The recipe for Lasagna Bolognese

The lasagna bolognese, just as with its spaghetti counterpart, is a popular choice when it comes to italian pasta recipes; many cooks are actually making a version of this lasagna at home without knowing it... Key to success with these dishes however, is really a perfect combination of spices; from which of course basil will play an important part... In any case, here is a real recipe coming to us straight from Italy... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 regualr size onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound sliced pancetta, cut into quarters
1 pound lean veal
1 pound pork (not lean)
1 cup white wine
1 small can tomato paste
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon basil

3 cups bechamel sauce; try this easy recipe for bechamel sauce ;

 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter

1 lb. (500g) lasagna pasta, boiled for 8 minutes and set aside

Making the meat sauce:

In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat
cook the carrot, oinion, celery and garlic stirring occasionally until tender but not browned (10 minutes).
While vegetables are cooking, pulse the pancetta in a food processor until finely chopped.
Increase the heat to high and stir in the veal, pork and pancetta.
Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up any lumps untill meat starts to brown.
Stir in the tomato paste, basil, milk and wine, lower the heat to low, and simmer gently the sauce
for 1 hour.  Add salt and pepper.
The tomato meat sauce is ready.

The white sauce:

Next prepare the besciamella (bechamel sauce), we will need 3 cups of it, as per this recipe.

Last steps: assemble and bake the lasagna

Grease up with olive oil a large and at least 2 inch deep lasagna pan.
Ideally this lasagna will have 4 layers.
Lay down in the pan the first layer of lasagna pasta,
top the pasta with a nice layer of tomato meat sauce, which in turn will be topped by more pasta
then spread half the besciamella sauce over the 2nd layer of pasta, sprinkled generously with parmesan cheese.
Lay more pasta on top and repeat the meat sauce layer, followed by pasta, then
for the last layer, make sure we have the last besciamella layer first,
to end with the meat sauce on top. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese since this is the topmost layer.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese browns a bit, with the 'au gratin' look

Once out of the oven, chill the lasagna for 20 minutes prior to serving.