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Real Italian Lasagna

Difficulty
Intermediate
Total Time
3H 0MIN
Cuisine

Ingredients

For the pasta

Flour 00: 300g

Semolina flour: 100g (durum wheat flour)

Eggs: 220g (usually 4 eggs and 1 yolk)

For the béchamel

Milk: 1l

Butter: 80g

Flour 00: 80g

Salt: To taste

Nutmeg: Freshly grated, to taste

For the ragù

Beef mince: 500g

Pork mince: 350g (or pancetta or sausages)

Butter: 80g

Olive oil: 3 tbsp

Onion: 1 large, chopped

Carrots: 1 large, chopped

Celery: 1 stalk, chopped

Plum tomatoes: 700g, peeled

Tomato paste: 1 tbsp

White wine: 150ml, dry

Thyme: A sprig

Rosemary: A sprig

Sage: A sprig

Milk: A splash (optional)

Salt and pepper: To taste

To build the lasagna

Butter: 50g, unsalted

Grana padano cheese: 400g, grated

Discover how to make a real Italian lasagna, part of the Fine Dining Lovers series, The Secrets of Italian Food.

In our Secrets of Italian Food series, Italian chef Danilo Cortellini shares his tips and recipes for some of Italy's finest and most loved recipes.

Here the self-confessed pasta lover shows us how to make a traditional Italian lasagna, crispy and golden on the outside and juicy in the middle. As the chef says, who doesn't love an Italian lasagna?

While there are many variations of lasagne, a traditional bolognese lasagne hails from Emilia Romagna, complete with layers of juicy meat ragù and creamy béchamel sauce in between homemade sheets of pasta, baked to crispy perfection.

Learn how to master a real Italian lasagna at home, with Danilo Cortellini.

Method

01.
For the pasta

Create a well on your worktop with both flours and pour the eggs in the middle. Mix with a fork to start, then use your hands when the eggs and flour start to bind together. Knead with energy by stretching and pulling your dough back together. This will activate the gluten in the flour, giving you an elastic dough. 

 

 

Preparing the pasta dough for the lasagna.
02.

When smooth and elastic, and all is absorbed and incorporated, wrap the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes in the fridge. 

 

Resting the pasta dough for the lasagna.
03.

With the help of a pasta machine, roll the dough into thin rectangular sheets about 1mm thick. Let them dry, floured, for 15 minutes on your bench, and then pass them again in the machine at the same setting. This will make them more porous. Dust with a little flour and keep the pasta sheets between parchment, ready to be used.

 

Rolling the dough for the lasagna.
04.
For the béchamel

Melt the butter in a casserole pan and add the flour. Cook and mix with a spatula for about 3 minutes until you have a golden roux. 

 

Making a roux.
05.

Pour in warmed milk and bring everything to the boil while sporadically mixing with a whisk. Season with salt and grated nutmeg and set aside.

Adding milk to the béchamel.
06.
For the ragù

In a large pot, roast the minced meats with olive oil and butter until lightly browned and caramelised. 

Cooking ragù.
07.

Add the chopped vegetables and sweat for a few minutes while mixing every now and then. 

Adding chopped vegetables to the ragù.
08.

Create a bouquet with the herbs, wrap it in kitchen twine and add it to the pot. 

Adding herbs to the ragù.
09.

When everything is golden, pour in the wine, let the alcohol evaporate, add the tomatoes and season to taste.

Adding wine and tomatoes to the ragù.
10.

Simmer slowly for a couple of hours and add water or stock if needed and a spoon of tomato paste for a richer flavour. 

Adding tomato paste to the ragù.
11.

When ready, add a splash of milk to the ragù to mitigate the tomato acidity. Keep ready on the side.

Adding milk to the ragù.
12.
To build the lasagna

Grease a deep oven-proof dish with butter and spread béchamel and ragù on the bottom. 

Building the lasagna.
13.

Add the first pasta sheet and cover with a few spoons of béchamel and ragù and a few little knobs of butter, plus plenty of grated grana padano. 

Repeat the layering until you have reached the top of the dish or have a 5-layer lasagna at least. Remember to dress each layer equally and not to leave areas of the pasta uncovered, especially on the last layer, which will crisp up a little when in the oven. 

Layering the lasagna.
14.

Bake at 160°C for about 45 minutes until golden on top. If the lasagna is getting too dark on the top but still looks very runny, cover with foil and cook for a few more minutes.

Baking the lasagna.

Watch the video

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