Our Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel is absolutely the real deal! One time a very traveled knowledgeable acquaintance said to me …. If you have Lasagna Bolognese with Béchamel in your book, I know your book is the real deal!! I said, yes sir!, I do have a recipe for that!! I tried to make mine as authentic as I could from when I first ate it in Spain on the Costa del Sol and then again in Rome. He said I’ll take a book please!! I was never so proud or happy!! This recipe is light, soooooo delicious and so full of flavor! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Use the San Marzano Tomatoes when available….makes it so much richer! This Lasagna is even more special made with homemade Pasta. Also, spoon this sauce over any style of pasta you love! The Sauce or Lasagna freezes so well!! Make 2 smaller Lasagnas, eat one and freeze the other! Just enjoy this incredible meal that tastes just like you were in Spain or Italy with your family and friends!
Prepare the Bolognese Sauce and set aside: For the Sauce-Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook another 5 minutes. Let the tomato paste stick to the pan a bit and become a little brown to provide a rich flavor. Crumble in the meat and continue cooking, stirring to break it up until all the meat liquid has evaporated and the meat is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Pour in the wine and cook, scraping the meat bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has evaporated, 3-4 minutes. If desired, puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor.
Pour into the meat mixture and add the bay leaves and pepper. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is rich, dark red color, 2-3 hours. The longer you cook the sauce, the better. While the sauce is cooking, add hot water if the sauce becomes too thick. When the sauce is done cooking, remove the bay leaves.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a 101/2 x 151/2-inch casserole dish. Or make two lasagnas with two greased square pans. Bake one and freeze the other.
Cook the pasta according to package directions. (If you’re making homemade pasta, have it ready to cook as soon as the béchamel sauce is done.)
Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly with a whisk to avoid lumping. When all the milk is mixed in, add the nutmeg and salt.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Remove from the heat and let stand while the pasta cooks.
Drain the pasta and lay it out on a cookie sheet to prevent it from sticking together as it cools.
To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of bolognese sauce (just a few tablespoons) in the prepared casserole, then one-third of the pasta, 2 cups of the bolognese sauce, 2 cups of the bechamel sauce, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Repeat layering two more times. (Refrigerate or freeze any leftover bolognese sauce to serve over pasta for another meal.) Dot the top with the butter to keep the lasagna moist during baking. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Recipe Note
Serve with: tossed green salad and Italian Bread, homemade (p. 224) or from the bakery.
Note: Substitute your own fresh pasta (p. 76) for the packaged lasagna noodles.
