I dedicate this recipe to the memory of my dad – he taught me the more about cooking than any class in culinary school could. This Italian classic was one of his specialties. Well worth the effort involved.
Classic Italian Lasagna
serves 6
Tomato Sauce
cup olive oil
1 ea onion; chopped
2 ea garlic clove; chopped
1 ea celery stalk; chopped
1 ea carrot; chopped
%u215B tsp kosher salt
%u215B tsp ground black pepper
8 cup crushed tomato
Bamel Sauce
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cup whole milk; room temperature
%u215B tsp nutmeg
1 cup tomato sauce
%u215B tsp kosher salt
%u215B tsp ground white pepper
Filling
1 lb ricotta cheese
3 ea egg
1 lb lasagna sheets; cooked al dente
2 cup frozen spinach; thawed and squeezed dry
3 cup mozzarella cheese; shredded
cup parmesan cheese
Tomato Sauce:
In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
Bamel sauce:
In a 2-quart pot, melt 1 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the bamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Repeat. Sprinkle 1/2 the mozzarella cheese on top. Spread another 1/3 of the bamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with remaining bamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.
Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for about 15 minutes.
