir thoroughly. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to the lowest possible setting. The sauce should cook at the laziest simmer, with only an occasional bubble breaking the surface. Partially cover the pot. Cook for at least 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding water in small amounts if the sauce reduces too much. Season with salt and pepper.

   Add water, never more tomatoes, if the sauce becomes too thick. This is a meat sauce with tomato, not a tomato sauce with meat. The distinction matters.
5. 5

   Make the pasta dough

   While the ragù simmers, make the pasta. Pour the flour onto a wooden board and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well. Using a fork, beat the eggs and gradually incorporate flour from the inner walls of the well. When the dough becomes too stiff to mix with a fork, use your hands to bring it together.

6. 6

   Knead the dough

   Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, folding it over, and pushing again. The dough should become smooth and elastic, like your earlobe when pressed. If it is too dry, wet your hands and continue kneading. If too sticky, add flour sparingly. Wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

   The dough must rest or it will fight you when you roll it. This is not optional. Gluten needs time to relax.
7. 7

   Roll the pasta sheets

   Divide the rested dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep others covered), flatten it into a rectangle and pass through a pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold in thirds, turn 90 degrees, and pass through again. Repeat this process 3 times to develop the gluten. Then roll progressively thinner, reducing the setting each time, until you reach the second-thinnest setting. The sheets should be thin enough to see your hand through. Cut into rectangles that fit your baking dish.

8. 8

   Blanch the pasta

   Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Working in batches of 2 or 3 sheets, cook the pasta for 30 seconds, just until pliable. Transfer immediately to ice water to stop cooking, then lay flat on clean kitchen towels. Do not stack wet sheets or they will stick together.

9. 9

   Make the béchamel

   In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture should bubble gently but not brown. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the nutmeg and salt. The béchamel should be pourable, not stiff.

   Warm milk prevents lumps. Cold milk added to hot roux creates disaster. This small step makes all the difference.
10. 10

    Assemble the lasagne

    Heat oven to 400°F (200°C). Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of pasta, trimming to fit. Spread a thin layer of ragù over the pasta. Drizzle with béchamel. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this layering 5 to 7 more times, ending with a layer of pasta topped with béchamel and a generous coating of Parmigiano. Dot the surface with the cold butter pieces.

    Each layer should be thin. This is not American lasagna with thick, leaden layers. The pasta should predominate, with just enough ragù and béchamel to flavor it.
11. 11

    Bake until golden

    Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges bubble. Watch it carefully. The difference between golden perfection and burned is a matter of minutes. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the final minutes.

12. 12

    Rest before serving

    Remove from oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. This is not a suggestion. If you cut immediately, the layers will slide apart and you will have a mess rather than a dish. The lasagne needs time to set. When you do cut, the layers should be distinct, the pasta tender but not mushy, the top golden. This is what you have worked for.

Chef Tips

• •There is no ricotta in authentic lasagne alla Bolognese. If you want ricotta, you are making something else. Call it what you will, but do not call it Bolognese.
• •The ragù can and should be made a day or two ahead. It improves with time. Make it on Friday for Sunday lunch, as the Bolognese do.
• •Fresh pasta makes all the difference. Dry lasagna noodles are thick, corrugated, and turn to mush. They have no place in this dish. If you truly cannot make fresh pasta, buy fresh sheets from an Italian market.
• •A 9x13 inch dish produces lasagne approximately 2 inches tall. You want 6 to 8 layers of pasta. More layers with thin pasta is better than fewer layers with thick pasta.
• •Leftover lasagne reheats well. Cover with foil and warm at 325°F until heated through, about 30 minutes from refrigerator temperature.

Advance Preparation

• •The ragù should be made at least one day ahead. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen considerably overnight.
• •Pasta sheets can be made, blanched, and refrigerated between layers of parchment paper up to 24 hours ahead.
• •The béchamel can be made several hours ahead. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Rewarm gently before using, adding a splash of milk if too thick.
• •The assembled, unbaked lasagne can be refrigerated overnight. Add 10 minutes to the baking time and cover with foil for the first 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 375g)