Every now and then I have an urge (or perhaps a craving). Then I find it necessary to take action. Complete, from start to finish, a dish so tasty it takes you to another place.
Picture yourself sitting in a tiny restaurant. The sounds of the kitchen are muffled by a swinging door. The waiter moves so fast you can hear his apron whipping past you. Soft music plays in the background, so subtle and fitting you thought it was playing in your mind. Glasses are clanking and soft chatter is heard. The smells, the tastes, a perfect atmosphere for the perfect meal.
Creating this at home might take some work but is always worth the time and effort you put into the kitchen. A table filled with family and friends is the final component to creating the perfect meal. The smiles of enjoyment create that fulfilled, satisfying feeling you hope for after a long days work along the stove.
This recipe is for a classic favorite of mine, Lasagna Bolognese. All of the components in this recipe can be made 2-3 days in advance, perfect for planning a weekend get-together or Sunday family meal. To some this might be considered a challenge but this recipe is great because in the end it’s not about looks, it’s about flavor —it is lasagna after all. Just don’t forget the wine and everything will be fine!
Lasagna Bolognese
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef chuck
1 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup whole milk
1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
Fresh Pasta Noodles
½ teaspoon kosher salt
300 Grams or 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more
4 large eggs, room temperature
Bechamel
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Kosher salt
2 cups finely grated Parmesan
Preparation
Bolognese Sauce
• Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add beef, pork and vegetables; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and meat is well browned, 25–30 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Add wine to pot and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 cups broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, adding water by ½-cupfuls if sauce looks dry, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, 2½–3 hours.
• Let sauce cool, then cover and chill. The longer the sauce sits the deeper and richer the flavor will become. This can be made 2 days ahead of time
Fresh Pasta Dough and Noodles
• Whisk salt and 300 Grams of flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and crack eggs into well. Mix eggs with a fork, then slowly mix in flour until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if sticky, until smooth, about 5 minutes (it will be fairly stiff). Wrap in plastic; let sit until dough holds an indentation when pressed, 1–2 hours.
• Set pasta maker to thickest setting; dust lightly with flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping remaining dough wrapped in plastic as you workn (do not let the dough get dry), flatten dough into a narrow rectangle (no wider than mouth of machine); pass through rollers. Fold dough as needed to fit and run through again. Repeat without folding, adjusting machine to thinner settings after every pass and dusting with flour if sticky, until pasta sheet is 1/16” thick, usually the last setting on a standard pasta machine. Place pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut crosswise into 16 8”-long noodles.
Béchamel
• Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk, ½-cupful at a time. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until the consistency of cream, 8–10 minutes; add nutmeg and season with salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a medium bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto surface; let cool slightly.
Assembly
• If the sauces were made ahead of time, reheat. Combine Bolognese sauce and 1 cup of broth in a large saucepan over medium heat, and heat until sauce is warmed through.
• Meanwhile, if you made the béchamel ahead of time, heat in a medium saucepan over low heat just until warmed through (you don’t want to let it boil).
• Working in batches, cook fresh lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just softened, about 10 seconds. Remove carefully with tongs and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain noodles and stack on a baking sheet, with paper towels between each layer, making sure noodles don’t touch (they’ll stick together).
• Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 13×9” baking dish with unsalted butter.
• Spread ¼ cup béchamel in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread over a scant ¾ cup Bolognese sauce, then ½ cup béchamel, and top with ¼ cup Parmesan. Repeat process 7 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmesan, for a total of 8 layers. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50–60 minutes. Let lasagna sit at least 30 minutes before serving.
Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir.
Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 12 years, working in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.
Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.
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