Lasagne Bolognese

The beauty of this dish is the creamy orange liquid that seeps out of the lasagna. The Bechemel/Bolognese sauce mix is so good it could stand on its own as a soup (with plenty of these cheeses), or be served on penne or elbow pasta:

But with the chewy textures and structure of the this subtly flavored lasagna, you will wonder why all lasagna dishes aren’t this good. (The answer is simple: prep time—about 3 or 4 hours.)

Bolognese Sauce

with bacon and beef and just a wee bit of red sauce

modified, from the Joy of Cooking.

Brown

• 1 lb ground beef

and drain the fat.

Cook up some (not too much, mostly for the grease)

• bacon

and chop when it is ready.

If needed, add some

• olive oil or vegetable oil

Saute up some yummy:

• carrots
• celery

Then add later when those are tender enough and cook until caramelized:

• 1/2 medium onion
• bell peppers

Add

• liquids like red wine vinegar or chicken stock, worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, skimming occasionally and adding 2 tablespoons at a time from time to time as the sauce simmers

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk

Cook until the sauce is the consistency of a thick soup, about 2 hours.

Skim the fat off as you go.

Cottage cheese / Italian Parsley mixture

Grate

• Mozzarella cheese

and add

• 1/4 cup chopped Italian Parsley

to

• Cottage cheese

Set aside for use as the cheese layer

Bechemel Sauce

with boiled fresh Spinach and chopped Italian Parsley

Bring to the edge of a boil, constantly stirring so as to avoid burning:

• 1 cup of cream

Stir and reduce until 1/2 cups remain. Perhaps add a dash of

• nutmeg

At the same time, reduce

• 1 cup chicken stock

Perhaps add

• a crushed clove (no stem)

Fold the cream into the stock and continue stirring.

On the side, separate and discard stems, boil:

• a colander full of spinach leaves (which ends up as 1/4 or 1/2 cup of boiled, slimy spinach)

Chop this on the cutting board.

To thicken the white sauce further, add

• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Chop finely:

• 1/4 cup Italian Parsley (separate out the stems)

and add to the sauce, letting it steep the flavors. Finally, add the chopped, boiled spinach.

Lasagne Bolognese

For the top, grate

• 1/4 cup of Mozarella, Parmesan, Romano cheeses

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 9x9x2 square ceramic casserole

Boil:

• 1/2 lb lasagne (use spinach lasagna if possible)

Drain the pasta and place back in the pot with cool tap water to cool. Separate the pasta so the noodles don’t stick together.

Repeatedly layer:

• cottage cheese
• bechemel sauce
• Bolognese
• pasta
• ...

On top of the final layer add

• 1/4 cup of various cheeses (above)

Loosely cover with aluminum foil (optional) and bake for 40 or 50 minutes, until well browned and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.