Lasagna Bolognese

1. 1
   prep · ~10 min

   Bring water to a boil and prep ingredients.

   Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the salt for pasta water. Finely dice onion, carrot, and celery. Mince the garlic. Blanch, peel, and crush the tomatoes.

2. 2
   boil · ~8 min

   Cook the lasagna noodles.

   1.Drop noodles into boiling salted water.

   2.Cook until 1 minute short of al dente, about 7 minutes.

   3.Drain and lay noodles flat on a lightly oiled baking sheet to prevent sticking.

   TIPSlightly undercooking the pasta now prevents it from turning mushy during baking.
3. 3
   saute · ~10 min

   Start the Bolognese sauce.

   1.Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

   2.Add diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes.

   3.Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   TIPFinely dicing the soffritto ensures it melts into the sauce, not stays chunky.
4. 4
   simmer · ~40 min

   Brown the beef and build the sauce.

   1.Push vegetables to the edge of the skillet and add ground beef.

   2.Break meat apart with a wooden spoon and cook until deeply browned, about 8 minutes.

   3.Pour in the crushed tomatoes and water. Season with salt and black pepper.

   4.Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   TIPBrowning the meat well, not just graying it, builds the deep savory flavor essential to Bolognese.
5. 5
   simmer · ~9 min

   Make the béchamel sauce.

   1.Melt unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

   2.Whisk in all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until lightly golden.

   3.Gradually pour in warm milk while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.

   4.Add nutmeg and keep stirring until the sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes.

   TIPWarm the milk first — cold milk into hot roux is the leading cause of lumpy béchamel.
6. 6
   assemble · ~10 min

   Layer the lasagna.

   1.Spread a thin layer of Bolognese sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch deep baking dish.

   2.Add the first layer of 4 lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping.

   3.Spread 1/3 of the béchamel over the noodles, then 1/3 of the Bolognese.

   4.Sprinkle a quarter of the shredded mozzarella.

   5.Repeat for 2 more layers (noodle, béchamel, Bolognese, mozzarella).

   6.Top the final noodle layer with the remaining Bolognese and all of the grated Parmesan.

   TIPStarting with sauce on the dish bottom prevents the first noodle layer from sticking and drying out.
7. 7
   bake · ~40 min

   Bake to golden perfection.

   Cover the dish tightly with foil, then bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is bubbly and golden, about 15 minutes more.

   TIPLet the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes after baking — this allows the layers to set, so each slice holds its shape beautifully.

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