Lasagne alla Bolognese
Lasagna has a long history but Lasagne alla Bolognese recipe, typical from Emilia Romagna, traces its origins no further than the start 19th century when some restaurants in Bologna in the region of Emilia Romagna began serving this dish to their clients.
Lasagna is considered one of the oldest pasta dishes in Italian cuisine, attested to in medieval literature soon after Marco Polo returned from his travels in Asia. Polo himself recounts eating a dish in China that he called lasagne, noting that the flour used for the noodles was from breadfruit.
The origins of the word lasagne can be traced back to Ancient Greece. What we know as lasagne is derived from the word “laganon”, which was the first form of pasta. Laganon was a reference to flat sheets of pasta dough cut into thin strips. As you might expect, Laganon looked very different from what we know to be a typical lasagna dish today. It consisted of layers of pasta and sauce without traditional Italian ingredients. Ancient Rome was known to have a similar dish called “lasanum”, which is Latin for container or pot. Italians used this word to refer to the pot that the dish was served in. Eventually, the dish evolved and took on the same name.
So, prepare this dish for your Sunday meal and amaze your family members!
You can find the ragu (bolognese sauce) recipe in my recipes. I usually make it double so I always have some leftovers for dishes like this.
First is to make bechamel sauce.
Melt butter in a pot over low heat. Add in the flour and with a whisk, whisk together flour and the butter. Add a splash of milk and whisk vigorously until combined. Gradually add more and more milk while mixing to make sure there are no lumps. Simmer for 10 minutes with stirring. Season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg, then set it aside.
Best is to use fresh lasagne sheets, they are always more flavourful and you don't have to cook them before assembling the lasagne. But if you have regular pasta, cook those in salted water for 3 minutes, so they are still undercooked.
Over the bottom of the baking dish spread a very thin layer of bechamel and ragu. Place enough lasagne sheets to cover the bottom, then spread a big ladle and a half of ragu and top with quarter of bechamel over the sauce. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan cheese, then cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the process so you have four layers. I find this is the most optimal portion for lasagne, but to each their own!
Top with grated mozzarella and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C/428°F for 25 minutes.
Lasagne alla Bolognese
Ingredients
Instructions
- To make bechamel sauce melt butter in a pot over low heat. Add in the flour and with a whisk, whisk together flour and the butter. Add a splash of milk and whisk vigorously until combined. Gradually add more and more milk while mixing to make sure there are no lumps. Simmer for 10 minutes with stirring. Season with a pinch of salt and nutmeg, then set it aside.
- Use fresh lasagna sheets or cook regular pasta in salted water for 3 minutes, so they are still undercooked.
- Over the bottom of the baking dish spread a very thin layer of bechamel and ragu. Place enough lasagne sheets to cover the bottom, then spread a big ladle and a half of ragu and top with quarter of bechamel over the sauce. Sprinkle a tablespoon of parmesan cheese, then cover with a layer of lasagne sheets. Repeat the process so you have four layers.
- Top with grated mozzarella and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 25 minutes.
