Italian recipesItališki receptai

Italian Recipes. Real Italian Lasagna alla Bolognese

lasagna alla bolognese by www.giallozafferanoLasagne is a wide, flat pasta shape and possibly one of the oldest. The word also refers to a dish made with this type of pasta with different sauces and baked in the oven. As with most other types of pasta, the word is a plural form, lasagne meaning more than one piece of lasagna ribbon.

There are few theories on the origin of lasagne, two of which denote an ancient Greek dish. The main theory is that lasagne comes from Greek λάγανον (laganon), a flat sheet of pasta dough cut into strips. The word λαγάνα (lagana) is still used in Greek to mean a flat thin type of unleavened bread. Another theory is that the word lasagne comes from the Greek λάσανα (lasana) or λάσανον (lasanon) meaning “trivet or stand for a pot”, “chamber pot”.

The Romans borrowed the word as “lasanum”, meaning “cooking pot” in Latin. The Italians used the word to refer to the dish in which lasagne is made. Later the name of the food took on the name of the serving dish.

The real italian is made with Sugo alla Bolognese and béchamel sauce, and an abundant dusting of grated cheese before it goes into the oven. Lasagna alla Bolognese is a fairly elastic recipe: If you feel like creamier lasagna you can use more béchamel sauce, or, if you’re in a mood for substance, you can use more meat sauce.

Ingredients

• 500 g lasagna sheets
• 1 kg ragù alla bolognese
• 1 kg béchamel sauce

Ingredients for ragù alla bolognese:

• 1 medium carrot
• 1 medium onion
• 4 spoons olive oil
• 1 glass full fat milk
• 50 g butter
• 1 glass red wine
• 100 gr pancetta or parma ham or quality dried bacon
• 250 g ground chuck beef
• 250 g ground pork shoulder
• 250 g puréed and skinned tomatoes (passata)
• 1 celery stick
• 250 ml meat stock
• Salt, pepper
• 200 gr Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Ingredients for béchamel sauce:

• 1 l milk
• 100 g butter
• 100 g flour
• Salt, Nutmeg

Preparation

ragu alla bolognese by giallozafferanoPreparation of ragù alla bolognese:

• Peel your carrot and onions, trim and wash a celery stick.
• Grate the carrot, celery and onion to tiny cubes.
• In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter, add the grated vegetables and fry lightly.
• Add the minced pancetta, beef and pork. Mix well and cook on low heat for about an hour.
• Pour a glass of red wine and let it evaporate.
• Add the tomato puree, add a bit of salt and pepper. Leave on a low heat for about an hour.
• Finally, add meat stock and milk. Few minutes, and Your meat sauce is ready.

You can watch here how to prepare ragù alla bolognese.

bechamel sauce by giallozafferanoPreparation of béchamel sauce:

• In a small saucepan melt butter, add flour and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes.
• In another bowl heat milk and pour into a saucepan with the butter and flour mixture.
• Leave the mixture over low heat until boiling, add a bit of salt and nutmeg.
• Cover the pot and cook the bechamel sauce over low heat for about 15 minutes.

You can watch here how to prepare béchamel sauce.

Preparation of real italian lasagna:

• Set your oven to 160 C.
• Spread a fairly thick (1.25 cm) layer of meat sauce over the pasta and a layer of béchamel sauce.
• Repeat the cycle with pasta, followed by more meat sauce and more béchamel sauce, until all is used up.
• Finish with a layer of meat sauce and béchamel sauce.
• Sprinkle the lasagna liberally with freshly grated cheese.
• Put the lasagna in the oven for an hour.

You can watch here how to prepare real italian lasagna.

 

Photos and videos from www.giallozafferano.it