Whenever I made this Original Lasagne Bolognese Video , people asked me for the recipe. The truth is, until now it was never written down. Like everything else I make, it was a compilation of other recipes and my own heritage. It is not your traditional American lasagna, but I think you will like it!
Ingredients Original Lasagne Bolognese Video
1 lb ground veal
1 large carrot, or 2 medium carrots
1 small onion
2 TB olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 oz white wine
20 oz of your own tomato sauce, or you can use a jar brand. When I have to buy it due to time constraints, I get Bertolli Organic Tomato and Basil.
2 oz of heavy cream
6 TB of flour
6 TB of butter
6 cups of milk
1 wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (about 1/2 lb.)
9-12 sheets of fresh pasta cut into 9 inch pieces, or Barilla lasagna sheets (on the pasta aisle)
Method
Peel the carrot(s) and the onion and chop into chunks. Buzz them in the food processor until finely chopped. Add the veal and buzz for about 10 seconds. Heat a big pot with the olive oil on medium high to high. Add the contents from the processor, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, 1/4 tsp of the nutmeg, thyme leaves (not the stems), bay leaf and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Cook until the meat is browned (making sure meat is really broken into small pieces) and the veggies are relatively soft. Add the wine and let the alcohol cook off for a couple of minutes. Then add the tomato sauce. Allow to come to a boil, then lower the heat to a good simmer. Add the heavy cream. Allow to simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes.
In another pot, melt the butter on medium high heat. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Let the roux cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk and stir with a whisk. Wait for the mixture to come to a boil, stirring constantly. When it boils, remove from heat. It should be the texture of a sauce. If it is too thin, put it back on the heat and let it reduce a bit more, whisking constantly. When you remove it, add the rest of the nutmeg and 1/4 tsp each of salt and white pepper.
Take the meat sauce off the heat (take out the bay leaf) and let it cool for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you made your own pasta, boil it for about 15 seconds and shock in cold water before using or you can use the Barilla which does not need to be pre-cooked. In a 9×13 glass dish, ladle about 3/4 cup of the red sauce to cover the bottom, add lasagna to cover the layer. Add 3/4 cup of the white sauce over the lasagna and a generous handful of the cheese. Repeat until you reach nearly the top of the dish. Add the rest of both the white and red sauce and cover generously with the rest of the cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover for another 10-15 minutes until top is browned and bubbly. Take out of oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before eating. Mangia! In the mood for something in the crock pot? Try THIS Italian pork stew.
