It really doesn't get much better than this: Homemade, bubbling lasagne made with love, the real Italian way. A rich, slow-simmered bolognese, a creamy bechamel sauce, and tender scratch-made pasta make this traditional comfort food truly something special. Boys, you will want to keep this one in your tool kit for sure.
Although it isn't imperative to the recipe, and it really probably doesn't matter in regards to taste at all, but I sure do prefer to make my lasagna in this stone, Emile Henry (pronounced "uh-meel honray") baking dish rather than a glass pyrex baking dish. It's deeper, looks nicer, and I swear it cooks better.
INGREDIENTS
Fresh (I know, I know... slim chance) or ready to bake lasagne noodles
2 8oz. bags of Tillamook Farmstyle Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (or shred your own)
1 16oz. log fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds
For the bolognese sauce
Extra virgin olive oil
6 strips of bacon, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
A splash or two of red or Rosé wine
1 batch of my all-purpose tomato sauce
For the bechamel sauce
1 batch of my basic bechamel sauce
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
To make the bolognese, first brown the bacon in a little swirl of olive oil over medium heat. Once browned and crisped through, remove with a slotted spoon and use it for another dish (we don't add the cooked bacon to the sauce-we are simply using it for the fat and flavor). To the bacon fat, add brown the ground beef and ground pork using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up. After browned, remove the meat to a paper-towel lined plate. Deglaze the pan by adding a splash or two of wine and scraping it with the wooden spoon.
Add the all-purpose tomato sauce and the browned meat to the pot and heat through over medium or medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes for all of the flavors to meld together.
Make the basic bechamel sauce as directed in my basic bechamel recipe, adding the grated parmesan cheese to the end after the sauce has been removed from the heat.
Now that you have all of the ingredients, it's time to assemble. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Start by spooning a couple of ladles of bolognese to the bottom of the 9x13 pan, just enough to cover. Add your first layer of lasagne noodles (I do 3 noodles going across the 9" length of the pan). On top of the noodles, spread 1/3 of the bechamel sauce, a layer of the grated mozzarella cheese (just enough to cover) and 1/3 of the bolognese sauce. Repeat for two more layers ending with rounds of the fresh mozarella placed on top.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and then place the pan of cheesy goodness on top of the baking sheet. Bake in the oven until melted, bubbling, and browned, approximately 60 minutes. Allow lasagne to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Be prepared for it fall apart as you dish it up while still hot.
Serve with some garlic bread and a yummy salad, and it's the perfect meal.
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