Lasagne al 'Forno
Emilia-Romagna is the motherland of homemade pasta, where this
popular dish was created. Lasagne al forno is a rich dish typical of
the region and its food-loving inhabitants. The bolognese sauce is
also excellent for dressing tagliatelle or penne.
1 16/500 g fresh lasagne or 10 oz/300 g dried lasagne
3 oz/75 g/3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 oz/ 15 g/ 1 tbsp butter
béchamel sauce made with 11/2 pt/750 ml/3 cups milk,
3 oz/75 g/6 tbsp butter and 21/2 oz/65 g/ 1/2 cup flour flavoured
with 2 pinches of grated nutmeg
Bolognese Sauce
1 oz/25 g/2 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp olive oil
2 oz/50 g pancetta or unsmoked streaky bacon
I small onion, 1 small carrot, I small celery stick. 1 small garlic
clove, all finely chopped
1 bay leaf, 11/2 tbsp tomato puree
10 oz/300 g best minced (ground) beef
1/2 pt/125 ml/ 3/4 cup thy white wine
A pt/I25 m1/ 3/4 cup meat stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
First make the bolognese sauce. Heat the butter and oil in a
saucepan and cook the pancetta for I minute. Add the onion and,
when it begins to soften, add the carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaf.
Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cook over a
low heat for 30 seconds. Add the beef and cook briskly until the
meat changes colour. Add the wine and boil until the liquid has
almost evaporated. Discard the bay leaf and pour in the stock. Mix
well, season and simmer uncovered for about I hour, adding more
water if the sauce becomes too dry. Check seasoning. While the
bolognese is cooking, make the béchamel sauce and set aside.
Cook the lasagne in plenty of boiling salted water in batches of 5
or 6 sheets at a time. When they are cooked lift them out and
plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Remove and pat dry with
kitchen paper. Butter a 12 inch x 8 inch/30 cm x 20 cm ovenproof
dish. Spread 2 tablespoons of the bolognese sauce on the bottom.
Cover with a layer of lasagne, then spread over 2 tablespoons or so
of bolognese and the same of bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with a little
Parmesan cheese and repeat, building up the dish in layers, ending
with a top layer of bechamel sauce.
Dot with butter and bake at gas mark 7, 425°F. 220°C, for 20
minutes. Remove from the oven at least 5 minutes before serving
to allow the flavours to develop.
Wow pancetta??? E quanto burro c'è?? Che visione distorta hanno gli americani sul cibo italiano e non solo , in un documentario sulla cucina italiana in Olanda, credo, comunque non in italia, dicevano che la cucina italiana era troppo pesante e speziata per loro......be, certo che se mettono astronomiche quantità di burro, formaggio e pancetta misto a tutte le spezie mediterranee messe insieme in un unico piatto.....
Non dico che siano cattive anzi è un tripudio di bontà ma forse un pò pesantine.....e di certo non rispecchiano la tradizione italiana!
Comunque sia mi sono divertita a ricercare le variazioni americane sul cibo italiano....guardate le varianti anche in questo
blog probabilmente sono quelle che si avvicinano di più....ma secondo voi sta bene l'origano? Però le vorrei tanto assaggiare!