Lasagna was something I grew up with. My Mom would make it on a regular basis and I have very fond lasagna memories. I hated leftovers as a kid, but I loved lasagna for breakfast. I loved the smell of my Mom making homemade marinara sauce and how she would steam up the windows of the kitchen as it simmered. I truly believe my love affair with cheese started at a young age due to my early introduction to lasagna.



So the other night I had some friends over and I decided to try a new recipe I found for Lasagna Bolognese and although it was good....well my Mom's lasagna still wins...hands down! Guess this might be one of those situations where Mom just knows best. Don't get me wrong this is a good recipe, it is just not the same as my childhood memories. This recipe uses layers of sauce, 2 different types, the bolognese and a bechamel and to be completely honest I just really missed the ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

If you are unfamiliar with a bechamel sauce it is a butter, flour, milk and Parmesan cheese sauce and although it is very rich, I felt the subtle flavors of the sauce were lost against the bolognese. Plus I just missed the richness of real cheese. The bolognese was good and I really enjoyed the non-traditional addition of pancetta to the sauce, however this sauce only cooked for 30 minutes and a traditional bolognese spends hours on the stove. It just needed further flavor development in my opinion. Now please don't get me wrong this is a good lasagna, but my Mom's is just better.


So to begin with you make the bolognese. Saute the pancetta in olive oil until it is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Next add the vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and thyme) and cook until they are soft, approximately another 5 minutes.

Push the vegetables to the side and add the ground beef to the center of the pan. Cooking for 3 minutes without touching. How fun is that? My favorite part of cooking is touching everything.

Break up the meat and cook for another 3 minutes or until the ground beef is browned.


Add crushed tomatoes and 2 cups water and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Do not let it start to brown as you want this to be a white sauce. Slowly add 2 1/2 cups whole milk, whisking as you add the milk. There is nothing worse than burnt milk, so seriously keep stirring.

Remove from the heat and add 1 cup Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Don't ya hate when the steam from the noodles fogs up your camera

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions (normally adding them to boiling water with olive oil and cooking for 11-13 minutes).


To assemble the lasagna, place a layer of the bolognese sauce on the bottom of a greased 13x9 pan. Add a layer of noodles, overlapping is completely acceptable. Top with a layer of bolognese, a layer of noodles, a layer of bechamel, you get the picture.


 Finish with the bolognese sauce and bake covered for 1 hour.

Uncover and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes more. Sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

Here is the actual recipe:


ingredients
3 tablespoons EVOO
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound 85% lean ground beef chuck
1 can  (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan
3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles

directions
In a deep skillet or pot, cook 1 tbsp. EVOO and the pancetta over medium heat, stirring, until the pancetta is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and thyme and cook, stirring, until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes; push to the side of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add 1 tbsp. EVOO to the center of the pan and crumble in the ground beef; cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Break up the meat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and 2 cups water to the skillet; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat; let cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk in a steady stream and simmer for 2 minutes, whisking. Remove from the heat, stir in 1 cup Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

In a pot of boiling, salted water, add the remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO and the lasagna noodles. Cook, stirring, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; add 3/4 of the cup meat sauce to coat. Add a layer of noodles, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup of the meat sauce, then a layer of noodles; add 1 cup of the bechamel, spreading to coat. Repeat the layers. Add a fifth layer of noodles and top with the remaining meat sauce; dollop with the remaining bechamel. Cover with greased parchment, then wrap the pan with foil. Bake for 1 hour; uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes more. Loosen the foil; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing

This is the start of my long weekend. I love that I work for an organization that gives us Caesar Chavez Day off...hence the long holiday weekend....it has definitely made me a fan of Caesar...hell anyone who can get me a day off is a friend of mine. Cheers!