LASAGNE AL FORNO

Lasagne al Forno is one of my favorite pasta dishes and I love ordering it at Italian restaurants, because every restaurant has its own version. I used to be scared of making it, because it seemed like such a complex dish to me. But it turns out it's not. It does involve a few steps, but there's nothing complex about it. And I've also realised that it's not difficult to make your own béchamel sauce. I recently found this awesome lasagne recipe on www.recipetineats.com, a site that Pia introduced me to about a year or two ago. It's a great recipe site overall. The only tweak I've made to the recipe is replacing the wine with beef broth, as I'm not too fond of red wine in cooked food.

Lasagne originated in Italy during the Middle Ages and have traditionally been ascribed to the city of Naples. The first recorded recipe was set down in the early 14th-century. The traditional lasagne of Naples, Lasagne di Carnevale, are layered with local sausage, small fried meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and sauced with a Neapolitan ragù, a meat sauce. 

Lasagne al Forno, layered with a thicker ragù and béchamel sauce, and corresponding to the most common version of the dish outside Italy, are traditionally associated with the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. In other regions, lasagne can be made with various combinations of ricotta or mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, meats (e.g., ground beef, pork or chicken), and vegetables (e.g., spinach, zucchini, olives, mushrooms), and the dish is typically flavoured with wine, garlic, onion, and oregano. In all cases, the lasagne are oven-baked (i.e., al forno).

Enjoy! 💗Helena

INGREDIENTS:

Ragù Bolognese:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped (white, yellow or brown)
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 kilo ground beef
• 800 grams canned tomatoes, crushed
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup (250ml) beef broth
• 3 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled
• 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme 
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar (if required) 
   

  

  
  
  
  

Béchamel (Cheese Sauce):

• 4 tablespoons (60g) butter
• ½ cup (75g) flour
• 4 cups (1 liter) milk
• 2 cups (200g) shredded cheddar cheese (or Colby, Gruyere, Monterey Jack)
• A pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper 
  
  
  

Lasagne:

• 250-300 grams instant (no cook), dried lasagne sheets
• 150-200 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
• Finely chopped basil or parsley, for garnish (optional) 
  
  
  

DIRECTIONS:

Ragù Bolognese:

1. Heat oil in a large heavy based pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes until softened and sweet. They should not brown (if they do, turn heat down). 
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Add beef, turn heat up and cook the beef, breaking it up as you go. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Once the beef has all turned brown, add the remaining ragù ingredients EXCEPT the sugar. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Stir then adjust the heat so it is bubbling very gently. Place the lid on and cook for 1.5-2 hours, stirring every now and then. 
   
   
   
5. Then remove the lid and simmer for 30 minutes. 
   
   
   
6. The ragù is ready when the meat is really tender and the sauce has thickened and is rich.
7. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and add sugar if required (in case the ragù is a bit sour depending on the quality of the tomatoes).

Béchamel (Cheese Sauce):

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Add flour and mix constantly for 1 minute. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Pour about 1 cup of the milk in, mixing as you go to incorporate into the flour mixture. Once mostly lump free, add remaining milk. Use a whisk if needed to make it lump free. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Turn heat up to medium high. Stir occasionally at first then regularly after a few minutes until sauce thickens (about 5-8 minutes). It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. 
4. Remove from heat, and add cheddar cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix until the cheese is melted. The sauce should be thick but still easily pourable – the consistency of heavy cream (you need to be able to drizzle it over the ragù when layering). If it's too thick, add a splash of water or milk. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Lasagne:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Use a 33 x 22 x 7 cm baking dish. 
   
   
   
3. Smear a bit of ragù on the base, then cover with lasagne sheets. Tear sheets to fit. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Spread over 2½ cups of ragù (enough to cover sheets), then drizzle over 1 cup of béchamel. 
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   
5. Top with lasagne sheets, spread with another 2½ cups of ragù, then 1 cup of béchamel. 
6. Top with lasagne sheets and repeat 1 more time.
7. Top with a 4th layer of lasagne sheets, then pour over the remaining béchamel. 
   
   
   
8. Sprinkle with mozzarella. 
   
   
   
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling. 
   
   
   
10. Stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving, garnished with basil or parsley if desired.