Lasagna Bolognese ​
Servings: 5
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 5 ounces white button mushrooms
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 carrot, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 ounce 6- piece prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 pound ground beef chuck
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • kosher salt
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
  • 1/2 ounce 28- can whole san marzano tomatoes
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • kosher salt
  • 3/4 pound fresh lasagna sheets
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 6 ounces parmesan, grated (2 to 3 cups)
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella or fontina, grated (4 to 5 cups)
Directions
Step 1 Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 2 cups warm water until soft, about thirty minutes. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid.
Step 2 Finely chop the porcini and white mushrooms in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, and prosciutto to the processor; pulse until finely chopped.
Step 3 Heat the essential olive oil in a huge pot over high temperature. Cook the bottom beef and pork in batches, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, until browned, six to eight 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Add your wine to the pot, scraping up the browned bits. Add the liquid to the bowl with the meat.
Step 4 Melt the butter in the pot; add the onion, chopped carrot mixture, the rosemary, bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 12 to quarter-hour. Add the tomato paste and mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 8 minutes.
Step 5 Return the meat mixture to the pot. Add the cognac and scrape up the browned bits. Cook, stirring before the liquid is absorbed, about five minutes. Add 2 cups water and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Crush the tomatoes together with your hands over the pot and add with their juices. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 hours, thirty minutes. Cool completely.
Step 6 Meanwhile, make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a broad saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, whisking, 2-3 three minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, 5 to ten minutes. Decrease the heat to low and cook, whisking, for 10 more minutes.
Step 7 Assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a broad saucepan. Fill a sizable bowl with ice water. Line a baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel. Employed in batches, boil the pasta until partially cooked, about 4 minutes, then remove with a skimmer and transfer to the ice water to cool. Take away the pasta sheets, get rid of the surplus water, and arrange within a layer on the towel. Cover the pasta with another damp towel.
Step 8 Brush underneath and sides of a deep 11-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter. Spread 1/2 cup ragu in the pan. Cover with a layer of pasta, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmesan and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Spread 1 1/2 cups ragu over the cheese and top with 1 cup bechamel. Repeat with 3 more layers each of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, ragu, and bechamel. Top with a layer of pasta, then cover with the rest of the bechamel. Sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan and mozzarella. Tuck the edges of the pasta into the baking dish with a knife.
Step 9 Place the lasagna on a baking sheet to catch any drips; bake until bubbly and golden, about 40 minutes. Let rest thirty minutes before slicing and serving.