Lasagna Al Forno
sandravalvassori.com
An exquisite Lasagna Al Forno recipe that will give you a classic Italian lasagna. Filled with layer after layer of tender pasta sheets bathed in a creamy béchamel and rich bolognese sauce, this lasagna feeds a crowd and is perfect for a Sunday dinner or any special occasion.
Servings: 8 - 10
Ingredients
Bolognese
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-4 ounces pancetta or bacon finely chopped
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1 medium carrot peeled finely diced
- 2 celery stalks finely diced
- Kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 (750ml) jar of passata or 1 28-ounce can good-quality crushed tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
Béchamel
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups (1 litre) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
Bolognese
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta has released most of its fat, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft 6–8 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until brown. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the milk and cook until the meat has absorbed most of the milk, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add the wine and let it simmer until slightly reduced, then add the passata, bay leaves, nutmeg and 2 cups of beef broth. Let simmer, over medium-low heat, uncovered, until the bolognese looks rich, thick, and tastes delicious, about 2 to 3 hours. If not using immediately, let cool and refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days.
Béchamel
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Continue whisking, and let paste cook about 1–2minutes.
- Whisking constantly so no lumps form, slowly drizzle in half of the milk. Once incorporated, add the rest of the milk, still whisking. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly, then lower to a simmer. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan.
- If not using immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap directly over top of sauce to prevent a hard film from forming.
Assemble and Bake Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish. Spread a little bolognese sauce over the base. Note: If your bolognese sauce seems very thick, add remaining 1 cup of broth, or water, to loosen it.
- Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets on top of the sauce. It's okay if you need to cut some of the sheets to make them fit.
- Then, cover pasta with a thin layer of béchmal followed by another layer of ragu. Repeat the process, finishing with a layer of pasta topped with béchamel sauce. You should have 4 to 5 layers. If using fresh mozzarella slices, scatter them evenly over top of your lasagna and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Cover entire dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20–25 minutes or until lasagna is bubbly, golden brown, and crispy-edged.
- Let cool for 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Bolognese - This lasagna al forno relies on a rich and deeply flavored bolognese sauce. This can only be achieved with a long cooking time. Don't rush the cooking time or the lasagna will not be as good. In addition, the bolognese should not be covered or the liquids will not reduce enough.
- Lasagna sheets - The amount of lasagna sheets needed will depend on which lasagna sheets you use. Mine were quite large so I only needed 8-10. If using dried pasta sheets, boil or no-boil, you will need more like 16. If using no-boil lasagna sheets, make sure they are throughly covered in sauce so they cook properly. If using lasagna sheets that require boiling, follow package instructions but do not over cook them.
- Make Ahead: Lasagna is a perfect dish for making ahead. You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead, then bake it just before serving. Or, assemble and bake it ahead, then reheat just before serving. Both methods work beautifully, but you’ll have to add a little more baking time to the lasagna that was refrigerated.