Lasagne

Lasagne

One of the most recognisable dishes in the world, the Lasagne Bolognese is one of Italy's most famous and popular exports. It is comfort food at its finest, a deep flavoured Ragu layered with some beautiful Pasta and a deliciously rich Bechemel Sauce, baked until bubbly.....fantastico! This is not a traditional Italian Lasagne Bolognese but is instead, my take on the classic. I've added Porcini Mushrooms to give a more earthy flavour while the Cherry Tomatoes on top help to cut through the rich Ragu beautifully.

For The Meat Sauce/Ragu:

5tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
250g Pork Belly (diced)
400g Minced Beef
400g Minced Pork
1 Large Onion (finely chopped)
1 Large Carrot (finely chopped)
1 Celery Stick (finely chopped)
2 Large Cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
150ml White Wine
25g Dried Porcini (soaked in hot water for 30 mins, keep the juice, dice)
80ml left over Porcini soaking juice
10 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
500g Tomato Passata
2 Bay Leaves
1tsp Dried Oregano
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

For The Pasta:

200g Italian "00" Flour (or Extra Strong Bread Flour)
2 Eggs

For The Bechemel:

50g Butter
2.5tbsp Flour
550ml Milk
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

50g Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
12 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

1. Add the Oil to a saucepan over medium heat and add the diced Pork Belly. Fry for 5-6 minutes and add the Onion, Carrot, Celery and Garlic. Sweat for 5-10 minutes until soft.Turn the heat up, add the Beef and Pork mince, season well and brown for 7 minutes.

2. Add the Wine and cook off. Add the diced Porcini, 80ml of the soaking juice, Passata, Cherry Tomatoes, Bay Leaves and Oregano. Season well, bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid (leaving a small gap for steam to escape) and simmer for 1 and a half hours, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is too watery you can take off the lid and reduce for 10-15 minutes.

3. Next make the pasta. Tip the flour onto a clean table, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs in. Beat with a fork and then gradually work in the flour from the sides. Bring together with your hands and knead for a few mins until it become springy. Cover with Cling Film and put in the fridge for 30 mins.

4. Next , the Bechemel. Melt the butter in a saucepan and when its melted add the flour. Stir for 2-3 mins being careful not to let it burn. Slowly add the milk and whisk continuesly while heating until is thickens (approx 7-10 minutes) Season well, remove from the heat and set aside.



5. Remove the Pasta from the fridge, unwrap and flatten. If rolling by hand you're aiming for the thickness of two playing cards (Really Thin!) A pasta machine works best and its good to have a few helpers for the lower settings! Roll to the thinnest setting working down from the highest (Roll through the highest setting 5 times first, folding in half between each roll, to improve the texture) Dust with flour when necessary. Cook in well seasoned boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. Lay out on a table to avoid them sticking together.

6. Remove the Bay Leaves from the Meat Sauce and take it off the heat. Lightly oil the bottom of your baking dish and begin with a light layer of Meat Sauce, followed by Bechemel, a little Parmesan and a light seasoning of Salt and Pepper. Top with a layer of the Pasta and repeat the process until the dish is almost full. Finish with a good layer of Bechemel and a good sprinkling of Parmesan Cheese. Season again and finish with halved Cherry Tomatoes around the edges. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees C. Serve with some good Garlic Bread.

Variations

This is another great base recipe that can easily be adjusted to taste. Add extra vegetables to the Ragu for a more nutritious hit or add some Basil to get that quintissentially Italian flavour. One layer of Prosciutto in the middle of a Lasagne can also work great and dotting little balls of Mozzarella in the layers before baking makes for a lovely surprise! Dried Pasta can also be used instead of fresh if time is short.