Lasagne has been around since the Middle Ages and varies regionally as well as from cook to cook. Traditional lasagna has many layers of pasta and not so much filling or bechamel sauce. The most important ingredient is the freshly made pasta!
To make the pasta dough I use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Of course it can be made by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer. Slowly combine 350g (12½ oz) of finely milled “00” flour, ¼ of a teaspoon of salt, 2 large whole eggs and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Mix until the dough forms into a ball. If the mixture is too dry add an egg yolk. Continue to mix on low for 10 minutes or so until you have a soft and smooth dough. Roll pieces of the dough through a pasta machine, folding the dough a few times and rolling it out before setting the machine to a thinner setting. As the pasta becomes thinner, it’s not necessary to keep folding it. Once the sheets are made and dried, they can be used as they are in lasagna however blanching them in salted boiling water for 30-60 seconds will make them less gummy and a little firmer. To make the béchamel sauce put 1½ litres (1.6 quarts) of milk in a large saucepan with 1 sliced onion and 2 bay leaves and slowly bring just to the boil. Turn off the heat and set aside for 1 hr to infuse. Meanwhile make the meat sauce. In some olive oil gently fry 1 finely diced onion and and equal amount of finely diced carrot and celery. Add 450g (1 lb) each of beef and pork mince and cook, breaking up the lumps. When just cooked, add a scant cup of milk. Allow to simmer before adding 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, 1 large bottle of tomato passata (purée), 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Add 2 beef stock cubes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer for 1 hour. To finish the bechamel sauce strain the milk through a fine sieve. Melt 100g (3½ oz) of butter in a sauce pan then, using a wooden spoon, mix in 100g (3½ oz) of plain flour and cook for 2 mins. Stir in the strained milk, just a little at a time avoiding any lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly – if you have any lumps use a whisk. Allow it to bubble gently for a few minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg. To assemble the lasagna you will also need grated mozzarella and grated parmesan. Spread a little sauce into the bottom of your baking dish first. Place a single layer of the pasta sheets into the bottom of the dish. Follow with a thin layer of the sauce over the pasta then béchamel and the grated cheeses. Repeat this process until you reach the top layer. Just spread some of the sauce and grated cheeses over the top (no béchamel). Bake for 1 hour in a preheated oven at 180ºC (360ºF) until bubbling and browned. Serve with a fresh green salad.
