Lasagne alla Bolognese (homemade pasta, slow meat ragù & béchamel)

Ingredients

Contains gluten, dairy, egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Method

1. 1

   Make the soffritto: heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat and add the diced pancetta; cook until translucent, about 4–5 minutes.

   5 min
2. 2

   Add the finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and sweat gently until very soft and slightly golden.

   10 min
3. 3

   Push the vegetables to the side, add the ground beef and pork, break up with a spoon and brown the meat without crowding—do this in batches if needed.

   10 min
4. 4

   Stir everything together, add the white wine, and raise the heat briefly to bring to a simmer so the alcohol reduces and the wine deglazes the pan.

   6 min
5. 5

   Pour in the milk, stir, and let it reduce gently until most of the milk has evaporated; this softens the acidity of the tomatoes later.

   8 min
6. 6

   Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and beef stock; stir, season with salt and pepper, bring to a bare simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

   2 min
7. 7

   Cover the pot slightly ajar and let the ragù simmer very gently, stirring occasionally, until thick and deeply flavored.

   Stir every 15–20 minutes and scrape the bottom to prevent sticking; add a splash of stock if it dries too much.

   90 min
8. 8

   While the ragù simmers, make the pasta dough: mound the flour on the counter, make a well, add the eggs and salt, then incorporate with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

   10 min
9. 9

   Knead the dough by hand until smooth and elastic, about 8–10 minutes, or pulse in a food processor until it comes together.

   10 min
10. 10

    Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest at room temperature.

    Resting relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

    30 min
11. 11

    Divide the rested dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece through a pasta machine or with a rolling pin to thin sheets about 1 mm thick; trim to the size of your baking dish.

    20 min
12. 12

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and, working in batches, blanch each pasta sheet for 30–45 seconds to make them pliable; transfer to a tray and pat dry.

    If your sheets are extremely thin you may skip blanching and use them raw, but blanching reduces the risk of tearing during assembly.

    15 min
13. 13

    Make the béchamel: melt 60 g butter in a saucepan over medium heat, whisk in 60 g flour and cook for 1–2 minutes without browning.

    3 min
14. 14

    Gradually whisk in the warmed milk until smooth, bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

    10 min
15. 15

    Season the béchamel with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg; remove from the heat.

    1 min
16. 16

    Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish.

    10 min
17. 17

    Assemble: spread a thin layer of ragù on the bottom of the dish, then a thin layer of béchamel, a pasta sheet, a spoonful of ragù, béchamel, and a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano; repeat to make 4–5 layers finishing with béchamel and a generous dusting of Parmigiano.

    15 min
18. 18

    Dot the top with small pieces of butter and cover the dish tightly with foil.

    2 min
19. 19

    Bake covered until heated through and bubbling at the edges.

    35 min
20. 20

    Remove the foil and bake until the top is golden and the béchamel is set.

    10 min
21. 21

    Let the lasagne rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.

    Resting lets the layers settle so slices hold together.

    20 min