Meaty Lasagna Bolognese Recipes

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Pour white wine into the Dutch oven; cook until alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer Bolognese sauce, stirring occasionally and skimming fat off the surface, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce looks dry.
• Stir heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk into the Bolognese sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over very low heat until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms; cook and stir until paste turns a golden sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk 4 cups milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until bechamel sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg; discard bay leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna sheet; prick in several places with a paring knife. Spread 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and 1/2 cup Bolognese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat layers 7 times with remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• For the bechamel: Gently heat the milk over a low flame but do not boil. While the milk is heating put the butter into a sauce pot and slowly melt over low heat. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour gradually to avoid lumps and gently cook this roux. Using a wire whisk, very slowly begin to pour the hot milk into the roux, a little at a time. Avoid lumps by going very slowly. When all the milk has been added, add the seasoning, turn the heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. When finished allow to cool somewhat before using in the lasagna recipe.
• For the Bolognese: Heat the oil and butter together, over low heat, in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until wilted. Add the meat and, breaking up the meat with a fork or spoon, cook gently and stirring frequently. Season the meat with salt and pepper, add the wine and allow the wine to cook completely down to almost dry before adding the tomatoes and water. Adjust the heat to a slow simmer and, being careful not to cook too rapidly, cook the meat and tomato sauce for between 3 to 4 hours. Stir frequently to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot and keep an eye on this simmering pot. When the sauce has cooked for several hours and the excess water has cooked off, remove from the heat and allow to cool before assembling the lasagna.
• For the pasta: Bring the 12 quarts water to the boil. Before cooking the pasta have all the equipment and ice water ready for the cooking and chilling process. Add the salt to the pasta pot, reboil and begin to blanch or parcook the pasta in batches. Cook each batch for 2 to 3 minutes in rapidly boiling water before using a large wire strainer to scoop out the cooked pasta, submerge in the ice water and then resume cooking another batch of pasta using the same method. Small bathes ensure uniform cooking and cooling. When the pasta sheets have cooled in 1 or 2 minutes, remove them from the water and place them on paper towels to dry. When all the pasta has been cooked in this manner the lasagna may be assembled.
• To assemble and bake the lasagna:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Spread some bechamel on the bottom of the baking pan. Top with a layer of pasta sheets. Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on top of the pasta, top with a layer of bechamel, evenly sprinkle on some grated Parmigiano cheese and top with another single layer of pasta. Do this layering process until all of the ingredients have been used and making sure that the final and top layer is bechamel sauce with Parmigiano sprinkled on. When the baking dish is completely filled the lasagna is ready to be baked. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the top has browned and the edges are crispy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• In a dutch oven, cook ground beef, sausage, pancetta, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic over med-high heat until meat is brown and vegetables are tender; drain off fat.
• Stir in milk; simmer, uncovered, until milk is nearly evaporated.
• Stir in wine and broth; simmer, uncovered until liquid is nearly evaporated.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sage, parsley, pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper; taste for seasoning and adjust.
• In a bowl, combine the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• To assemble, spread 1/3 of the meat sauce over the bottom of an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
• Sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese mixture; top with 4 noodles.
• Repeat layering meat sauce, cheese, mixture, and noodles two times.
• Spread the Alfredo sauce evenly over the noodles; cover dish with foil.
• Bake for 40 minutes; sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until heated through.
• Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.