Rachaels White Bolognese Lasagna Recipes

RACHAEL'S WHITE BOLOGNESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the bolognese, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with EVOO, add pancetta and render 2-3 minutes, add carrot, celery and onion and stir 5 minutes to soften, add meats and crumble, lightly brown, add garlic, fennel, sage, rosemary, bay, salt and pepper, add wine and let it absorb, add stock, cream and parm rind, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 400˚F with rack at center.For the bechamel sauce, warm milk in small pot.In a saucepot or pan, melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour when the butter foams to combine, then whisk in warm milk, season sauce with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.For the ricotta filling, combine ricotta with Parm, egg, thyme, lemon zest and EVOO.Assemble lasagna: half the béchamel, pasta sheets, half the meat sauce, pasta sheets, all of the ricotta, pasta sheets, remainder of the meat sauce, pasta sheets, remainder of the white sauce, fontina or mozzarella, and parm.Cover the lasagna with foil, bake 30 minutes, uncover and bake 20-25 minutes more to brown and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest 10-20 minutes, then cut and serve.

CLASSIC BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the butter to the oil in small pieces and when the butter foams, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bay and stir, about 5 minutes. Add pancetta and stir 8 to 10 more minutes to render and crisp. Add about a third of the beef and crumble it with a wooden paddle or spoon, let all of the liquid absorb and let the meat begin to lightly caramelize before adding the next third; repeat. Season the meat with salt, pepper, white pepper and nutmeg. Add white wine, about a quarter to a third of a bottle, then stir and let it absorb into the meat. Scrape up all of the fond or the drippings from the meats and vegetables, being careful not to burn the meat. Add milk, tomatoes and about 1 cup stock, a piece of cheese rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano if you have one, then lower heat to simmer, partially cover and cook the sauce 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add up to 1 extra cup of stock if needed if sauce gets too thick. The perfect traditional Bolognese should be buttery, uniform and emulsified, the consistency of rich, tender, pourable oatmeal. Remove bay leaf and the rind, if using, from the sauce. Sauce may be made a few days ahead as the longer it sets, the better it gets.
• To serve, cook pasta in salted water 1 minute less than package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 full cup of starchy cooking water, then drain pasta and place back in hot pot.
• Combine pasta with about two-thirds of the sauce, the cooking water and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese, tossing with tongs to combine.
• Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a little torn basil.

PERFECT LASAGNA BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta; cook and stir until browned, about 8 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in beef and pork. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Pour white wine into the Dutch oven; cook until alcohol evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer Bolognese sauce, stirring occasionally and skimming fat off the surface, about 3 1/2 hours. Stir in beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time, if sauce looks dry.
• Stir heavy cream and 1/2 cup milk into the Bolognese sauce; mix well. Cover and cook over very low heat until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.
• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until a smooth paste forms; cook and stir until paste turns a golden sandy color, about 7 minutes.
• Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk 4 cups milk into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally until bechamel sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and nutmeg; discard bay leaf.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
• Spread 1/4 cup bechamel sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna sheet; prick in several places with a paring knife. Spread 1/2 cup bechamel sauce and 1/2 cup Bolognese sauce on top. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
• Repeat layers 7 times with remaining lasagna sheets, bechamel sauce, Bolognese sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cover lasagna with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool before serving, about 15 minutes.

RACHAEL'S LASAGNA WITH WHITE SAUCE IS IDEAL FOR COLD WINTRY NIGHTS

Steps:

• For the bolognese, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with EVOO, add pancetta and render 2-3 minutes, add carrot, celery and onion and stir 5 minutes to soften, add meats and crumble, lightly brown, add garlic, fennel, sage, rosemary, bay, salt and pepper, add wine and let it absorb, add stock, cream and parm rind, and simmer on low for 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 400˚F with rack at center
• For the bechamel sauce, warm milk in small pot
• In a saucepot or pan, melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour when the butter foams to combine, then whisk in warm milk, season sauce with salt, white pepper and nutmeg
• For the ricotta filling, combine ricotta with Parm, egg, thyme, lemon zest and EVOO
• Assemble lasagna: half the béchamel, pasta sheets, half the meat sauce, pasta sheets, all of the ricotta, pasta sheets, remainder of the meat sauce, pasta sheets, remainder of the white sauce, fontina or mozzarella, and parm
• Cover the lasagna with foil, bake 30 minutes, uncover and bake 20-25 minutes more to brown and bubbly
• Let the lasagna rest 10-20 minutes, then cut and serve