Rachael Ray's Lasagne Bolognese - Everyday Cooking Adventures

I was excited to try this homemade lasagna dish but it turned out kinda dry. It really needed some ricotta layered in there. Next time I would do this recipe again but add some cheese as the bechamel sauce was easy enough to make but didn’t moisten the noodles enough. The meat sauce was very good and while the recipe wasn’t a short one to make, it was a fun Sunday experiment. #rachaelray

Lasagna Bolognese

Everyday with Rachael Ray
Makes: 8 servings
Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 1 hr 15 mins

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
1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; add 3/4 cup of the 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.

7. Cover with greased parchment, then wrap the pan with foil. Bake for 1 hour; uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 14 cup parmesan. Bake for 15 minutes more. Loosen the foil; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing.