AUTHENTIC ITALIAN LASAGNA RECIPE WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE RECIPES

Steps:

• Make the Bolognese sauce Pulse onion, carrot, and celery in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, ground pork, pancetta, and vegetables; cook, breaking up ground meat with a spoon, until moisture is almost completely evaporated and meat is well browned, 25–30 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Add wine to pot and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until moisture is almost completely evaporated, 8–10 minutes. Add tomatoes and 2 cups broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, adding water by 1/2-cupfuls if sauce looks dry, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, 2 1/2–3 hours.
• Let sauce cool, then cover and chill at least 12 hours or up to 2 days. (Letting the sauce sit will give it a deeper, richer flavor.)
• Make the fresh pasta dough Whisk salt and 3 cups flour in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and crack eggs into well. Mix eggs with a fork, then slowly mix in flour until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting lightly with flour if sticky, until smooth, about 5 minutes (it will be fairly stiff). Wrap in plastic; let sit until dough holds an indentation when pressed, 1–2 hours.
• Chill dough if you are not rolling it out right away. Bring to room temperature before rolling out, about 1 hour.
• Make the noodles Set pasta maker to thickest setting; dust lightly with flour. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time and keeping remaining dough wrapped in plastic as you work, flatten dough into a narrow rectangle (no wider than mouth of machine); pass through rollers . Fold dough as needed to fit and run through again. Repeat without folding, adjusting machine to thinner settings after every pass and dusting with flour if sticky, until pasta sheet is 1/16" thick (setting 8 on most machines). Place pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface and cut crosswise into 16 8"-long noodles.
• If making noodles ahead, stack on a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap; chill.
• Make the béchamel Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in warm milk, 1/2-cupful at a time. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, whisking often, until the consistency of cream, 8–10 minutes; add nutmeg and season with salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a medium bowl, and press plastic wrap directly onto surface; let cool slightly. Chill if not using right away.
• Reheat the sauces Combine Bolognese sauce and remaining 1 cup broth in a large saucepan over medium heat, and heat until sauce is warmed through.
• Meanwhile, if you made the béchamel ahead of time, heat in a medium saucepan over low heat just until warmed through (you don't want to let it boil).
• Cook the noodles Working in batches, cook fresh lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just softened, about 10 seconds. Remove carefully with tongs and transfer to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain noodles and stack on a baking sheet, with paper towels between each layer, making sure noodles don't touch (they'll stick together).
• Assemble the lasagna Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13x9" baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup béchamel in the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, spread over a scant 3/4 cup Bolognese sauce, then 1/2 cup béchamel, and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Repeat process 7 more times, starting with noodles and ending with Parmesan, for a total of 8 layers. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake lasagna until bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 50–60 minutes. Let lasagna sit 45 minutes before serving.
• Lasagna can be assembled 12 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 2 hours before baking. Cook, covered with foil until the last 20 minutes, then finish cooking uncovered.

Steps:

• To prepare lasagne alla   Bolognese , start with the meat sauce. Prepare the vegetable broth and ensure to keep it warm. Then take the pancetta bacon, cut it into strips first 1 and then chop it well 2 . Separately, finely chop the carrots, onions, celery and set aside 3 .
• In a saucepan, pour a drizzle of oil and the pancetta bacon. Use a ladle to spread it well 4 and let it brown for a few minutes. Then add the chopped vegetables 5 and cook for 5-6 minutes 5 . Then add the minced meat 6 . Stir and raise the heat. Let the meat brown slowly, it must be well browned to seal the juices and be soft.
• Deglaze with red wine 7 and let it evaporate completely before adding the tomato puree 8 . The Bolognese sauce must cook for two hours. When it starts boiling again, you can add some hot broth, one or two ladles 9 , and let the sauce cook for another couple of hours at least.
• Let it cook with the lid on, without covering the pan completely 10 . Check and stir from time to time, add more broth when needed and let it cook. Now move on to the pasta. First, pour the spinach into a pan 11 , add a little water, cover with a lid 12
• and cook until they are wilted, it will take 5-6 minutes in total 13 . At this point, drain them, let them cool and squeeze them well 14 . Transfer the spinach to a mixer 15
• and blend them until you get a puree 16 . You will need to get approx 3.5 cups (100 g) of it. Now on a pastry board pour the semolina and 00 flour 17 , add the spinach and create a fountain shape. Add the lightly beaten eggs 18
• and egg yolks 19 . Begin to knead everything starting from the center 20 , this way the eggs will not slip out of the fountain. Knead well until you get a homogeneous dough 21 .
• Wrap it in plastic wrap 22 and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. In the meantime, prepare the béchamel sauce. Heat the milk in a saucepan 23 , without boiling it. In another pan, place the butter 24 and let it melt.
• Add the flour in one go 25 and cook for a few minutes until you get a golden roux 26 . Then, pour the hot milk in three times 27 , mixing well.
• Add salt and flavor with nutmeg 28 . Continue to mix until you get a creamy béchamel 29 . Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. As soon as 30 minutes have elapsed, take the dough back and take a piece 30 . Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
• With the help of a little semolina flatten it slightly on the pastry board to form a rectangle and roll out the dough in the machine 31 . Start from a wider thickness, then fold the dough and pass it over. When you feel it is too wet, sprinkle with a little semolina. Gradually reduce the thickness until you get a sheet just over 0.2 inches (0.5 mm) thick. Transfer it to a pastry board and cut into large rectangles 12x8 inches (30x20 cm) 32 . Continue this way until the dough is finished and in the meantime put a pot of water on the stove and add salt. When it starts to boil, immerse one sheet at a time 33 ,
• wait 30-40 seconds and using a skimmer drain it 34 . Transfer it to a tray with a cloth 35 and dab to remove excess water. Continue this way, placing the cooked sheets side by side, without overlapping them. As soon as the Bolognese sauce is ready 36 , season with salt and pepper and proceed to the composition of the lasagna.
• Take a large 12x8 inches (30x20 cm) lasagna pan and grease the bottom 37 . Add a thin layer of béchamel and one of Bolognese sauce 38 . Then place the first sheet 39 ,
• add a layer of béchamel and a layer of meat sauce 40 . Add grated Parmesan cheese 41 and place another sheet of pasta on top 42 .
• Add another layer of béchamel and one of meat sauce 43 , add grated cheese 44 and continue like this until you have 5 layers. After placing the last sheet, add the Bolognese sauce 5
• in order to completely cover the pasta sheet 46 . Sprinkle with grated cheese, add some tufts of butter 47 and bake in a preheated static oven at 338°F (170°C) for 40 minutes 48 .