Welcome to my blog. I set off creating this blog thinking it would be a good way to chronicle my upcoming trip to Europe but then I thought it would also be a good way to share with my friends and family my adventures (and misadventures) in the kitchen.
So what better way to kick off then to share with you what I happened to cook this weekend. Lasagna has always been one of my favorite dishes. One of the best lasagnas I’ve tried is from my aunt Jenni. She makes a rich ragu sauce and creamy bechamel that comes out bubbly, gooey and yummy and best of all it doesn’t require hours slaving in the kitchen. One day I’ll ask her to share it with you as well. In the meantime, if you have a couple of hours to spare on a lazy weekend afternoon, here is something you might want to try. I promise, the efforts will be worth it.
Lasagna Verdi
There are three components to the dish – the ragu, the bechamel and the pasta. Start early.
Step One: The Ragu
500 grams minced beef
500 grams minced veal (or pork)
100 grams chopped parma ham
800 grams canned Italian tomatoes
600 ml chicken stock (or beef stock)
300 ml milk
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stack, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
300 grams mozarella cheese
- In a heavy bottomed pot, cook the onion gently until translucent. Add the garlic, carrot and celery and cook a few minutes longer until all the vegetables are soft. Turn the heat to high and add the parma ham and the meat until brown. Cook for several minutes until the liquid from the meat evaporates.
- Now add the wine and allow to evaporate for a few minutes to cook out the alcohol. Next, add the milk, stock and herbs.
- Add the canned tomatoes and some salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer the ragu for 2.5 hours until you get a rich, dark sauce.
- While you are waiting, begin the pasta
Step Two: The Pasta (La Sfoglia)
2 eggs
250 grams flour
30 grams cooked and strained spinach
- Tip the flour onto the kitchen counter and bring it together into a mound
- Make a well in the center of the flour and crack both eggs into the well along with the spinach
- Using a fork, lightly mix the eggs and spinach together while slowly trying to incorporate the flour, a little at a time
- Once the egg mixture becomes thick, stop mixing and cover the egg mixture with the rest of the flour
- With your hands, bring the flour and egg mixture together into a ball and start kneading the pasta until it reaches the right consistency. To check, make an indentation into the ball of pasta dough, if it comes out clean without being sticky, stop. Otherwise, continue
- Now cover the pasta dough and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using immediately, wrap in cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once you are ready to use the pasta dough and it has rested, roll it out on a pasta machine until setting 8. Cut the pasta into sheets. Let rest again for at least 15 minutes until you are ready to boil and assemble the pasta
- Bring a large pot of boiling water to the boil and add some salt. Carefully add the sheets of pasta and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and lay the sheets on a tea towel to dry.
75 grams butter
1/4 cup flour
750 ml hot milk
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat
- Add the flour and let it cook out for a few minutes
- Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy
- Remove from heat and add salt and nutmeg to taste
- First spoon a layer of ragu on the serving dish
- Lay the pasta sheets on top of the ragu then follow with another layer of ragu
- Add a good amount of bechamel on top of the ragu and spread out evenly
- Twice more, follow with another layer of pasta sheet, ragu and bechamel
- You should now end with a bechamel topping. To this add the mozarella cheese
- Bake in a pre-heated 180 degree oven for 30 minutes until golden
Enjoy!
Finally! I find you. Gosh! I’ll be salivating over all the food that you will be posting. I greeted you on your birthday but I guess you were traveling. Lucky you! Do take care and have a great time! I miss you!
Much love,
Bettina
I could almost taste the lasagna just by reading the recipe and looking at the photos. I am looking forward to reading about your “Dégustation” in Paris.
Allez! Il faut se régaler!
How about Filipino Lasagna???
I had this at Trissa’s last Saturday night and I can attest to how delicious it was! I not only had seconds, I had thirds!
Congratulations to you Tris on your blag, i mean blog 🙂