“Have
you ever been to Bologna? Oh, I take you there someday. You will love
this place. Bologna is sad, a little. The city is old… but the food!
They make there a dish called Lasagna Bolognese. You can’t believe how
good this is. When my uncle, at his restaurant, makes this, you eat and
then you go, ‘Oooh!’ And you kill yourself; you have to kill yourself
because after you eat this [it’s so delicious] you can’t live!” — from
the movie Big Night.
Lasagna is hard to really screw up. Even if
it’s not that great, it’s still pretty good. I mean, how can you lose?
We’re talking pasta, sauce and cheese. The noodles may be overcooked
and the cheese might be cottage, but it’s almost always edible.
When
I first made lasagna, I used a recipe that called for a tomato sauce to
which was added previously cooked and crumbled meatballs and sausage.
Four cheeses — Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta and something called
“white American” — were included, as well as a cup and a half of
butter. It was a marathon; something I made only a few times, and the
best lasagna I’d ever had. But I didn’t know that that lasagna was
Italian-American, something that would never be made in Italy.
Italian-American
lasagna is inarguably delicious. But the hearty, rustic preparation
most Americans know is a far cry from classic Lasagna Bolognese. It’s
simpler, even elegant — though still a special occasion indulgence. Its
basis is the meat sauce that the city of Bologna claims as its own.
It’s truly a meat sauce rather than a tomato sauce with meat.
Combinations of various chopped and ground meats are simmered slowly,
absorbing gradual additions of wine and milk. Just a bit of tomato is
added at the end; the sauce is typically pale pink and incredibly
unctuous.
It doesn’t include multiple cheeses either,
especially ricotta. Instead it calls for besciamella, a sauce of milk
thickened with flour and butter that’s known in France as béchamel and
in English as white sauce.
There are many different and
delicious kinds of lasagna. But the original lasagna, Lasagna
Bolognese, is in a class of its own: a revelation of flavor and
simplicity.
Lasagna Bolognese
When I want to pull out all the stops, I make my own pasta, rolling it
into sheets and parboiling them. For less momentous occasions, I’m more
than happy to use no-boil lasagna noodles. They work exceptionally well
— far better, in fact, than the traditional Italian-American ridged
lasagna noodles with curly edges that require advance cooking. I
particularly like the Barilla brand; the thin sheets come closest to my
homemade noodles. It’s available in some local grocery stores
(including Schnucks) and Italian specialty shops.
- 2 9-oz. boxes no-boil lasagna noodles (preferably Barilla), or substitute homemade, parboiled lasagna noodles
- 6 c. Ragu Bolognese
- 6 c. Besciamella Sauce (Béchamel Sauce)
- 1 1/2 c. grated Parmegiano Reggiano or other grating cheese, such as Asiago
- Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish
Preheat
the oven to 350. Grease a large rectangular baking dish, approximately
9” x 13”. Evenly spread about a cup of the besciamella over the bottom
of the dish. Place enough lasagna noodles to cover the sauce. They
should overlap slightly. Spread about 1 c. of the Ragu Bolognese over
the pasta, then top with another cup of the besciamella. Sprinkle with
some of the grated cheese. Continue making layers in the same manner
until the sauces and/or pasta have been used up. End with a layer of
besciamella sprinkled with the cheese. Cover with a sheet of lightly
oiled foil, and bake for about 45 minutes or until bubbling and
thoroughly heated through. Let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with
parsley. Serves 8 – 12.
Ragu Bolognese
This
is one of those classics that has as many variations as there are cooks
who make it. After much experimentation, I settled on the following.
It’s not difficult, but it does take some time, so I almost always make
double or triple batches to freeze. It’s not just good to use in
lasagna, but as a sauce for other pasta such as fettuccine or
pappardelle.
- 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck
- 1 lb. Italian (preferred) or ground pork
- 1 c. chopped onion, NOT super-sweet
- 4-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c. dry white wine or vermouth
- 2 c. whole milk
- 2 c. basic tomato sauce (see below) OR canned tomatoes OR tomato sauce, plus more if desired
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In
a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add
the onions and garlic and stir to coat thoroughly. Cover the pan and
allow the vegetables to “sweat” until they are softened and
translucent, but not browned, about 5 – 10 minutes. Add the meats and
stir well to combine with the onion and garlic. Continue to cook,
chopping with a wooden spoon to break up any large lumps, until the
meat has lost any pink color. Add the wine, and continue to cook until
the wine has virtually completely evaporated, stirring frequently.
Add
1 c. of the milk and continue to cook, still stirring frequently. When
the milk has almost evaporated, add the last cup of milk and continue
as before. When the milk has been almost completely absorbed, add the
tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You may want to add
more tomato sauce, depending on what the sauce will be used for.
Basic Tomato Sauce
This
simple tomato sauce is adapted from Iron Chef Mario Batali’s version.
Batali is one of the (sadly few) Food Network stars who really know
their stuff. I’ve had some of the best meals of my life at his NYC
restaurants.
- 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, NOT super-sweet, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced, or more or less to taste
- 3 T. fresh thyme or 1 T. dried thyme leaves, or other herbs such as rosemary or marjoram
- 2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzanos
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sauté
the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy Dutch
oven until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned. Add the
thyme or other herbs and cook another couple of minutes. Add the
tomatoes and their juices, crushing them with your hands. Simmer until
thickened, 30 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper. Makes
approximately 4 cups.
Besciamella
By
any name, this sauce is a classic. In some ways, it’s fallen out of
favor – in the U.S., not least because it’s been often replaced by
condensed soups. But a properly seasoned white sauce still has many
uses, and should be in every home cook’s repertoire. The onions, bay
and nutmeg in this version make it especially delicious.
- 12 T. unsalted butter
- 1 c. chopped onion
- 12 T. all purpose flour
- 6 c. whole milk
- 2 bay leaves
- kosher or sea salt and freshly grated nutmeg and pepper to taste
Melt
the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Stir in the
onion, cover the casserole, and “sweat” until the onion is softened but
not browned, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk with the bay
leaves in a separate pan. Don’t bring to a simmer, but keep warm.
Add
the flour to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring
frequently. Slowly whisk in the hot milk, stirring constantly, until
it’s all combined and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium low, and let
come to a bare simmer. Stirring frequently, simmer the sauce for about
5 minutes or until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and
season to taste with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Makes about 7 cups.
This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2010.
